Petite Sirah
CA - Lake County - Clear Lake
This wine is so amazing that sometimes we think we
should just grow nothing but Petite Sirah. Although
the wine has incredible color and density, the texture
is surprisingly soft, round and feminine.
Altitude is good for this variety, which does
not fare well in fog, as its thin skin and tightly packed
clusters make it prone to rot. In many mountain
sites, bright sunlight and water stress lead to
extreme tannic hardness, but our cooling afternoon
“lake effect” develops and preserves an intense
blueberry aroma and prevents field oxidation of
anthocyanins, preserving an intense “Purple Haze”
appearance.
Our east-facing plantings take advantage of
morning sun to burn off any dew but also shelter the
fruit from any raisining by the western sun. The cool
2013 vintage accentuated aromatic intensity, and we
picked on October 10th at perfect ripeness.
The wine showed astonishing tannins and
some reduction, so we employed micro-oxygenation
to refine its tannins while carefully preserving its
structure and depth of fruit. After six and a half
years in neutral cooperage, a wine of tremendous
richness and generosity came together, redolent
with lavender and thyme, oozing with blueberry
flavors carried by deep, silky tannins and a long,
vibrant finish we attribute to our volcanic soils.
Although quite age-worthy, this wine is
guaranteed to put a smile on your face right now.
Enjoyable with a wide variety of foods – steak,
barbeque or a sharp, well-aged cheddar. Or you
might just enjoy it “as dinner,” a satisfying meal in
itself!