The PSychos' Path

29 PresentS

2010-01-18T17:49:00.003-05:00

I'm now 29. And so is the wine I'm drinking tonight (at least rounding up) -- the 1981 Louis J. Foppiano 1981 Russian River Valley Petite Sirah Estate Bottled. According to a sticker on the bottle,it was a gold medal winner at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

I popped the cork at about 10 am to let it Audouze (highly recommended, IMO, for old PS), and I'm enjoying it right now, about 7 and a half hours later.

Not surPriSingly, this one is still alive. Certainly has one foot in the grave, but the other is well outside it.

Color -- starting to go tawny/brick -- thin 1/8" translucent rim, dark burnt purply orange, amazing depth of color for a 29 year old wine -- I still can't see my fingers when I tilt the wine glass except around the edges.

Nose -- some of the tawny port notes from oxidization (the cork broke), really complex bottle bouquet, some red fruits (cherry compote, raspberry, black cherries), and faint white flowers.

Palate -- mouthwatering acidity. Not a ton of fruit to speak of, and definitely old world. Tannins very fine, I'd call it silky but they're too rustic -- maybe velvet dust would be the best description.

After about half an hour in the glass, it really opens up. The red fruit comes out, perfectly balanced, aromatic, WOW. I would never guess that this wine was nearly 30.

Thanks, Louis!

In other news, and totally by coincidence, Foppiano '03 Reserve showed up as part of my samPleS today...

Israeli PS Update

2010-01-17T16:28:00.004-05:00

For whatever reason, Daniel Rogov has tasted a few wines of interest to PSychos of late, and I'll excerpt his PoSts and notes.

Sea Horse, Munch, 2008 (Barrel Tasting): 100% Petite Syrah made from 35 year old vines. Almost inky black in color, firm and intense, almost inky black in color, a wine with muscles but that seems to know how to behave like a gentleman. Rich and deeply concentrated, opens with wild berry, and chocolate notes, goes on to reveal minerals, anise and sage, all on a gently peppery background. Finishes with the tannins rising together with persistent notes of espresso coffee. Best 2011-2017. Tentative Score 90-92. (Tasted 13 Jan 2010)

Chillag, Petite Sirah, 2006: From a vineyard in the Jerusalem Mountains at 750 meters above sea level, Petite Sirah as Petite Sirah should be. Oak-aged for 24 months, almost impenetrably dark garnet in color, dense and concentrated, opening with lavender and peppery notes, those yielding to chocolate and licorice and only then black cherry, blackberry, cassis and plum flavors. In the background look for tobacco and toasty oak and, on the long, chewy finish a note of espresso coffee. Unfiltered, so do not be surprised if you find a bit of sediment here, that doing no harm whatever to this muscular but oh-so-enchanting wine. Best 2011-2016. Score 92. (Tasted 15 Jan 2010)

Margalit, Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, 2008: Cabernet Sauvignon, as always blended with Margalit's "special" and remarkably concentrated Petite Syrah, this year 88% and 12% respectively. Intensely dark garnet, throwing purple, orange and green reflections, full-bodied and with spicy wood and still firm tannins just starting on the road to integration but showing fine balance and structure. On first attack traditional blackcurrant and blackberry fruits on a spicy background, the wine opening in the glass to reveal black cherries and then raspberries and espresso coffee. Nor is this the end for on the long, long finish tempting hints of black olives and saddle leather. Approachable by 2011 but best only from 2013-2025. Perhaps the best to date from Margalit and certainly one of the best wines ever produced in Israel. Score 95. (Tasted 11 Jan 2009)

Rogov's notes on Sea Horse
Rogov's notes on Chillag PS
Rogov's notes on Margalit

ProdigiouS

2010-01-15T22:18:00.004-05:00

The first of my PSamPleS from the ProducerS is the Big House 2006 Prodigal Son. It's from PaSo Robles, clockes in at a relatively PSlender 13.5% ABV, and a pH of 3.75. It was released in October 2008, has a suggested retail price of 14.99 and comes with a screwtop. The Producer recommends pairing it with smokey/grilled/bbq meats.

On pour (into a Riedel Vinum Syrah glass), the color is an extremely dark ruby, with a thin translucent rim. It smells incredibly juicy. It's a little tight on pop and pour, but has lots of nice structure, and is medium-to-full bodied (i.e., light for a PS). The nose initially smells like Ocean-Spray Cran-Blueberry with a bit of clove and black pepper. The tannins are very fine and silty, the finish is about 25 seconds long. There's a bit of awkward bitterness on the transition from the midpalate to the finish, but I suspect that will alleviate with air and time, as it got less pronounced but didn't disappear.

As it opens up, the palate turns to candied black cherry and the tannins fade. Right now, it's all elbow-and-knees but I think it will improve with a few more years in the bottle. OK for the MSRP, but if you can find it for cheaper (and I'm sure you can) it becomes a pretty nice value. Not a bad way to show off the light-bodied side of PS, but I'm not really blown away.

PreSents

2009-12-31T17:12:00.003-05:00

As 2009 (Ne Cede Malis) rolls over into 2010, there's a lot to look forward to.

Jo Diaz droPS some tantalizing hints at what's in store for us next year -- not just for D&D 2010, which is just 7 weeks from tomorrow! -- but for the PSymPoSium... and no, folks -- I'm certainly not the keynote speaker! Being a PSycho (or a PSuperfan) I'm wildly underqualified for that sort of thing!

And I also have some reviews by other winos of my new (to me, at least) favorite PS wines from this PaSt year -- Fortress, Carlisle, and Edwards (Victor -- you guys seen any reviews of your wine?).

Following D&D, I'm looking forward to Vincent Arroyo Barrel Sample Day on Saturday and then hanging out with Fulton & Dink Mather at David Fulton on Fulton Lane Winemaker Breakfast on Sunday.

PreServation

2009-12-10T11:46:00.002-05:00

This PoSt is to mark a very PSpecial event today -- the 40th birthday of themostrighteous, the first of my PadawanS. He is an outstanding friend, a PleaSure to spend time with, and a man who apPreciateS his wine and most especially his PS.

Here is to many, many, many more happy returns, hermano, filled with family, friends, and relaxation. May you enjoy your next 40 as much as the 2002 Vincent Arroyo Rattlesnake Acres that we shared :-). With all the tannins that you consume in your PS, I suspect that they'll PreServe you at least as well as they do our favorite libation.

2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Port

2009-11-21T19:51:00.001-05:00

Oh my gosh, this is a fantastic port. The first sip sets a lightly heated tone where the subsequent sips the alcohol was less pronounced as the palate was acclimated. 17% alcohol. The flavors of the petite sirah are deep and intense. I felt bad opening this so young, but it was my brother in law's and he is impetuous so who was I to say no? Dark fragrant berries and jam, white peppery spices, depth and intensity that made me call it "better than sex in a bottle." Rich and lucious, decadent yet elegant and refined. This is a hugely wonderful wine and has become far better than the barrel samples we tasted in March. 94-95 points.

PSoCal

2009-11-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

In this week's wine.woot comment thread, Larry Schaffer of Tercero, Fess Parker (which also contains Fortress, a PS I found out about at the PSymPoSium and loved -- I hope they make a PS port called Fortification), and Epiphany fame, uPdateS us on the state of Petite Sirah down south in resPonSe to my asking Andrew Murray about his PlanS to grow PS:

I'll pipe in about the potential for PS in our area . . .

There is not a lot planted as of now, but more coming on line. The best in our area is Jaffurs which comes from the Thompson Vineyard - a stellar wine year in and year out and one of the best in the state IMNO.

Epiphany, whom you may have heard of (-:, also produces a great one from Rodney's Vyd, 20 year old PS vines planted on Foxen Canyon Road at the winery. Year in and year out, a great wine . . . and the 07 is off the charts!!! [2005 vintage; 2006 vintage]

I got into the PS game myself, and produced a 100% PS from Rodneys in 07 that I'll release in the Spring and a 50%PS/50% Thompson Syrah blend I call The Climb which I am releasing now . . . exciting stuff!

We grafted some syrah over to Petite Sirah at our Camp 4 Vineyard, taking cuttings both from Rodneys (Palisades clone) and cuttings from the Rockpile AVA (!!!). I got some of the Rockpile fruit this year and all I can say is - WATCH OUT! I think that the climate at Camp 4 is pretty darn great for PS - let's give it a bit of time and see for sure!

I can't wait to try all the new PS that Larry's coming out with... maybe he'll even consider signing up for Dark and Delicious 2010...

OoPS!

2009-11-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

So my good friends at Vincent Arroyo accidentally duplicated my standing order and sent me 2 cases instead of the one case that was 2 bottles of 2006 Winemaker's Reserve, 4 of 2007 Rattlesnake Acres PS, 2 of house PS, 2 of Sangiovese, and 2 of their Chard (yes, one of the few cali chards that I like).

Loving this winery and being a generally honest guy, I called them up and let them know. They initially were going to send a return shipping label (so eating about 45-50 in shipping charges), but I suggested that I instead share the bottles with local wine store owners and sommeliers (like Andrew from Lelabar and Christy at Frankly Wines) who might be interested in PurchaSing, as VA does not use distributors.

Here's hoping that I manage to spur more interest and PaSsion for PS! (or VA does, with me being the middleman).

I'm working with Jo Diaz to hopefully get VA to come to Dark and Delicious 2010. Wouldn't that be a treat?

Visit to Vincent Arroyo 3/3/09

2009-11-10T16:48:00.003-05:00

Vincent Arroyo only sells his wine at at his winery. An engineer gone good, he makes some interesting and great wines. All wines estate grown. I went here on a trip in the Spring of 2009 to taste his Pietite Sirahs and also soample their other offerings.

2008 Chardonnay out of the fermenting vat. Sold out of bottle chardonnay. Light and crisp, will be mixed with some oak aged chard later after clarification. Nice. $24, 85 points

2006 Nameless. A Bordeaux blend. 70% CS, 17% M, 13% CF. Nice, needs time. $30. Can’t score this yet to do it justice. Maybe 88 points.

2006 Entrada. Nice, needs time. 55% Syrah, 31% CS, 15% PS $65. Can’t score this yet to do it justice. Maybe 88 points. I liked the cheaper Nameless is a better drinker now, but this has potential.

2006 Petite Sirah. Intense, tannic, beautiful. Complex flavors, drinkable but it could lie down. $32, 89 points.

2006 Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah barrel sample. Another year aged in barrel than the last, intense and better. Dark chocolate and tobacco. Deep berry flavors. $45, 91 points.

2007 Rattlesnake Acres Petite Sirah barrel sample. 60 YO vines. Round, supple, fruit forward flavors. Beautiful! $50, 91 points.

2007 Port barrel sample. Petite Sirah based. Spectacular. We had three samples of this! $22 375 ml, 92 points.

This was certainly a wonderful place to visit. They gave us a couple of bottles of wine as it was two of our party members' birthdays after ordering about $400-500 of their not yet bottled wines for shipment in the fall.

Reviewed by Steve Jones

2009-11-10T16:17:00.003-05:00

2007 McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah

I first encountered this wine in San Francisco. I was out doing consulting work and training in September 2009 for the City of San Francisco and picked up two bottles of McManis Family wines for my hotel room while there. One was the 2007 Petite Sirah, which blew the other one away (2006 Zinfandel). I’ve tried many of the McManis wines, but this is by far the best of the entire line. I did not write up any notes on it back then, but I did note to get some more of this. I picked up another bottle to share with family and friends this past week. Binny’s in Chicago had it for $9.99 a bottle, which is about as good a price as you will find on this.

I opened the wine and a rush of fresh fruit was evident just by popping the cork. I poured a small amount out and was immediate hit with a huge dark fruit and jam nose with some volatile alcohol. There were blackberries and other dark berries and a hunt of cedar, too. The color was a dark reddish purple. A quick sip gave me the same impressions. The flavors were verging on being a fruit bomb, but not quite. It was full and mouth-filling. I let it sit and breathe for awhile.

As I returned to the wine in about a half hour, the volatility was pretty much gone. The flavors were intense and full on the front and mid palates. The flavors lingered for a good long time in my mouth. As I drank this over the course of the next two hours I marveled that this was only a $10 wine. The fullness of the fruit and intensity of flavors belied its’ cost. There is an intensity rarely found in inexpensive wines that this wine had.

I love a good PS but have often been put off with the inexpensive ones. Guenocs’ PS at a similar price point is about the best I’d found prior to this one, but McManis is clearly head an shoulders over that; the Guenoc is not bad but this is very, very good. If I have to give this a score I would have to say it is at least an 88 point wine. I went back and bought a couple more bottles over the weekend. This is sure to become a “go to” every day sort of wine for me at this price. This is clearly one of the top QPR PS’ out there.

Reviewed by Steve Jones

A Thousand PardonS

2009-08-26T16:18:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of uPdateS. As I alluded to earlier, I just moved from Northern Virginia, where I've been living for 5 years, back to NYC, where I'll be starting a new job in 5 weeks.

So right now, I'm unpacking, trying to get my life (and stemware) in order, and generally catching up on all the things I haven't had the chance to do.

