2008 Petite Sirah

Lamorinda, (Contra Costa County)

For our many Friends and Family members who are fans of Petite Sirah, (and even those who simply enjoy big expressive wines), you will love this wine. In comparison to our 2007 bottling, this vintage represents a return to a more familiar, voluptuous style reminiscent of our 2006 Petite Sirah. But unlike that wine, in 2008 we tactically employed blending techniques we've been cultivating since our inception to craft what we think is a truly noteworthy Petite. At its core, the Petite Sirah fruit from Lamorinda's Captain Vineyard makes up about 84% of this wine, but an added measure of Zinfandel and Mourvedre help round out the varietal's typically rough edges and accentuate its provocative aromatics and lush flavors.

In the glass, this wine expresses an inky, dark indigo appearance with impressive opacity and nearly tooth-staining opulence. One consequence of this wine's unique character is that the 'legs' in your glass are exquisitely evident. Though usually 'wine legs' are associated with higher alcohol wines (you non-physicists out there might enjoy reading up about the Marangoni effect), in this case, though the wine weighs in at a modest (for Petite Sirah) 14.2%, the legs are simply more noticeable because some of the copious pigmentation is evaporating along with the alcohol and re-condensating along the glass' surface.

On the nose, you'll be immersed in a profusion of jammy ripe blackberries, with a dash of fennel and hints of cedar and red rope licorice. You'll also notice a smidgeon of characteristic black pepper on the periphery, but not nearly as strong or vast as some Petite Sirahs. I attribute this to a combination of patience and selectivity in the vineyard -- allowing more mature and uniformly ripe fruit; patience in the cellar – allowing the wine to achieve greater maturity and better integrated flavors in barrel; and embracing a blending philosophy that emphasizes capitalizing on the best attributes of all available components.

On the palate, the opulent flavors of blackberry and ripe plums expand, enveloping the tongue to divulge enduring layers of juicy, concentrated fruit, spice and creamy, well-integrated oak, but with sufficient acidity to avoid cloyingness. Petites are known for their powerful tannins, and this wine certainly is no light-weight, but the extra time in barrel and bottle prior to release have softened them, accentuating the long, clean sumptuous finish as opposed to leaving a dry chalky impression.

This wine will pair well with any rich, grilled meat. I'd suggest a juicy tri-tip smothered with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Enjoyable now with sufficient aeration, this Petite Sirah will further develop in the cellar and has the structure and stuffing to continue pleasing for the next 15-20 years.