Expect more frequent updates in the coming weeks -- my backlog is pretty big.

Links

2009-08-19T16:01:00.001-04:00

I've updated and reorganized the links to the right. If you have or know of any links that I'm missing, PleaSe fill me in!

PSymPoSium RounduPS

2009-08-18T11:22:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the lack of PoSting -- I'm in the process of moving from DC to NYC, so between that and finishing up work, I haven't yet had the time to transcribe all the awesomeness that was the PSymPoSium.

My new buddy Clark Smith interviews many of the ProducerS (often with me to his right, watching silently)
Thanks to Jose and Jo Diaz, we have lots of PictureS
Laurie Daniel wraPS it up for the Contra Costa Times (inc. reviews & notes)
So does Ken at Reign of Terroir (inc. reviews & notes), who has discovered the appeal of the PSychos' Path!
Laura Ness, with whom I had the pleasure of eating lunch, PSummarizes some of the PresentationS.

sPeechleSs

2009-08-05T16:45:00.005-04:00

I can't really put into words how mindblowingly awesome the PSymPoSium was. [[Full disclosure -- I'm a member of PSILY, and received -- thanks to Jo Diaz and PSILY -- a partial travel/lodging stipend to assist me in coming to this conference from the east coast. I also got to attend the conference gratis]]

Not only were the two tastings (and the lunch!) out-of-this-world, but the information was fascinating and the people were fantastic as well.

I now have about 30 days' worth of content for the blog (and to the extent I exaggerate, it's not by much).

PSpecial Thanks to Jo Diaz for an amazing event and for Jim Concannon for hosting (and for everything else he's done for PS).

As for what else I have in PStore?

Well, tomorrow I'm off to Sevastapol to hang out with the inimitable Clark Smith (ironically from Westfield, NJ -- and yes, it's ironic because of the name of the adjacent town), who told me that he has "G-d's own Petite Sirah" in Barrels.

I'll leave you with this great bon mot from Clark, which demonstrates his clear PerSpective:

"Petite Sirah is, in my view, much better than Syrah."

Westside!

2009-08-03T12:09:00.002-04:00

I'm going to the Petite Sirah SymPoSium tomorrow, so I'm heading out tonight.

Between that and moving to NYC in two and a half weeks, it's been pretty crazy over here (even without work).

But in honor of the PSymPoSium, I leave you with one of Jo Diaz's great PoSts about my favorite winery, Vincent Arroyo.

Adobe Clayhouses: Not Just for HoPiS

2009-08-03T01:11:00.003-04:00

(apologies for the strained pun title)

This week on Wine.woot is a three-pack from Clayhouse, featuring their 2006 Estate PS (from PaSo Robles). This wine, $25 MSRP, *WON* the 2006 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition, beating out the 2000 Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne ($139) by a nose.

That wine is available, along with the 2006 Adobe Road blend (58% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah, 15% Petite Sirah, 12% Malbec) and the 2005 Estate Cuvee (54% Syrah, 37% Grenache, and 9 percent PS), for $44.99 per trio, with $7 flat-rate shipping on your order of 1-3 bottles. Act now, because this surPriSe will be gone by 1am EDT on Thursday, if it doesn't sell out before that!

ReCrush

2009-07-24T10:47:00.002-04:00

Over at Good Wine Under $20, Dr. Debs agrees with my earlier take on THE CRUSHER PS.

Remote Tasting

2009-07-22T15:36:00.003-04:00

Last Tuesday, my friend "themostrighteous" and I did a remote tasting of the 2005 Titus PS, drinking and sending notes to each other over gchat. Here's the transcript, with the extraneous bits of conversation and personal stuff removed:

Themostrighteous: yo

Loweeel: hermano!

10:27 PM Themostrighteous: bout to pour myself a glass...

Loweeel: just poured mine
have steak and spinach
oooh
candied blackberry
10:28 PM blueberry, boysenberry
little tiny bit of shoepolish :)

Themostrighteous: little bit?!?
10:29 PM it sits pretty but prominently on the nose

Loweeel: yeah

Themostrighteous: i love this nose...

Loweeel: understatement :)
oh, fucking lovely
we nailed the decant [2.5 hours]
a bit flabby on the finish
but the fruit is great
10:30 PM I think it's not all back together yet

Themostrighteous: yes
yes
and yes
flabby & just a bit hot
but the fruit makes up for it

Loweeel: almost like a zin

Themostrighteous: nice all around
yeah

Loweeel: this one is adolescent
all elbows and knees
10:31 PM it will probably grow up to be hot but isn't there yet

maybe it will spur you to get a job
10:40 PM Loweeel: wow, the sip of this after the palak paneer was damn right
just cleansed it right out
10:41 PM Themostrighteous: i think i'm going to cry...
10:44 PM this Titus is growing on me
a lot
god i love PS

Loweeel: :)

Themostrighteous: yeah
i will always owe PS to you

Loweeel: it's ok

Themostrighteous: and i won't forget it

Loweeel: when you come visit me in nyc
I'll open up a scholium
10:45 PM my cellar is always open completely to you (other than my last villemaurine)
you're right -- this is getting better -- acidity is more in balance

10:47 PM Themostrighteous: wow
well
i'm planning on drinking the whole bottle tonight
so i plan on seeing it evolve!
:P

Loweeel: you just can't say no to shoe polish

10:48 PM Themostrighteous: some folks can
i'm not one of them
!
time to pour glass number 2
...
hahaha
one glass
10:49 PM and my tongue
is almost coated

Loweeel: yup
this tastes almost calistoga-y
I think they said their ps vineyards were near but not in calistoga
the shoe polish would confirm that

10:50 PM Themostrighteous: oh this is funny
i just popped over to w[ine].w[oot] for the first time in a week
saw the offering

Loweeel: oh man the nose is even better
Themostrighteous: and thought to myself
wow
that is SO PALE
and then looked at my glass
10:51 PM that is SO DARK!

Loweeel: PS is amazing.

Themostrighteous: yeah nose is definitely dancing now

Loweeel: I can't wait for PSymPoSium

Themostrighteous: should be a blast man!

Loweeel: too bad you can't make it

Themostrighteous: c'est vrai
:(
10:52 PM i'm saving my non-family travel dollars to visit you

Loweeel: are you having food w/ this?
Themostrighteous: no
ate earlier
wish i had a fat juicy steak with me though

11:00 PM Loweeel: getting more plummy

Themostrighteous: yeah
11:04 PM btw
i'm torn between smelling this wine
and drinking it

Loweeel: I know
nose is GREAT

Themostrighteous: the nose is getting to be that good
Loweeel: not '02 rattlesnake great
but not too far away
11:05 PM that's still my best wine ever :)
that one was even crazier on the palate than on the nose
remember our teeth?

Themostrighteous: black
11:06 PM we looked like monks from the dark ages
[wife] says hi
11:07 PM she was laughing at me about our “date”
she asked me if we were having phone sex
i told her that we were having PS

Loweeel: oh yeah, hot rattlesnake acres '02 action

Themostrighteous: so almost like having wine sex
:P
ok
call me a lush
11:08 PM but i'm pouring number 3
(and i'm using my huge ass vinum extreme too!)

Loweeel: i'm about halfway down the decanter
11:09 PM errr.... more
such a nice nose

Themostrighteous: i love the fact that when you pour yourself a glass of a good PS
the bubbles that form on top are almost as dark as the wine itself
11:10 PM only with PS
must be cuz i'm the dark skinned brooding type
what's your excuse?!?

Loweeel: haaha
my freckles are dark and brooding!

11:11 PM Themostrighteous: oooh
the mouth is starting to catch up to the nose
glycerin levels off the charts
end less flabby
more full
(prob could have decanted for an extra hour b4 starting)
11:12 PM black fruit really showing
lovely...

Loweeel: very nice for $38!

Themostrighteous: no shit

11:13 PM Loweeel: oh yum

Loweeel: 11:24 PM black currant RIPPING MY FACE OFF

Themostrighteous: you are SO GV!!!
but
...
...
...

Loweeel: jersey, yo

Themostrighteous: YES!!!!
11:25 PM i will say this
to those who criticize PS

Loweeel: fuck em, more for us!

Themostrighteous: about being somewhat monodimensional

Loweeel: btw, I have a new everyday drinker champion
and you GOTTA try that shit

Themostrighteous: fire away

Loweeel: see blog :)
dr debs (good wine under $20) gave it 90 on ct

11:28 PM Themostrighteous: shite
it's been a while
you've been busy blogging
The Crusheer heh?

Loweeel: yup
GREAT stuff
really fantastic at that price
such great fruit
no phenolic shit like this
but $13!!!

11:29 PM Themostrighteous: just goes to show
you look at the stats
(high pH)
and you might not take a swig

Loweeel: not THAT high for ps

Themostrighteous: but if you do
you get surprised

Loweeel: yeah
delicious!

Themostrighteous: just making a point that you can't always judge the book by its cover
11:30 PM wait...

11:31 PM Loweeel: last glass :-)

11:32 PM Themostrighteous: ah shit
not for sale in IL

Loweeel: I am happy to pick some up for you, give to octocat on sat

11:33 PM Themostrighteous: not sure when i'm going to see her next
what with her visiting her man in TN
and with the Chicago w.w. community MIA
just poured one more
but still have one left
you sped by me!

11:44 PM Themostrighteous: and i quote
"your teeth are gross!"
:)

11:45 PM Loweeel: :-D

Themostrighteous: ah the sacrifices

11:47 PM Loweeel: :-D :-D

Crushing It!

2009-07-13T10:31:00.005-04:00

No, this isn't about my buddy Gary Vaynerchuk's new book.

It's about this phenomenal PS I tried from the Sebastiani family wine conglomerate, THE CRUSHER, which my friend Sonadora received as a sample from the producer. And while its name denotes a grape PreSs, its connotations were accurate as well -- this was a very enjoyable PS, and one hell of a deal at MSRP of $13 (putting it in the Concannon-Bogle range).

Here are the PStats:

Vintage: 2008 (by far the youngest PS I've had -- I have to suspect that this used microox, given the relative softness of the tannins)
Released: 04/2009
Region: Clarksburg AVA
Alcohol: 13.5% ABV (low for a PS, especially from Clarksburg, which is where Bogle gets its PS Port grapes)
pH: 3.77 (a bit high for my taste for PS)
TA: 5.8 g/L
8400 cases produced

On opening, the nose was GREAT -- blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, dark ripe plums, and hints of dill and mint. On the palate, those flavors are joined by cassis, hints of cocoa and tar. You can barely taste the oak in this wine, which is a good thing, as it allows all the delicious fruit to show.

The wine is a bit flabby on the attack; the acid doesn't really start to appear until the midpalate or really take hold until the finish, and the tannins are not immediately evident (again, I suspect heavy microox), but do coat the mouth nicely upon swishing. The finish is pretty lengthy most of the time (but it comes and goes) and has great pure fruit that lingers in the mouth.

We PoliShed off this bottle pretty quickly -- which indicates that it's more medium than full-bodied (i.e., light for a PS), and did not decant. This is a tamed PS. The uPSide of that is that you actually don't need to pair this one with the biggest, gamiest, hunk of meat you can find. You (i.e., people are aren't tanninophilic like I am) can even have this by itself, or just with crackers and cheese. On the other hand, I would not age this for more than a few years -- it doesn't have the stuffing for it.

The extraction is fantastic, especially given the relatively light body -- it borders on getting fake, but does not go over the top. This is a great value, and a fantastic PS to introduce newbies and tanninophobes to the PSychos' Path. I highly recommend seeking out this evening "PSipper" from the well-regarded Sebastiani family.

"PaSsionate" requires PS

2009-07-11T15:44:00.003-04:00

Richard Auffrey, aka "The PaSsionate Foodie" tries 6 different PS wines with his friends! Click on over for the full notes and pictures

The wines were:

2006 Michael-David Petite Petit (Lodi; 85% PS, 15% PV) -- "I was very pleasantly surprised that this wine was so delicious."
2005 Michael-David Earthquake PS (Lodi) -- not a fan, a bit too medicinal and eucalyptusy for him
2005 Stonehedge Reserve PS Special Vineyard Select (California) -- also too strong and eucalyptusy for him
2005 Stonehedge PS Terroir Select (Mendocino) -- "It was a very big and bold wine, with a complex melange of flavors. . . . The tannins were prominent so this is very much a food wine. It had a long, satisfying finish . . . . [T]ypical Petite Sirah. . . . an appealing model for that grape."
2005 Lava Cap Granite Hill PS Reserve (El Dorado) -- "another big wine with intense flavors. . . . tannins a bit more pronounced [than Terroir Select] . . . almost a bit sweet, which turned off some of my friends but which I enjoyed"
2006 Victor Hugo PS (PaSo Robles) --"very smooth . . . lengthy and PleaSing finish . . . good value "

Richard's conclusion:

Overall, I found some impressive Petite Sirahs, enough to make me seek out more of them to taste. If you have never tried this grape, you should do so. Even if you think you know Petite Sirah, you might benefit from trying different Petite Sirah wines as you might be surprised by what you find.

The one note I would offer is that I don't know how long Richard decanted his wines, if at all, or even if he let them breathe in bottle. Because the two "biggest" wines were the ones that he liked the least, I suspect that he just popped and poured. The more structured, larger PS will benefit even more from air, so I'd urge Richard to give those two another try after a 3-4 hour decant. I bet it will make quite a difference. I didn't particularly care for the one stonehedge I had, but I wasn't taking formal notes on it. I do remember that the Earthquake benefited enormously from decanting -- the tannins appeared as if by magic.

HePtetS

2009-07-10T11:12:00.002-04:00

My good friend Sonadora tries the Seven Artisans PS. Sadly, she didn't wait for me. It's ok, though -- I get to raid her cellar on PSaturday :-)

PSnooth

2009-07-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

Gregory Dal Piaz at Snooth had some tasting notes and recommendations for PS a few months ago.

Correctly describing it as "California's Unsung Hero", he offered notes and reviews for 4 grouPS -- Budget, PaSo Robles, Lodi, and Napa, his favorite being the Mettler 2005 that I enjoyed about 6 months PreviouSly.

He also offered some of those for sale, along with others (and more tasting notes) in an accompanying article.

More RounduPS

2009-07-08T11:33:00.002-04:00

A nice article on one of my favorite surPriSes from PSILY 2009, Miro Cellars PS.

A review of some of Judd's Hill's wines, including their PS.

The $25 2006 Clayhouse PaSo Robles PS beats the $139 Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne and wins best wine in a blind tasting.

Jo Diaz queried the PSILY members to find out how they typically do in competitions, and it's pretty imPreSsive.

Perfectly Satisfying

2009-06-29T22:10:00.006-04:00

So much is going on outside of my wine life that I don't even know where to start. After a long night at work, I wanted something simple, refreshing, and easy.

I got a bottle of the Dry Creek Vineyard 2008 "Petite Zin" Rose (Sonoma County) as a sample from Dry Creek Vineyard's wine club. I requested a bottle from Kim Stare Wallace after seeing it on their website, where it retails for $18. While perhaPS above the median price for a rose, this one is worth the price; it is distinctive and offers flavors that other roses don't.

This wine is 80% Zin, but the 20% PS really PuncheS above its weight. The grapes are from Sonoma County, and it's 13.9% ABV. It was harvested on 9/11/2008, and fermented for 30 days at 52 degrees Fahrenheit, then aged 2 months in French oak. The wine is classified as Dry, and has a pH of 3.57 (I'm not sure where it fits in dry roses, but it's a pretty typical pH for a "dry red" that's not spoofulated) and a TA of 0.67 (no units given). 384 cases were made, and Dry Creek Vineyard says that it can age 3-5 years (which, again, probably derives from the PS)

It's rounder and fuller-bodied than many roses. The color is dark -- even darker than the picture. It's very dark for a rose, just a few shades lighter than some beaujolais and pinot. Again, credit the PS.

Aged 2 months in French Oak, it reveals some creamyness and spice, underlying the dark fruits that PS is known for. It's very refreshing to find pepper and blackberries, and black cherries in a rose -- most of the ones I've had, regardless of varietal or blend, seem to stop at cherry limeade. This one goes darker, and deliciously so, but has that lime-like tingle lingering on the tongue and the finish.

This would pair nicely with a variety of dishes, including salmon, PeSto-based PaStas, and chicken dishes without too many strong flavors -- though southwestern would be a great pairing.

I haven't had too many PS roses (the Bella Vista/Cilurzo in April was sweeter than I expected, and I have a 2005 "off-label" from David Fulton, my "unicorn", that I'm looking forward to trying this month; Bogle apparently makes one from time to time, but I haven't been able to try it), but this is highly, highly recommended for all PS fans.

As I've come to expect from their wines in general, Dry Creek Vineyard's Petite Zin is a very well-crafted, well-balanced wine that nevertheless PreSents a nice value and unusual flavors and tasting notes. Seek this one out if you have a chance -- a rose this full-bodied is quite an experience, and the creamy key lime pie finish is really refreshing after a long, hot, humid, day.

ExPloSive growth in the Pacific northweSt

2009-06-03T11:22:00.000-04:00

It's not just Masset anymore. PS is becoming more popular in the Evergreen state, and even Oregon. Here's a roundup.

Andy Purdue, proprietor of Wine Press Northwest, who admits that he has "a thing for Petite Sirah", PlanS on planting some PS in his "humble backyard vineyard," but probably won't get to it this year. While you wait, tide yourself over with his recipe for PSorbet.
Andy Purdue's blurb from about a year ago on Arbor Crest and Thurston Wolfe PS
Andy Purdue's tasting notes on the 2006 Thurston Wolfe Zephyr Hills PS and the Spangler PS from Oregon
Seattle Times writer Paul Gregutt on PS in general, and also has more on Arbor Crest's PS
Wade Wolfe of Thurston Wolfe on harvesting PS (and Touriga Nacional)

PSymPoSium

2009-06-02T10:16:00.007-04:00

PSILY has PoSted the sPecificS for the Petite Sirah (P)Symposium, which will be held this year at Concannon Vineyard's new tasting room, at 4596 Tesla Road, Livermore, CA, on Tuesday August 4, 2009. For all the fun, go to http://www.petitesirahsymposium.com .

I will do my best to be there for this fantastic event, work permitting, but with job and my living situation currently in flux for the month of August, I can't promise anything.

Again, whereas Dark & Delicious is consumer-oriented, the PSymPoSium is oriented to the wineries. It features sessions on Enology, Viticulture, and Marketing, and ends with a trade and media tasting.

Jo Diaz has more details about it on her own site.

Speaking of Concannon's new tasting room, here's a pic of its progress that I took on April 16th, 2009:

48 hours with Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah 2002

2009-05-19T18:54:00.002-04:00

2002 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/17/2009)I've tasted this bottle several times, most recently at the Winemaker Dinner on May 1. The bottles from my cellar seemed much more acidic and out of balance than the bottle from the winery. When I open a bottle of VA at home it rarely lasts a full hour, and I typically just pop & pour. The bottle at the winery had been opened several hours earlier and was more balanced than what I remember. I decided to do an experiment with this wine to see if I might be prematurely judging this wine. I opened the bottle at 6:00 PM Friday and gave it a whirl.

Friday

6:00 PM- It was just as I remembered it previously- tight and acidic with muted fruit.
8:00 PM- The acids had diminished a bit and the fruit was starting to show. This drank similar to the bottle from the winery. Still not wonderful, but promising. I’ll stick the cork in the bottle and leave it on the counter overnight.

Saturday

10:30 AM- I need to keep the experiment going. The nose was much more balanced; the acidic edge is gone. Much more rounded on the palate, the fruit is coming out and the acids have further integrated. The wine is improving, but still has a bit of a medicinal finish.
7:00 PM- The wine has definitely softened, but the acids are still prevalent on the back end- still somewhat medicinal. The fruit is still there, but it might be fading a bit. I’ll pump it overnight.

Sunday

6:00 PM- The bottle has been opened for 48 hours; time to see if it’s falling apart. The color hasn’t changed; the nose offers feint traces of black cherry. There’s still plenty of fruit on the palate, but the tannins have diminished and the mid palate is a little hollow. There’s still plenty of acid, which still gives the wine a nice long finish. The medicinal notes on the acids have all but disappeared. I can detect a little oxidation on the wine; the experiment needs to end today.

My analysis is that this wine will improve with additional bottle ageing; I would guess 2- 3 years. It should drink well through 2015; the fruit is holding up. (90 pts.)

Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Barrel Sample Tasting Notes

2009-05-08T17:24:00.002-04:00

The following wines were tasted on May 1, 2009 from the barrel at the winery:

2006 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Winemaker's Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/1/2009)Barrel tasted at the Winery. Deep dark inky purple color with a nose of blueberries and blackberries. Big soft mouthfeel; a full bodied wine. The tannins are still chewy but will soften with time. Adequate acids to keep the wine lively and vivid. The wine is begining to show complexity and delivers a beautiful long finish. The wine should come into balance nicely with time, but will likely still have rough edges when released in the fall of 2009. My guess is that 2 to 3 years of bottle age will allow this wine to begin showing quite well. (91 pts.)

2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Greenwood Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/1/2009)Tasted from a barrell sample at the winery. With a medium red color, the nose was somewhat closed but hints of black cherry prevailed. The wine is currently medium bodied and disjointed. Bright red fruit leads to a medium finish. The score reflects it's current condition, not it's potential. This wine will likely turn lovely with time, but needs about 5 years of ageing after release for the components to integrate. Suggested drinking window 2013-2019. (90 pts.)

2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Rattlesnake Acres - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/1/2009)Tasted from a barrel sample at the winery. The color is dark and brooding; the nose is full of vibrant blueberries. The wine has a soft silky mouthfeel, is big and brawny, and full bodied. Rich black fruit flavors lead to a long finish. Beautifully balanced, this is a powerful wine that's not a fruit bomb. This wine will likely still be quite rugged upon release in the fall of 2009, but within 2 to 3 years should soften to yield a luxurious cuvee. Time should significantly add to the complexity of this wine. Suggested drinking window is 2011- 2020. (94 pts.)

2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/1/2009)Tasting from a barrel sample. Beautiful dark red color (almost black) with nose of blueberries and violets. Big mouthfeel with already supple sweet tannins. Acids are in balance and alcohol seems around 14% (but I didn't inquire). This will be a beautiful finished bottle of wine when released in the fall of 2009. Although it can be consumed young, it will benefit subsatntially from an additional 5 years of ageing. (93 pts.)

Out of this lot I thought the best QPR wine was the regular Petite Sirah- a great wine for the $$.

TraiPSing

2009-04-21T12:05:00.003-04:00

In her post today, my friend Sonadora talks about her visit to Teldeschi in Dry Creek Valley to get more of their 1998 PS. She and I had their 1998 on election night and enjoyed it; I did not particularly like the 1999 I had at some point in the fall.

10^3 words

2009-04-20T18:08:00.003-04:00

The Patriarch himself, Mr. James Concannon, with me in the barrel room at Concannon Vineyards in Livermore, CA.

Getting the chance to speak with Mr. Concannon again, this time at more length, and to have him show me around the winery was truly exceptional. He's not only instrumental in making PS what it is today, but is also a great conversationalist with some really fascinating stories. His generosity is PeerleSs.

I can't wait to go back in August!

(More on the trip later...)

V-I-PS

2009-04-17T10:30:00.002-04:00

I'm out in Cali to be the best man at my college roommate's wedding (Congrats, Byron and Jo!), and found a few hours to head to Livermore yesterday before my Best Manly duties began.

I had the most wonderful visit at Concannon, including lots of time with THE PATRIARCH, Jim Concannon. I felt like Royalty there. More on the visit, including lots of PicS and tasting notes, coming next week.

I also stopped in at Wente (where the only PS they make is a PS port), and sampled a selection of their wines as well, which I really enjoyed.

Many thanks to the irreplaceable Jo Diaz for hooking me up!

Now, to finish that speech...

WBW #56 -- Fine Kosher Wine

2009-04-15T11:17:00.004-04:00

Our host for Wineblogging Wednesday this month is CorkDork, who picked "fine kosher wines" as the theme.

Glad that I finally found a theme that fit the blog again, I decided to participate, and ordered the 2005 Carmel Winery Appellation Petite Sirah Judean Hills (previous vintage pictured at left). I bought it at kosherwine.com for about $22, but they've since sold out (unspecified vintage currently available at their competitor for $22.69).

The wine was 14.5% ABV, and breathed in-bottle for about 3 hours. I drank it with leftover (cold) prime rib (seasoned with salt & pepper only) and sauteed spinach with black pepper, balsamic vinegar, and shiitake mushrooms. I consumed the wine from Spigelau Syrah glasses from this year's Dark and Delicious event (thanks again, Jo!). My friend Dan drank along with me.

Two things were immediately noticeable about this wine. First, there was not even a hint of heat (to which Dan is very sensitive -- he dislikes many CaliCabs for that reason), and this was much closer to medium-bodied than full-bodied. In the glass it was a dark, impenetrable purple at the center, shading to a translucent red-purple at the edge. There was no noticeable bricking.

On the first glass, the nose was still somewhat tight (suggesting I should have given a full decant or let breathe longer), but revealed an exceedingly PleaSant dominant scent of tart blackberry reduction, along with leather, flowers, and hints of smoked meat. The palate confirmed the tightness, and surPriSed with abundant, though well-balanced, acidity. This is definitely a food PS. The flavor profile was slightly different, featuring black currant and blackberry as well, and no flower PetalS. The wine had the signature long, charmingly austere, finish that I've come to expect from Israeli PS.

The second glass was much more open, and the finish was even longer. Even as it opened, it did not become more full-bodied. The one negative on this wine was that it was not as tannic as I would like -- this is a PS that PairS with more delicate meats, and not the biggest, gamiest cuts you can find.

On the third glass, the nose was absolutely incredible, to the point that I wished I could bottle it as cologne (or perhaPS PerfumeS for the ladies), and the wine had oxygenated enough that it was quite pleasant, further revealing hints of black pepper and spice on both the nose and palate.

In sum, I'd give the wine a 90, and recommend trying it if you come across it. It is very enjoyable, true to character but for the relative (and I say "relative" just because I expect more from PS) lack of tannin, and shows the traits common with other Judean Hills PS (the long, austere finish, high acidity, dark berries) with that I've had. I plan on keeping a bottle or two around.

At under $25, this is a delightful kosher wine that will pair with a wide variety of dishes due to it's just-fuller-than-medium body, soft tannins, and vibrant acidity. I would recommend, in particular, duck breast, Jewish (i.e., brisket) pot roast, filet mignon, and beef roasts, and would go nicely with dark chocolate. At that price, it's a welcome addition to many holiday meals without breaking the bank, and has enough bang for the buck to hold its own at other times. This is something I plan on buying again.

(compare Rogov's review here).

Wine Library PimpS PS

2009-04-07T12:34:00.004-04:00

The subject of today's Wine Library Daily Offering is the 2005 Peachy Canyon PaSo Robles PS, which Gary Vaynerchuk rated at 90 points, at $17. Here's his take:

"I have tasted 38 Petite Sirahs in 2009 for placement in Wine Library and have passed on all but 2 and the other one is $36 so you can imagine how highly I rate this epic effort!

"This is what I had to say when I tried the wine: 'Huge and mad' is exactly what I wrote down. And you know what? It didn't calm down after 5 hours being opened either. This is one serious mofo and it doesn't apologize on its long and rugged finish. The light black fruit mixed with the pretty floral and fleshy mid-palate along with its epic finish make this the Petite Sirrah [sic] to beat here at Wine Library. If you are a fan of the PS grape then you need to get this into your rotation asap!

The offer also links to Episode 609, which GV dedicated to Yours Truly for his 28th birthday.

Around the Web

2009-04-06T15:02:00.005-04:00

Here's some news on PS from around the web

WineFoot tries -- and likes! -- the 2005 Concannon Limited Release
Carl Doumani's 1974 Stags' Leap Winery PS is still alive and kicking
Texans recommend PS with Jimmy Dean sausage
If I'm ever in San Diego, I have to make it over to Kensington Vine, a wine bar where they love PS
Pantheon Cellars' Panthos has a nice picture on its blog of its PS at bud break.

Wineblogging Wednesday does PaSsover!

2009-03-30T15:27:00.003-04:00

CorkDork has announced the theme for the latest wineblogging wednesday, and it is Kosher wine! While many of the fine PS from Israel are not kosher, others are. I'll be having a bottle of Carmel's Regional series PS (and maybe another kosher wine, and possibly another PS) for the online shindig.

Here's Rogov's latest note on this wine:

Carmel, Regional, Petite Sirah, Judean Hills, 2005: Developed in French oak for 12 months, made from grapes from 35-year-old vines, this almost impenetrably dark purple, still-firmly tannic wine opens in the glass to reveal a rich array of dark plum, blueberry, peppery, herbal and spicy cedar notes. Dense enough to be thought of as chewable but opens to show harmony and grace. Drink now–2012. Score 91. K

By the way, avoid the execrable Gedeon Petite Sirah like it could give you the plague (as it just might...) It's that bad.

A PocalypS Now? (aka "A Diamond in the Rough?")

2009-03-27T13:18:00.004-04:00

The ubiquitous Francis Ford Coppola "Diamond Series" has added a new member -- the Plum Label (of course!) Petite Sirah, which is available directly for them for $20. I haven't been hugely imPreSsed with most of the diamond series wines (I've liked the Malbec and the Shiraz, haven't liked the Claret in recent vintages, and haven't tried the Zin, Merlot, PN, or straight Cab). Given the price for an "entry-level" PS, I don't know whether this is a good value, especially given the other very solid to good PS that are available for cheaper (Concannon, Foppiano, Peachy Canyon 05, Bogle 06)

Winemaker’s Notes (fact sheet .pdf)
My grandfather, John Rolleri, was a Napa Valley grape grower back when the California wine industry was just gaining notoriety. His favorite grape was Petite Sirah, and because it had been a passion of his, I, too, developed a fondness for the varietal. Once I became a winemaker, I sought out prime Petite Sirah vineyards, and started experimenting with different winemaking techniques for this grape variety. After all these years of working with Petite Sirah, I’m proud to include this wine in our Diamond Collection. I hope that more wine drinkers can experience this wonderful varietal. [HELL YES! -- Loweeel]
The fruit for this wine is grown in diverse regions throughout California. Immense color saturation and intense aromas of sweet, juicy boysenberries set the stage for a wine loaded with lush, jammy fruit, and long, lingering flavors of plums, blackberries, sage and a hint of smoke. Pairs perfectly with lamb chops, brisket, or creamy mushroom soup.

Tasting Profile
Appearance: Deep purple
Aromas: Crushed berries, sage, and smoke
Flavors: Black plums, currants, and vanilla
Appellation: California
Blend: 100% Petite Sirah
Alcohol: 13.44%
Total Acid: .57
pH: 3.73
Barrel Regimen: 16 months in French oak
Released: March 2009
Suggested Retail $19.00 [ironic, given that they charge $20 for it! -- L]

I've also discovered that FFC also makes a port-style PS in its Reserve (highest-end) series, sourced entirely from Ruby's Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley ($30, available from FFC -- they don't list the bottle size, but CellarTracker has it at 500ml).

The Varietal (fact sheet .pdf)
Petite Sirah is a powerhouse red grape that makes dark, inky wines that are peppery, heavy on the tannin and chock full of delicious blackberry flavors. Because of its heady nature, this varietal is ideal for producing a Port-style wine, which is produced by stopping fermentation while there is still sugar left in the wine and then adding grape brandy to the tank. The resulting wine becomes higher in alcohol, as you may well imagine, and well suited for aging. Ports made from Petite Sirah typically offer juicy flavors of baked blackberry pie, sugared plums and sweet black cherries as well as notes of dark chocolate and seasoned wood.

The Wine
Our Petite Sirah is grown in Dry Creek Valley. This appellation has a diversity of microclimates and soil variations, which enables it to accommodate many different grape varietals. Petite Sirah ripens beautifully in the warm northern section of the region and gathers much complexity due to the soil composition. After harvest, our grapes are placed in special tanks. When about half of the natural sugar in the grapes has been converted to alcohol, clear grape spirit is added to the wine, which causes the yeasts in the wine to die off. This effectively causes fermentation to cease, thereby creating a sweet wine. The port is then placed in small oak barrels for an extended cellaring period in order to subdue the tannin and heighten the flavor complexity.

Food and Wine Parings
Pair our Petite Sirah Port with chocolate or toffee desserts, hard or bleu cheeses, and toasted nuts for a decadent after dinner treat.

Blend: 100% Petite Sirah
Aged: 24 months in 50% new French oak barrels, 50% 1-2 year old barrels.
Alcohol: 17.5%

CUT. And that's a wrap.

More On PS Not PaSsing Its Prime

2009-03-19T14:53:00.003-04:00

Via CellarTracker, here's another old Petite Sirah tasting. Most of the wines came through with flying colors. For scores, notes, and pictures, click on over, but here are the wines that they tasted and a bit about them:

1975 Burgess, Napa Valley (13%) (91-95/100, Connoisseurs' Guide). We've tried this a couple times over the past 5 years or so, and the wine has developed a wonderfully fragrant nose of black cherries, vanilla and cream. Rich, lush, and layered in the mouth, it has shown no signs of reaching the end of its peak, even after 25 years
1975 Caymus, Napa Valley (13.0%): The only Petite Caymus every made. Ink grade and seemingly ageless.
1977 Ridge "York Creek", Napa Valley (5% Zinfandel, 13.6%): One of the all-time classic vintages from Ridge. In the same spirit as Ridge using a bit of Petite Sirah in many of their Zins to add complexity, so have they added a bit of Zin to this Petite to good effect. Ridge captures the minerally, spicy side of the York Creek Vineyard while Freemark Abbey features more the powerful fruit.
1977 Burgess, Napa Valley (13.5%) (87-90/100, Connoisseurs' Guide) As this wine passes its 30th birthday, it has become a lovely, elegant wine, more reminiscent of an old Cote Rotie than a brawy Petite Sirah.
1977 Mount Veeder "Niebaum-Coppola Vineyards", Napa Valley (13.5%): Mount Veeder's only Petite Sirah. Almost black purple. Black cherries and eucalyptus.
1978 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley (13.2%): Warren Winiarski is best known for his great Cabernets from the Stag's Leap region, including the 1973 which won the famed Stephen Spurrier Bordeaux-California Cabernet tasting in 1976. However, from 1978 through 1980, he experimented with Petite Sirah and produced a style different from most Petites from his contemporaries.
1978 Stag's Leap Vineyards (13%): While Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is known for its Cabernets, Stag's Leap Vineyards [later Stags' Leap Winery] has always led with Petite Syrah. Their Petites from the 1970s are the benchmarks by which other Petites were measured, and this 1978 was one of his very best.
1980 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, North Coast (13.2%): This was Warren Winiarski's last Petite.

I planned to open an old bottle myself last night, a 1977 Parducci PS (North Coast), but it was completely vinegarized. In fact, it looked like somebody had opened the bottle previously, and re-glued the (wax-ish, not tin) capsule head back to the top of the cork after recorking. My first completely spoiled (and possibly deceitfully-listed) bottle from WineBid. C'est la vie.

Patrick'S

2009-03-17T13:20:00.001-04:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Jo Diaz offers her recipe for Corned Beef with PS Glaze.

Are You PSycho about PS?

2009-03-16T09:58:00.003-04:00

If so, then you might want to keep Tuesday, August 4, 2009 open, especially if you can get to Livermore, CA.
Why?
Well, it's the 7th Annual Petite Sirah Symposium, at Concannon Vineyards, the birthplace of varietal-labeled PS.
Didn't we just have Dark & Delicious?
Yes, but that's a totally different event.
How so?
Well, D&D is consumer-centric. The focus is on tasting wine, eating food, and having purple teeth. You're in and out in a few hours, and it's like a whirlwind of tannins.
And PSS?
Is not just tasting and schmoozing -- it's more academic. It is a gathering of Winemakers, Growers, and ProducerS. Here's more from Jo Diaz:

Each year, on behalf of Petite Sirah, this event gathers the best and the brightest Petite Sirah growers, winemakers, and producers. Topics traditionally include aspects of wine growing, wine making, and the marketing of Petite Sirah. Because this year’s event is going to be held at a much larger venue, the program has been expanded to include a media PS tasting after lunch in Concannon’s new barrel room. The Symposium is still going strong as it approaches its seventh year of fostering the best expression of this noble variety.

The day will include lunch, prior to the afternoon media event. This informal gathering of wine principles is also a highlight of the day, as growers and producers explore each others’ Petite Sirahs.
For all of you wine writers, bloggers, or trade people who want to explore the depths of PS out there, you’ll have about 40 winemakers all pouring their Petites for you, and another 40 wine growers, all available to talk with you about their passion… Petite Sirah. This is one event you don’t want to miss. Just let me know that you’re interested, and I’ll send you more details.

Will you be there?
Um... I'll do my best. Mid-week trips to California aren't the easiest for me, but I'll see what I can do. :-)

RounduPS

2009-03-06T16:26:00.008-05:00

Petite Sirah was Slashfood's wine of the week on 2/22/09, as demonstrated by a varietally correct (though unremarkable) and dirt cheap Crane Lake.
Richard Nalley at Forbes PoSts his notes on the 2004 Quixote PS and ProvideS some history on its place as one of California's "Native" GraPeS
Gabe at Gabesview tastes the 2006 Locatelli PS from PaSo Robles, and admits that he doesn't drink enough PS.
Eric Hwang at Bricksofwine blind-tastes a nice spread of PS, featuring 5 from Ridge, a Foppiano, and a JC Cellars by Jeff Cohn. Last month, he had a pretty imPreSsive guys' night, featuring a 2001 Sean Thackrey Sirius, 2003 Switchback Ridge, and 2004 Scholium Project Babylon Tenbrink Vineyards.
And of course, Karen Ahlborn's wrapup of D&D 2009.

(Sorry about the lack of PoSting -- I got sick with something I caught on the airplane on the way home from Cali about 10 days ago, so I haven't been drinking much or had a ton of free time to PoSt. There's plenty to come).

"Mr. Brecher, (and Ms. Gaiter), Open That Bottle!"

2009-02-25T16:48:00.001-05:00

John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter of the Wall Street Journal are my favorite "old media" wine journalists. They write in an open and engaging manner, aren't preachy, and often relate their long journey through the world of wine. On top of it, they're married to each other, and it's heartwarming to see family anecdotes and informative to see where their palates differ.

One of their creations is something called "Open That Bottle" Night, on which they encourage us to open a bottle of wine that we've been hoarding or saving for a special occasion. They are of the opinion (and it's true at least for me!) that people typically hold onto "special bottles" for too long, because there are too many special bottles and not enough special occasions. So, now there's one more, one guaranteed to come every year.

Why am I PoSting about this? Well, they also posted their 4 candidate bottles, along with why it's a potential. The one that's WAY in last place (we should be used to getting no respect!) is of interest to us -- 1994 Royal Escort Petite Sirah Port, from Prager Winery and Port Works! So go vote for it -- all 12 or so of you who read this. Here's why they picked it:

During one of our first visits to Napa and Sonoma, we stopped by Prager in St. Helena. We thought we'd dropped into Santa's workshop because standing before us, in a room chock-full of interesting memorabilia and doodads, was a white-haired man who seemed to be straight from central casting. That's how we met Jim Prager and, man, did he like to talk. We spent what seemed like the whole afternoon with him and left with way too many bottles. On another visit years later, we again purchased too much and asked Mr. Prager to sign a few bottles, which he merrily did. This is the last bottle from that lot -- and it's signed in gold ink by Mr. Prager. Yep, we know real Port comes from Portugal, but every time we see this bottle, we smile at the memory of our introduction to Jim. His children run the place now. Peter Prager, one of Jim's sons, says his dad retired when they changed the tasting room cash register to a computer -- he took one look at it and said, "I retire." Still, Prager remains a marvelous quirky stop in Napa and we know that many people have the same warm memories of it that we do.

Even beyond PS, I'm interested in their imPreSsions of this bottle, because I have 2 375 ml bottles of the 2004, 3 750s of the 1998, and 2 750s of the 1984, mostly thanks to my winebid addiction. I've also had their NV PS Port, and 2 bottles of their 1991 LBV Royal Escort PS Port.

Prager isn't limited to port, though -- their only dry wine is a PS (current vintage is 2004, from Imogene's Vineyard in the town of Calistoga, but bears the St. Helena appellation on the label). They also make, depending on the year, three different ports (fortified dessert wines) from PS -- the constant being their non-vintage PS Port (currently from Lodi fruit). They also make, from time-to-time in selected vintages, a true Vintage port and an LBV port, (though somewhat confusingly, both are currently called "Royal Escort") out of the "Paladini" Vineyard that they own in the Napa Valley AVA.

The PaSt is Prelude

2009-02-24T15:22:00.001-05:00

Whew. Dark and Delicious was flat-out AMAZING (even outweighing the backlog from spending 2 days out of the office). As I have more time, I'll be more specific (including PoSting some abbreviated tasting notes and other imPreSsions from D&D and the other tastings that weekend, which included Vincent Arroyo's 2007 Barrel SamPleS).

On top of the fantastic wine and delicious food, it was great to spend my time there with other wine.wooters -- especially Cat, "Sparky", and "Tenuki". From meeting up beforehand and traveling over together, to walking around as a (very) loose group at D&D, our afterparty (with a very special 44-year old guest) back at the Oakland Holiday Inn, and the travels over the weekend, it was a blast. Good friends, both new and old, make experiencing wine exponentially better.
Special thanks to "Winedavid39" and his wife "winefarm", the people behind wine.woot who make the community what it is, for attending D&D and the after party, and for supplying some samPleS of your own. You are, and always will be, my favorite dealers of the best gateway drug -- insane QPR wine of any variety.
I got to meet Jo Diaz and much of her family, and it was heartwarming to see other people so enthusiastic about PS. I'll never be able to thank her enough for supporting my habit, taking so much time to deal with me and my PS-obsession online and in-PerSon at D&D, and all her efforts on behalf of PS and its chamPionS.
The wines at D&D were fabulous. I didn't get to taste them all (only about 60%, I'd estimate, because I was busy chatting with the winemakers/sales reps), and that's even when I specifically avoided wines that I'd tasted in the last month or 2 (e.g., the yummy 2005 Mettler PS). I'll post my abbreviated notes, along with what were, to me, some of the biggest surPriSes, during the next week or so.
The conversations were also great. I had a lovely, incredibly flattering, 20-min conversation with the first among PatriarchS himself, Jim Concannon. He was almost as excited that I have a blog devoted to PS as I was to be speaking with him! I also ran into Dick Keenan of Kick Ranch, which my friend Megan loves to call "Kick-ASS Ranch", and had a nice chat with him, as well. The surprise there was that we have some unexpected mutual acquaintances in the legal field.
Then there was the after-party, with a wide array of high-end PS.
And of course, the winery visits. Those of interest to this blog are Vincent Arroyo for barrel samPleS, Corison (I'll explain later... this story is too good!), David Fulton (another great story there), Field Stone, and Seghesio and Rosenblum in Healdsburg.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love you Tomorrow, You're Only a Day Away...

2009-02-19T15:10:00.005-05:00

In preparation for Dark & Delicious, I'm trying to focus on articles that will help us prepare to wrap our minds and palates around the scope of PS, to develop an appreciation of its differences and similiarities (roundness in the mouth, and hopefully some face-smashing tannins!).

And another on the scope of PS with some stats. In the most recent Quarterly Review of Wines (link at PSILY currently broken), Richard Paul Hinkle provides some nice stats on PS before providing some tasting notes (which I will only summarize, for copyright reasons).

First, the stats. PSILY must be doing a great job, as Hinkle observes, because PS, once a 14,000-acre workhorse, had dwindled to a disgracefully low 1400 acres in 1990. A little more than a decade later, and it had nearly tripled to just over 4000 acres. Fast forward another 4 years, and California was back past 6000 acres, and we'll be over 7000 by the end of 2009. A decent recovery, to be sure, but we have a ways to go!

Similarly, Hinkle notes that in 2003, only 65 American wineries produced PS. Today, we're up to (are you ready for this?) 448. That's just AWESOME. (Good job, Jo!)

In terms of the wines, Hinkle likes 2 that I'm a big fan of -- the Concannon Limited Release '05 (black currant, bacon, duck fat, oak, fruit-forward), and Parducci True Grit '05 (I enjoyed the '04, but this one is black pepper, pomegranate, tannin, dark chocolate, brusque). He also likes the standard RRV Foppiano 2005 ("all black fruit all the time" -- black currant, blackberry, pomegranate, blueberry, supple and alluring, agile and sophisticated), EOS's standard Paso Robles '05 (blustery, leather, plum, raspberry, soft black pepper), and the Twisted Oak Calaveras County '05 ("fluid, cigar box, fruit from cranberry to blackberry and cola").

And on that note... I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm not hard to spot -- I'll have a gigantic blue-toothed smile to complement my red hair. Come say hi!

2 Days Left...

2009-02-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

3 Days Left...

2009-02-17T14:20:00.005-05:00

4 Days Left...

2009-02-16T14:20:00.001-05:00

5 Days Left...

2009-02-15T14:20:00.005-05:00

In preparation for Dark & Delicious, I'm trying to focus on articles that will help us prepare to wrap our minds and palates around the scope of PS, to develop an appreciation of its differences and similiarities (roundness in the mouth, and hopefully some face-smashing tannins!).

With 5 days left, there's more from Clark Smith. In yesterday's PoSt, I link to his discussion of the ways in which PS varies according to its terroir and the chemical and PhySiological bases for those differences.

Now that we have that in hand, today's PoSt features Clark's listing of PS characteristics from many different appellations -- from Masset Vineyards way up in Washington State's Columbia Valley all the way down to Paso Robles and the rest of the Central Coast Appelation. Regrettably, Clark does not go further south and taste any of the interesting Baja California PS (including the widely-available L.A. Cetto from the Valle de Guadalupe appelation, one of my favorite bargains for a "drink soon" PS), but it's understandable. After all, the site is neither "Appellation North America" nor "Apelacion Mexico".

Unfortunately, Clark's sampling was far from complete. In some cases, like the Columbia Valley, the other ProducerS (PortteuS, Thurston Wolfe, Animale being the others who have produced more than one vintage since 2003) may not have had enough available for dataset of the region to be more than one wine.

However, in others, the small data sets are very puzzling. For the Russian River Valley, Clark only ProfileS Foppiano. To be sure, a sampling of RRVPS would be incomplete without them, but they are not the alpha and omega of that active of an appellation -- glaring omissions include Mayo, Elyse, Trinitas, and Christopher Creek. Clark's Concannon-only profile of the Central Coast appellation, which though slightly less active a hotspot than RRV, spans the San Francisco Bay area all the way down to Santa Barbara County may be even more deficient, as that area is much larger than the Sonoma-only RRV.

But compared to the imPreSsive scope of the project, these shortcomings are relatively minor. Kudos to Clark for risking his palate and mouth with the fearsome tannins of that much PS!

Clark concludes with a few ParagraphS on one of my favorite toPicS, aging/cellaring PS:

This variety seems endowed with all the elements to achieve gracefulness naturally – intense coloration, extractive power, and aromatic charm. But we also found a few clunkers, which were, in the main, victims of excessive hang time. It takes effort to dry out these wines, but it can be done. Particularly in regions of moderate color density, one should not count on big tannin as a warranty of ageability. Chief among the warning signs to drink now is a voluptuous forward fruit, but in this variety, one needs to distinguish between the fragility of pruney/raisiny fruit and the generosity of the dense plum and boysenberry which may age well.

Not immune from the downside of modern trends towards extended hang time, Petite’s dense coloration nevertheless usually saves all but the most extreme examples from dryness in youth, but poorly formed tannins spell doom in the cellar. Even for experts, the sheer mass of tannin makes it plenty tricky to distinguish youthful hardness from the grainy dryness which signals decline. In lighter reds, these are easily distinguished by the position and character of the tannins - the sheet-like grippy structure, all atop the tongue, which one finds in young wines being quite different from the dirty, gritty tannins under the tongue and in the cheeks as older wine falls apart.

To be sure, these tannin differences will prove useful guides once the wines have gotten through their first decade or so, and it is plain that the ’93 Foppiano remains vigorous and age worthy. But in the young wines, I doubt many could have seen this possibility. Likewise, I do not find that the standards of acidity, alcohol balance, pH or even minerality offer reliable clues to ageing of young Petites.

What to do? My simple advice is to watch the color. Healthy color is the key to structural finesse and graceful longevity. Probably the best indicator is hue. As with kings, the royal purple is the stamp of nobility, and a premature bricky hue says “if you like me, drink me now.”

Beyond that, I’d simply add that this varietal offers one of the best playgrounds for an enthusiast to experiment. The best reason to cellar this variety is that it’s an adventure, because none of us really know how it works. Hey, anybody up for a little fun?

6 Days Left...

2009-02-14T14:20:00.002-05:00

(oops! My scheduled auto-post didn't work for these entries! I'm going back and publishing them manually.)

In preparation for Dark & Delicious, I'm trying to focus on articles that will help us prepare to wrap our minds and palates around the scope of PS, to develop an appreciation of its differences and similiarities (roundness in the mouth, and hopefully some face-smashing tannins!).

With 6 days left, I bring you a fascinating piece from Appellation America on Sources of Petite Sirah's Regional Diversity (aka "Yes, Virginia -- and California, too! -- there is such thing as Terroir in the New World).

The article delves into the regional differences in aroma, tannins, fruit profiles, and even color! But this doesn't just discuss the difference qualitatively -- Clark Smith also discusses the "why" and the "how" of these differences. As somebody with a science background, I really love finding out what makes wine "work" -- coming as close as one can to isolating the dependent variables in the peculiar blend of soft science and art that takes us from soil to bottle.

Beginning... The Final Countdown!

2009-02-13T11:20:00.002-05:00

As Dark & Delicious 2009 fast approaches, I'll be counting down, trying to feature something new each day, no matter how many bottles of wine I have to crack open, or how thoroughly I have to scour the vast exPanSe of the internet.

With ONE WEEK LEFT until the Party Starts, today's PoSt will be circular and meta.

How so?

It's about Jo Diaz's write-up and PoSt about Carl Doumani (of Quixote), starting with his resPonSe to my own PoSt summarizing several of Jo's PoSts, including one about Carl Doumani. Confused yet? :-)

In that earlier PoSt, I described him as "PS Godfather Carl Doumani, currently of Quixote (which makes both the Quixote and Panza labels)."

From what Jo relates, Mr. Doumani read my PoSt as calling him the winemaker at Quixote, and wanted to emPhaSize, “I am not a winemaker. I did (and do) work with the winemakers to maintain a style that was developed by Lee Stewart in 1972-1973 and 1974. Any improvements in the wine quality were because of their intelligence, not mine.”

While Mr. Doumani is exceedingly modest, he is also correct. While I don't think I gave the imPreSsion that he was the winemaker, merely one of the more influential men in the small-but-lovely world of PS, part of the reason for this PoSt is clear up any remaining ambiguity. Mr. Doumani is not the winemaker.

But please click over and read the rest of Jo's article, which has some fascinating information on Mr. Doumani, his aesthetic sensibilities, and the visually arresting art and architecture that comprise Quixote Winery.

You're Only A Day Away...

2009-02-10T15:37:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, Titus Vineyards is having a video chat for the release of their 2005 Lot 1.

Wednesday, February 11th, 10:30am to 11:30 am PST. Join Eric Titus while he talks about and tastes the Titus Vineyards '05 Lot 1. Ask your questions in the chat room and get a real time answer from Eric and crew if you have a bottle you can even taste along with him. Special guests from the Oxbow Cheese Merchant will be by to talk about what cheeses to pair with the '05 Lot 1. Also, watch Eric prepare the winning recipe from the "Make my recipe with Titus Olive Oil Contest". The Titus Vineyards crew has chosen a recipe submitted by The Beer Wench. Enjoy!

(direct link to video here)

As you may remember, I got to "labrat" the 2004 version (65% PS, 30% PV, 5% Z) as a sample for wine.woot back in September '08, as quid pro quo for my tasting notes on it and general imPreSsions. I enjoyed the bottle immensely, and I look forward to the 2005 (same blend -- I wonder if that was deliberate, or was the result of blending trials? I'll have to ask that tomorrow). Even if I don't get a sample bottle, or woot pricing, I'll probably pick up at least one of them to hang out with its older brothers in my cellar.

Time CaPSule II

2009-02-07T10:44:00.002-05:00

Eric Asimov recently wrote, about aged wines:

Similarly with petite sirah — I’ve had 25-year-old bottles that taste astonishingly fruity though less tannic than a new bottle, but I don’t see the point of keeping a bottle that long.

Sorry, Eric -- we do! And you would too if you've had some of ours.

3 weeks ago, I met up with some of the other PSychos in Chicago for a tasting of old wines, along with a bunch of the Chicago-area wine.woot crowd. While the was officially on Saturday, and was Cab-centric, we PSychos had some other wines beforehand, on Friday night, which, as one might expect from us, focused on well-aged PS.

But as the saying goes, there are no good old wines, just good old bottles. These were all from winebid, removed from temperature- and humidity-controlled cellars, with base neck fill or better. No bottle went for more than $30 (before winebid's markup). And the results showed that winebid's quality control is impressive indeed.

1982 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah (USA, California, Napa Valley) -- Our (old) wine of the evening, and but for the 2006 Munch PS, would have been the wine of the night. Brilliant, extracted red fruits, vibrant acidity, tannins still gripping firmly through layer upon layer of red velvet. A 27-year old wine that could easily be mistaken for 8, but for the impressive amounts of sediment. The last few drops in the bottle were still kicking the next morning. (I have one of these left, and while it seems like it could last another 5-10 years, I probably won't take any chances))
1983 Inglenook Petite Sirah (USA, California, Napa Valley) -- a bit disappointing at first, but the remaining bit in the bottle had improved by the next morning. Dark fruits, muted, still some gripping tannins, some oxidized aromas, tar. Not bad, but not worth the price (at least, based on the tastes after we opened it). But it may just have been a bad bottle, or something that lacked the structure to age. (1983 being my brother's birth year, I have a few of these left)
1987 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah (USA, California, Napa Valley) -- Following the Stags' Leap, the old PS of the night. It's one of Arroyo's earliest wines. Blackberries, caramel, tar, dusty fine tannins everywhere, still great acidity, had the Arroyo "shoepolish" house style, which is always lovely to find. Tasted older than the Stags' Leap, and probably won't be around too much longer. But surprisingly, the last bit in the bottle was still kicking in the morning.
1992 Schuetz Oles Petite Sirah Rattlesnake Acres (USA, California, Napa Valley) -- might have been in its dumb period, but wildly disappointing. No real fruit or structure to speak of. If you see it on winebid, don't be in a hurry.
1999 Fife Petite Sirah Redhead (USA, California, North Coast, Redwood Valley) -- the youngest of the bottles, and, at least to me, still a young PS, albeit on the aged end of that. Very nice round red fruits, medium-bodied, light tannins, gripping acidity. Not a big, tarry PS. What made this wine work was the Brett to balance out the red fruits.

Time CaPSule I

2009-02-05T09:55:00.007-05:00

My friend Sonadora came to our recent NoVA wine.woot gathering this past weekend, where we had a bunch of French and California wines from no younger than the 2000 vintage.

4 of the 6 wines I brought were PS that fit that theme (have no fear, I have plenty more old bottles).

Here are her notes on those bottles:

1979 Sebastiani Vineyards Petite Sirah Proprietor’s Reserve: Still fairly dark for an old wine. No fruit on nose. Chocolate, raisin, little port like on the nose, something plasticy, thin in the mouth. Past its prime.

1990 Mirassou Vineyards Petite Sirah: Blueberry, red fruit, tart, smoky, chocolate, cranberry juice, raisins. Really nice.

1997 Markham Petite Sirah: Indistinguishable dark fruit on the nose, sweet fruit, raisin, blue fruit.

1999 Kent Rasmussen Petite Sirah Leeds-Chavez Vineyard: Blueberry, chocolate, caramel, perfumey, spice, nice fruit, tasty, well done.

Israel KeePS ImPreSsing!

2009-02-02T15:35:00.014-05:00

As I've mentioned earlier, I have a special place in my heart for Israeli wine. Between my family, the food, and the incredible energy in the atmosphere, Israel is a place I treasure. It's great to see (and to taste!) that they're making similar strides in their wine. The best place to go for the most up-to-date information on Israeli wine is, of course, Rogov's wine forum.

According to Daniel Rogov (of the eponymous forum), the dean of Israeli wine critics, PS was historically used as a blending grape in Israel. (Having tasted the execrable Gedeon 2005 Petite Sirah -- Kosher and Mevushal -- I see why they used it primarly for blending). But after the UC-Davis-trained Dr. Yair Margalit went to Israel, and started using PS in his Special Reserve Cabernet (in the 10-15% range), it has become noticeably more popular with each vintage. Of late, it seems to have reached the tipping point.

Ze'ev Dunie of Sea Horse (Rogov recent notes) is not the only one using it in single-variety wines and blends. Recanati (kosher) maintains 2 PS-majority blends, one featuring Zin (and available pretty widely in the US) and the other adding Syrah (only available at the Derekh HaYain stores in Israel), though they don't have a standalone PS. Asaf Paz at Vitkin (soon to be imported by Israeli Wine Direct), and Carmel (kosher, 2004 vintage available here,) have recently hopped on the PS bandwagon -- or in Carmel's case back on, with a dedication to making serious wine. There's plenty more room, however, as shown by the latest crop of Israeli PadawanS.

Here are Rogov's recent notes on notes on some selected PS-labeled wines and PS-heavy blends:

Avidan, Blend de Noirs, Tagadom (Red Label), 2007 (Advance Tasting): Oak aged for 12 months, this medium-bodied blend of Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz (45%, 35% and 20% respectively), shows super-dark garnet in color. Opens with a fresh, black fruit nose, goes on in the glass to reveal currants and raspberries, those supported by hints of mint, licorice and espresso coffee. Soft and gently mouth-coating tannins rise comfortably on the finish. Drink now-2012. Score 88.

Avidan, Fringe, 2007: Reflecting the winery's proclivity to "play" with labels and with blends, I am tempted to call this one not "Fringe" but, as my daughter might "far out and funky" – that in the most positive sense though for this is a wine that will make you both think and smile, at one moment appearing to be from California, at another from the Rhone and at yet another from the Mediterranean. Whatever, a full-bodied and gently muscular blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Petite Sirah, showing still caressing tannins and a comfortable modicum of soft and spicy oak in fine balance with black fruits. On first attack blackberry, currants and vanilla, those yielding to citrus peel, chocolate and mint. Approachable and enjoyable now but best 2010-2013, perhaps longer when it will show both softer and more round. Score 90.

Avidan, Petite Sirah, 2008 (Barrel Tasting): A deeply extracted Petite Sirah, full-bodied, concentrated and intense with still almost searing tannins and muscles that seem to enjoy making themselves felt. Reminds me much of the Margalit Petite Sirah. Wild berries, blackberries and loganberries all here in abundance, those set off by generous spices and, on the super-long finish notes of bitter-sweet chocolate. Perhaps to be released as a varietal, perhaps as a blending agent. Tentative Score 90-92.

Carmel, Petite Sirah, Old Vines, Appellation, Judean Hills, 2007: Aged for 14 months in oak, partly new, partly used, made from 35+ year old vines, a concentrated and full-bodied red, showing royal purple in color and with generous tannins in fine balance with spicy and vanilla-rich wood. On the nose and palate a fine array of red and black fruits, those complemented by notes of black pepper, olives and Mediterannean herbs. Best from 2010. Score 90. K (Tasted 22 Jan 2009)

Carmel, Petite Sirah, Old Vines, Regional, Judean Hills, 2006: A big wine, full-bodied, deep garnet toward royal-purple, oak-aged for 12 months, with gripping tannins just starting to settle down but showing fine balance between tannins, wood and fruits. Ripe plum, blackberry and boysenberry notes on a background of minerals, minted chocolate and spicy cedar wood. Drink now–2012. NIS 80. Score 90. K (Re-tasted 7 Feb 2008)

Chillag, Giovane, Petite Sirah, 2006: Deep, dark and rich, full-bodied, with firm country-style tannins and showing beautiful huckleberry, blackberry, and black cherry notes on a background of vanilla, minerals and chocolate-covered cherry notes. Long and generous. Drink from release–2012. Tentative Score 89–91. (Note: Not certain whether this wine will be released)

Chillag, Giovane, Cabernet Sauvignon-Petite Sirah, 2005: A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. Oak-aged for 20 months showing medium to full-bodied and with still-firm near-sweet tannins, those just starting to settle down and opening to reveal generous black fruits, those on a light background that hints nicely of licorice and bitter almonds. Easy to drink but with just enough complexity to grab and hold our interest. Drink now–2010. Score 90.

Ella Valley Vineyards, Petite Sirah, 2007 (Advance Tasting): The winery's first release of a Petite Sirah varietal wine and quite a success. Made from grapes from 10 year old vines, intensely dark royal purple in color, showing generous tannins and fine fruit concentration. On the nose and palate blackberries, raspberries and loganberry fruits, those matched nicely not notes of mint and tobacco. Firm and chewy with a long, near muscular finish. Drink now-2012. Score 90. K

Vitkin, Petite Sirah, 2005: Made from old-vine grapes and oak-aged for 16 months. Full-bodied, impenetrably dark purple-black, with deep spicy overlays and firm tannins all coming together beautifully. On the nose and palate blackberry and blueberries, those matched nicely by notes of white pepper, peppermint, chocolate and cedar wood, and on the long finish enchanting hints of raspberry jam. Drink now–2012. Score 91. (Re-tasted 29 Jan 2009)

Vitkin, Petite Sirah, 2006: Showing much as at barrel and advance tastings. Reflecting its youth with a dark royal-purple color, medium to full-bodied, with fine extraction and with lively notes of spices, white pepper, tobacco and cedarwood supporting generous blackberry and huckleberry fruits. Chewy tannins rise on the finish along with a hint of grilled beef. Best 2010–2014. Score 90. (Re-tasted 29 Jan 2009)

Vortman, Shambour, 2007: Dark garnet in color, aged in French oak for 10 months, a somewhat unusual blend of 50% Merlot and 25% each of Petite Sirah and Pinotage, but don't let that hold you back. Low on the nose but the wine opens to reveal flavors of rich black fruits and Mediterranean herbs along with a hint of green olives. Tannins and fruits rise nicely on the finish. Drink now-2010. Score 87. (Tasted 16 Jan 2009)

Also of interest, as linked in the right-hand column, are Rogov's previous batch of tasting notes on Israeli PS, from November 2008.

Rogov's tasting note for the 2006 Sea Horse Munch will accompany my own impressions from tasting it with the other PSychos in an upcoming PoSt (with PictureS!).

Carpe Diaz

2009-01-28T11:35:00.006-05:00

Jo Diaz, the genius behind Dark & Delicious and the PerSon who keeps PS I Love You running, has had a number of particularly interesting PoSts over the past few months that I wanted to highlight.

A nice article on PS Godfather Carl Doumani, currently of Quixote (which makes both the Quixote and Panza labels), and formerly of Stags' Leap Winery. There's some nice personal info on Carl, his influence on other winemakers, his personal generosity, his quixotic personality, coupled with beautiful shots of the winery's unique architecture.

I had a chance to visit in August, and was very impressed by the wines and the structures. I'm a big fan of the Silverado Trail wineries in Napa, much more so than the ones on 29. In fact, just this past weekend had the opportunity to sample a Doumani-made Stags' Leap PS from 1982, and it was not only still alive, but utterly sublime.
Jo's top 5 images from Sonoma County in 2008 features, at the bottom, a nice bit about Gilles Liege, who is apparently trying to revive PS in its Rhone birthplace.
Comparing 1970s PS with a 2003, which I found especially interesting, given my own near-obsession with old PS
PS as the John Wayne of grape varieties -- it really is the all-American grape, Zinfidels be damned!
Jo takes a walk through Kick Ranch, from which Rosenblum made a single-vineyard designate PS from the 2005 vintage.
How winter-hardy is the PS vine? Let's discuss.

There's another set of PoSts to summarize, including one from Jo on PS and Terroir, but those get their own post here. As does additional detail on D&D 2009, the event of the year!

On Tap

2009-01-17T15:26:00.003-05:00

Here's what's on deck for the next 2 weeks or so:

Birthday Wine Review -- Vincent Arroyo 2005 Petite Sirah Winemakers' Reserve (Sunday or Monday)
Inauguration Day Wine Review -- Stags' Leap Winery 2004 Ne Cede Malis Petite Sirah (with Synchrodan)
[Within the next 10 days] -- Mettler Family 2005 Petite Sirah (with Synchrodan)
Tasting notes and impressions from the PSychos' PSeminar in Chicago next Friday night (hopefully including my friends themostrighteous, Octocat, and MarkDaSpark posting on here as themselves, *hint hint*)
Tasting notes on McDowell Valley Vineyards' first release, their 1979 Petite Sirah (which, its initial labeling aside, they now believe to be sourced from ~78% Syrah grapes)
A big post on Appellation America and the interaction between terroir and PS in California
Lots of posts from Jo Diaz, including a bit about my French counterpart who is trying to revive PS in its birthplace...

So, Stay tuned!

An Early Birthday Present

2009-01-17T15:09:00.005-05:00

I turn 28 on Sunday, but the PresentS have already started rolling in, in addition to the scheduled finishing-up of a MASSIVE project at work next Wednesday.

Yesterday, as you may have seen, Gary Vaynerchuk did an entire episode devoted to Petite Sirah, which dedicated to me, the biggest petite sirah fan he knows, as a birthday PreSent. I've ferreted out that this was at least in part due to emails from my friend Octocat and my brother. And what a PreSent it was, though I'm disappointed that some of the wines didn't show better.

I'm not sure how long he had the 2005 Lolonis Orpheus open and breathing, (as the accompanying notes explicitly caution against trying it out soon and suggest serious decanting,) and I really do think that it will improve vastly with age, but I've never been a huge fan of the 06 David Bruce Central Coast myself. And it was very nice to hear that the '06 Bogle is a solid value play (at the moment, mine are usually the Rosenblum Heritage Clones 2005/6 or Concannon Limited Release 2005)

I've met GV in person a number of times (as I grew up, and my parents still live, 15 mins away from Wine Library), and he always has time to say hi or see if I need his help with anything in particular. Contrary to others' (usually uninformed) imPressionS, GV is for real, and I'm truly honored to know a PerSon of his caliber.

GV, thanks again for getting my birthday started out on an AMAZING note. I can't wait to bring my own PS on "THE THUNDER SHOW" someday! But that is, perhaps, putting the cart before the horse, as my PadawanS and I have to start making it first...

Dr. Debs on Entry-Level PS

2009-01-12T15:55:00.003-05:00

Dr. Debs at Good Wine Under $20 tried the Lot 205 PS from Cartlidge & Brown, and enjoyed it. Click on over to see her specific impressions.

Relatedly, GaryV reviewed this wine as well in the most recent (as of 1/12) WinelibraryTV link in the righthand column.

PaSt and PreSent PreSents

2009-01-09T13:38:00.002-05:00

Kent Rasmussen has long stated that PS has the ability to age superbly, due to its tannins, and will pick up after 15 years and have another, very complex drinking period that will last at least until it's 25th birthday. Most people with whom I've raised this theory, many of whom are very knowledgeable about wine in general, dismissed this theory as lunacy.

I'd like it to be true the vast majority of the time. But apparently, it's certainly true for some PS. I love to get confirmation of my pet theories (pun intended).

(N.B. -- I am really sorry about the lack of posts. Work has been eating me up lately, and in fact, I shouldn't even be posting this)

Never, Never, Never Give In!

2008-12-05T10:09:00.004-05:00

I just came across an interesting story about Stags' Leap Winery's oldest estate vines (pdf), a retro mixed block, which they use to make the majority-PS Ne Cede Malis ("Never Give In To Misfortune/Evil") Field Blend (CellarTracker). It makes for an interesting read, and really helped Dr. Carole Meredith to identify the genetic differences between some various clones of PS. I'd really love to read that research some day. I love field blends, especially those with a big fat dose of PS, so hopefully I'll get to try this one soon.

APair-i-tifS

2008-12-04T16:20:00.002-05:00

I've posted my tasting/rating methodology, which I demostrated on a 2001 Napa Valley PS from Blockheadia Ringnosii, over at Apairitif.

As for the wine, it was tasty stuff. But click on over read all about it.

Pardon the Dust

2008-12-01T14:41:00.004-05:00

The last 6 weeks have been a PShitstorm of epic proportions, between work, getting sick, and the back-end reconfigurations (we're now at PSychospath.com) and front-end design (slick new with matching business cards, both thanks to Octocat herself!) changes.

I have a few posts in the works that I really need to get off my butt and post. Here's a preview:

URSA Vineyards '04 Wines (Sierra Foothills and Paso RobleS), plus their '05 Paso Robles. This one is a lesson on PS being a bit cranky.
How I rate wines (both formally and informally), which will be cross-PoSted both here and at Apairitif, Octocat's blog.
A super-comPrehenSive (though not exhaustive) survey of terroir and PS, from Appellation America, including wine reviews
More news and tidbits on PS, many from Jo Diaz

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

2008-10-22T11:35:00.003-04:00

Dark & Delicious February 20, 2009: The Rock Wall Wine Company, Alameda, California
Participating Wineries:

Alger Vineyards
August Briggs Winery
Berryessa Gap
Ballentine Vineyards
Bogle Vineyards & Winery
Clayhouse
Concannon Vineyard
David Fulton Winery
EOS Estate & Winery
F. Teldeschi Winery
Field Stone Winery
Foppiano Vineyards
Harney Lane Winery
Heringer
Huntington Wine Cellars
JC Cellars
Judd's Hill
Lava Cap Winery
Marr Cellars
Michael~David Winery
Mounts Family Winery
Moss Creek
Parducci Winery
Rock Wall Wine Company
Robert Biale Vineyards
Rosenblum Cellars
Rutherford Grove Winery & Vineyards
Silkwood Wines
Stanton Vineyards
Trentadue Winery, Miro Cellars
Twisted Oak (and his rubber chickens)
Ursa Vineyards
Vina Robles
Wilson Farms

I bought my ticket. I hope to see you there!

Israel is looking for a signature red. PS can answer the call!

2008-10-20T10:51:00.005-04:00

In discussing the history of grape varieties in Israel, the end of the article ponders a signature Israeli grape for new world table wine, as Shiraz is to Australia, Sauv Blanc to New Zealand, Tannat to Uruguay, Malbec to Argentina, Cabernet to Napa/Sonoma, and the Pinots to Oregon. One option for Israel is carignan(e), due to the Mediterranean climate. But the second red grape mentioned? You guessed it!

The next candidate is Petite Sirah, which has not been here for so many years (introduced in the 1970’s) and compared to Carignan, is a relatively new immigrant. Also this variety enjoys Israel’s hot Mediterranean climate. In contrast to Carignan, which is heavily planted in France & Spain, it is present in California and Australia, but is not heavily planted anywhere. Although its origin is France, it has almost vanished from there. However in Israel some old vine, low yield vineyards are now producing some very good wines. The Appellation Petite Sirah Old Vines, produced by Carmel Winery, from the Judean Hills, is a good example. [Vitkin's PS and Sea Horse's Munch are other examples; blends include some other wines from Sea Horse and Margalit's Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve]

Another article by the same author has additional details on PS's history and use in Israel.

However there are two much abused varieties – Carignan and Petite Sirah, which maybe do fit the bill to be considered as the potential national varieties of Israel. Both are undergoing a quality revival and creating a great deal of interest amongst wine lovers and connoisseurs. . . . Petite Sirah wines, on the other hand, will be an almost-black blockbuster, with intense tannins and an enticing aroma of black fruit and violets.
. . .

Petite Sirah, otherwise known in France as Durif, is another variety to be revived. It is a sometimes spelt Petite Syrah in America. It made aliyah to Israel in the 1970’s and was used for inexpensive wines. In the early 1990’s there were those who tried to mislead by marketing their Petite Sirah wines as Shiraz, which was derided because it was thought the Petite Sirah had nothing in common with Syrah. It was only in 1998, that the University of California confirmed that Durif was the result of a cross pollination between an old French grape Peloursin and Syrah. So they were related after all! In any event, Petite Sirah certainly makes distinctive wines – mainly in California , Australia and in Israel.

The first time Petite Sirah was seen as a quality variety was when Yair Margalit insisted it was an essential part of the Margalit Special Reserves. He considered the 5% to 15% of Petite Sirah as an important ingredient to the success of his flagship wine. Wineries like Yiftachel, Vitkin amongst the boutique wineries and Carmel and Recanati amongst the commercial wineries have also specialized in the variety. Recanati have won awards for their Petite Sirah-Zinfandel blend and Carmel’s Appellation Petite Sirah from old vines in the Judean Hills has also gained plaudits as one of the most interesting, characterful wines available.
Whatever happens to these varieties in the future will determine if they may, in future, be regarded as the national variety of Israel. The mission to revive Carignan and Petite Sirah should be supported by growers, wineries and consumers. It provides much needed variety, quality and the curious wine lover has an alternative to the all conquering Cabernet and Merlot.

ONE WEEK LEFT

2008-10-15T14:29:00.003-04:00

Tickets for Dark & Delicious 2009, to be held on February 20th at the Rock Wall Wine Company in Alameda California, go on sale in just ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!

(can you tell that I'm a bit excited?)

BREAKING NEWS PSychos and Pet-Heads ZAP the Zinfidels

2008-10-06T10:22:00.002-04:00

Per PSentinel Jo Diaz, we PSychos will now have our own *consumer* advocacy group, just as the zinfidels do with ZAP. (N.B., PS I Love You is a group for the producers -- as it self-describes, "sole function and focus is to support a marketing/public relations effort for Petite Sirah.")

[S]ix years later, there’s an evolutionary shift in the making, because [PS I Love You has] accomplished our original mission.
Our next step…

The Board of Directors and I have long discussed a membership level that would include consumers. Fans of PS are constantly asking, “When and where’s your next event.” PSILY hosts anything, and people come… Not in droves, because it’s not a mainstream variety, but with a passion that’s downright exciting and infections. It reminds me of the initial Grateful Dead days, when people would go anywhere and do anything just to get into one more concert.

Couple that with the old-timers’ name for Petite Sirah, “Pet,” and you’ve got your “Pet Heads.”

Details for membership are being finalized and will be launched on the PSILY Website, once the t-shirts have arrived, later this month.

Titus Maximus

2008-09-25T10:09:00.004-04:00

This week's first Wine.woot offering was the Titus 2004 Lot 1 (Napa Valley), a blend of 65% Petite Sirah (of course), 30% Petit Verdot, 5% Zinfandel. It was aged 22 months, 60% new barrels, 50% French and 50% American oak. It is 14.5% alcohol. Wine.woot was the last place you can get this, and in addition to the "labrat" sample bottle I got, I have 3 on the way. The winery produces this as a limited allocation for its wine club/mailing list and it is now completely sold out. Sorry to tease you, folks!

This wine should easily last for 15 years; I don't expect it to have the typical PS dumb period, due to the extensive blending, and the vinting (see below). However, if you were lucky enough to buy it, hold onto it for at least another year before opening -- and don't be afraid to use your decanter.

Petite Sirah has inherently powerful tannins and is more acidic than other red varietals. It can only benefit from extended aging because of this. Depending on the winemaking style and/or growing season this may be the necessary amount of time needed to have the tannins and acid come into balance with all the other parts of the wine. Because the tannins are so massive, Eric and Phillip [Titus] have slightly departed from perhaps the traditional way of making Petite Sirah by removing the juice from the skins earlier than "normal," before fermentation is complete. It's kind of a less is more approach so that the fruit can shine through more and the finish gets some extra length and complexity. It's the Titus version of finessing this varietal.

I had this wine with my friend Chris last night, and we were both very, very impressed. While Wine.woot offers a serious discount from retail and often even wine club prices, and subsidized shipping, this was still a pricy bottle at

45 mins in decanter. Nose: predominantly black raspberry liqueur, with white flowers, hints of molasses, vanilla, and nutmeg, and some sort of underlying meatyness. Very dense and extracted. No heat. AMAZINGLY dense color -- more impenetrable than the Ursa. Incredibly structured, initiall hint of confectionary, then some smoky meat.

This wine frakking COATS THE GLASS. Legs nicer than Tricia Helfer's. I don't know if I've ever seen legs like this in a wine before.

The tannins are very noticeable, but they're very integrated and chewy, not stand-alone liquid sandpaper. This is very elegant and well structured, with particularly distinct transitions between attack, mid-palate, and finish.

65 mins: the nose is jammier, more liqueur, more blackberry than raspberry at this point. White pepper and black pepper on the finish balancing the nutmeg and molasses, with hints of baking spice. This is getting more complex and continuing to open up.

90 mins: The finish turns to black cherry; on the nose and front-end, that 5% zin is really punching above its weight and making itself known, at least for a bit.

105 mins: Here come the tannins -- it took them a while to wake up, but they're making their presence felt.

This is a massive, elegant, integrated wine. It will pair wonderfully with things with a hint of sweetness like bbq ribs or burgers or brisket. I would give this at least 2 more years; it isn't quite ready yet. Though it got very well integrated, and is excellent, it will only get better.

SamPleS from Twisted Oak

2008-09-19T22:14:00.000-04:00

Ok, I've been completely derelict in my duties, due in large part to work commitments and a tight deadline.

So, just under 2 weeks ago, I received 2 sample bottles from Twisted Oak Winery, courtesy of Jeff "El Jefe" Stai.

I received these on a Thursday and consumed them on a Saturday evening, so it's quite possible that they suffered from some travel shock. Ordinarily, I'd have let them sit for a while longer, but reviewing free wine is a different schedule than drinking for pleasure. I let both wines breath in-bottle through the neck for about 5 hours before the first taste, and went back and forth between them. They were accompanied by cheese and crackers.

TWISTED OAK 2006 River of Skulls Mourvedre (90% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah) Twisted Oak Geek Sheet Ordering Info

First Taste: Color: dark ruby, transparent edges, translucent depth. Nose of tobacco and spice, like a dark-leaf cigar wrapper, wrapped around black cherry pie filling with a dash of liquid smoke, maybe raspberry reduction, some hints of vanilla bean ice cream. With some swirling, the fruit came more to the forefront, tobacco towards the back. In the mouth, thin but not unpleasantly so. Great acidity, very soft tannings, very food friendly, feels almost too young. Strawberries on the 15-20 sec finish. At the moment (bottom of first glass) not enough fruit to carry the acidity and alcohol, but opens up after 20 mins of sitting, sipping, and swirling. Some of the heat blows off, cherry fruit rollup notes as well. But also something bitter in the midpalate, almost like cherry pit, but not unpleasant. It works.

One hour later: fruitier and drier, smokier and creemier. The finish is longer and much more integrated.

Another 20 mins later: very nice, bright cherry fruit really towards the forefront.

I think this wine had some bottle shock and is very, very, very young. Let it sit for a while after getting it, and I think it has a few years to age as well.

TWISTED OAK 2005 Petite Sirah Calaveras County Geek Sheet Ordering Info

First taste: Light reddish blueberry juice in color, but less depth of color than most PS I am used to. some heat on the nose, blueberry, and creamy oak. Not as extracted as most PS I am used to. Thinner in the mouth as well, but perhaps would pair better with lighter foods -- some plums, a bit of blackberry, baking spices on the background. Softer tannins than I expected and than I prefer; high acidity and fruit for a PS.

One hour later: Same on the attack and midpalate, but finish still has not quite come together yet. Still a bit sour/bitter.

30 mins later: Finally integrated, still soft on the tannins.

I thought both wines were pretty good for the price. Having never had either wine before, I had trouble separating out the winemaker's style from the effects of travel shock, with which I am familiar. I enjoyed both bottles but found them to be leaner, more acidic, and less full-bodied than I expected from the nose and my familiarity with the varieties. I'd definitely try and even buy both again (I've bought more Twisted Oak since this tasting), but I'd give them some more time in the cellar.

DARK AND DELICIOUS '09

2008-09-18T16:58:00.005-04:00

EDITED

Next year's PStravaganza is on Friday, 2/20. Tickets are on sale for us consumers on 10/22. Contrary to initial indications, it is *NOT* at Concannon's newly-renovated $25M tasting room. Instead, it will be in Alameda, CA, at the Rock Wall Wine Company. Per Jo Diaz, Concannon's license doesn't allow for pure awesomeness like D&D, due to grumpy neighbors who probably only drink Chard-oh-no!.

Stay tuned for further info.

WSJ on PS

2008-09-14T11:19:00.003-04:00

Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher of the Wall Street Journal are, as it turns out, big fans of the Big Grape -- Petite Sirah!

Their most recent Tastings article focuses in on the redheaded step-child of California grapes. Not surprisingly, they agree with me :)

What we discussed, time and again, was the crispness of the wines. We don't generally associate crispness with big, red wines, but the fine acidity and tannins of Petite Sirah give these wines a little crackle. The best ones are polished wines, and we mean that almost literally. They seem to have a sheen about them, like bright sun on a shiny wooden dresser. That makes their big, bold, somewhat grapey tastes complex, interesting and unexpected. It means that, in the good ones, the wine never gets boring. We sensed many different smells and tastes in these wines, from black cherries to chocolate, from herbal tea to smoked bacon (although, as it turned out, none of our favorites were heavy on the bacon).

Our favorite, from Jaffurs in Santa Barbara County, was bursting with beautiful fruit. It was a big wine, but so effortlessly fruity that Dottie said, "It seems like the most natural thing in the world -- so easy -- when they get it right." Jaffurs says it made 392 cases of the wine, but we bought it right off a shelf. In fact, when it comes to Petite Sirah, it's a good idea to look for small-production wines, which often have particular intensity and verve that comes from hands-on care and straight-up passion. Aside from some of those in the accompanying index, we also had an excellent Petite recently from Proulx (2004 Paso Robles) that was remarkably refreshing for a huge red wine that was also 15.9% alcohol.

But it's not just the little guys. Our best value was Concannon, which has been one of our go-to Petites for many years. Concannon says it first made Petite Sirah as a varietal wine in the 1961 vintage and, to us, it's amazing that it has remained as consistently good as it has, especially considering that it costs around $14, is available nationally (the winery made 75,000 cases) and that the winery now is owned by the Wine Group, a giant company. We felt we were tasting ultra-ripe grapes that were bursting in our mouths, which gave us some serious joy. Adam Richardson, the winemaker, told us, "Petite Sirah is a big, full-bodied wine, which is what you want, but you want it to be soft and approachable as well. If you get both, you're doing well." When we told him that, when we tasted it, we wrote in our notes that it was like the whole berry was in there, he said: "We try to interfere with those grapes as little as possible. If it tastes like the whole grape is in there, that's because it is. We really respect the grapes."

...

Petite Sirah is a great cold-weather wine and pairs well with hearty foods. Craig Jaffurs of Jaffurs Wine Cellars prefers "big stuff -- barbecue, things with a certain thickness and richness, beef with some fat content. You don't really want lean meat." Short ribs are a great choice, he says. Mr. Richardson of Concannon suggests game or duck breast, "something that's been grilled or roasted rather than stewed -- not a heavy version of the food. As far as vegetables, the richer, darker green vegetables like spinach. Spanakopita goes really well." We swooned at just the thought of that spinach-and-feta-cheese pie with these wines. Yum. And one more idea, for you risk-takers: Try it with a bite of chocolate.

They're huge fans of the Concannon '05 Limited Release, which they call the best value of the tasting. Their favorite, the Jaffurs '05, is another favorite of mine, which is a great deal at $33 (especially because I got my 3 bottles, somehow, on ebay, shipped at $25/ea).

Jaffurs Wine Cellars 'Thompson Vineyard' 2005 (Santa Barbara County). $32.99.
Very Good/Delicious
3 Best of tasting. Yowee! Powerful wine, with lush, ripe-berry fruit, some chocolate and a surprisingly dry, mineral finish.
Concannon Vineyard 'Limited Release' 2005 (Central Coast). $13.99.
Very Good/Delicious
3 Best value. Clean and crisp, with great fruit tastes, like the whole berry is in there. A hint of chocolate, especially on the finish. Totally satisfying. Consistent favorite.

They also enjoyed the Sean Thackrey Sirius '05, from the Eaglepoint Ranch, which I had at the PSychos' Tasting.

Excerpted permalink (PSILoveYou members only, so no Jaffurs) available here.

Ursa Minor

2008-09-11T16:00:00.001-04:00

In addition to the ones from Wine.woot, I had a nice sampling of 2 '04 URSA Vineyards PS last night. I will be transcribing my tasting notes into this post at some point over the next few days...

Spivak on Israeli Wines

2008-09-08T09:52:00.002-04:00

Mark Spivak has a nice summary of some Israeli wineries, including Vitkin (with their excellent PS from 30-year old vines) and our good friend Ze'ev Dunie of Sea Horse.

Coming this week: Reviews of Twisted Oak PS and River of Skulls.

Join the Dark Side

2008-09-03T15:18:00.002-04:00

Nice mention of PS in a SF gate article on non-cab grapes in Napa

URSA MAJOR

2008-09-02T10:13:00.005-04:00

This week on Wine.woot -- a horizontal of PS from Ursa Vineyards in PaSo Robles. It's about time they offered another PS, though I'm not sure on the short-week/half-week sales numbers as compared to previous full-week offerings. Mad props once again to WineDavid for making me purchase even though I have neither the space nor the money:

2005 Petite Sirah Sierra Foothills

Pick date: 9/28/05, 10/21/05
pH: 3.52
Average brix at time of harvest: 25.1
Oak: European, 35% new, 20 months
ML: 100%
Alcohol: 14.7%
Cases Produced: 200

Petite Sirah Vineyard Blend

Blend: 33% Central Coast 33% Sierra Foothills 33% Paso Robles
pH: 3.58
Average brix at time of harvest: 24.8
Oak: Blend of Euro and American, 15% new, 20 months
ML: 100%
Alcohol: 13.5
Cases produced: 425

2005 Petite Sirah Paso Robles

Pick date: 10/3/05
pH: 3.85
Brix at time of harvest: 24.3
Oak: French oak, 25% new, 20 months
ML: 100%
Alcohol: 14.5%
Cases Produced: 250

According to the winemakers,

flavor profiles: we choose pets from different appellations in calif for different fruit characteristics. generally, our vineyard blend offers classic dark fruits & spice; the paso has its blueberry fruit from shell creek vineyards; our sierra foothills gives wild blackberry fruits.

tannins: the vineyard blend is our most accessible with the softest tannin; paso is firm & present; and the sierra foothills may be the biggest in the bunch, its tannins somewhat angular.

aging/cellaring: we think they're all drinking well now. the vineyard blrnd is intended to be consumed sooner rather than later; the paso will do well for the next 5 yrs; the sierra foothills, however, has the structure for aging. admittedly, we don't have the history with this vineyard to suggest more than 5 years, but we feel that this wine could go 10. thanks for the query! i also wanted to suggest that the wine will really open up from 10 - 20 min in the glass.

SamPleS on the Way!

2008-09-02T10:01:00.003-04:00

Coming in the mail soon from Jeff "El Jefe" Stai of Twisted Oak Winery are samPleS of their 2006 River of Skulls (90% Mourvedre, 10% Gros Syrah) and 2005 Calaveras County Petite Sirah.

I've wanted to try the TOPS for a while now, but haven't managed to get my hands on it. This should arrive just in time for me to introduce one of the other wine.wooters to the glory that is PS.

This is a historic moment, as it is my first actual sample from a winery (as opposed to being labratted for wine.woot, which is truly a special experience in and of itself). I will gladly accept any and all PS or PS-blend samples, but I cannot promise a result, only a review and an appropriate food pairing.

Other things to still write about: (1) my Napa/Sonoma trip, (2) my new PS project, (3) more Israeli PS on the way!, (4) the Wine.Woot PSychos Prelude and Big-Ass Red Wines tastings, both with many PSadawans who came to learn at the PieS (that's not food, it's Spanish for feet) of the PSith Master.

GaryV Tastes Value PS

2008-08-26T17:52:00.005-04:00

On Weds, 8/20, GaryV posted his "Tasting of Value Petite Sirah" episode of WLTV, after a 125-episode block that was sadly bereft of any PS (see GV on PS column on the right).

Despite GV's gaffe in calling PS "a member of the durif family" -- no GV, it *IS* durif; they're synonymous -- it's a fun episode. Gary has a blast, and seems to really enjoy the 2006 Rosenblum Heritage Clones PS (available @WL for $15), giving it 90+. Despite my urging, he *still* hasn't tasted the '05 Concannon Limited Release. Unless he has a "Value wines revisited in subsequent vintages" episode, I doubt he'll taste it on the show while it's still in stock

But thanks to Gary for tasting some great wine!

Now... to continue with my other posts and projects in the work. Stay tuned, folks... there's lots of big news on the way.

THE NEXT BIG GRAPE

2008-08-16T16:36:00.004-04:00

Petite Sirah: The next big thing?

Pluses: More of them, more availability, sweet sweet vindication
Minuses: More competition, higher prices.

Either way, I win.

2008-07-16T11:57:00.003-04:00

First things first: My sincere thanks to The PSychos' Path Master Loweeel, both for inviting me to blog (which he may regret) & to TheMostRighteous for blazing the PSadawan Psycho’s Path in the first place with his previous blog post.

My local favorite wine bar, CasaVino, had a Petite Sirah Tasting recently (7/2/08). A flight of 3 Petite Sirah’s, none of which I have tried before, but was anxious to try.

The First one up was the 2005 Dancing Coyote Petite Sirah from Clarksburg, CA. It is a deep velvet purple, bordering on black, incredibly dark with thick, prominent drip legs legs that its (13.5%) alcohol content demands. It is 99.8% PS, with 0.2% Zinfandel added.

The nose is surprisingly moderated, but not muted, dominated by blackberry & spiciness. The mouth exhibits moderate acidity and the tannins make their presence felt. It had a medium body that is a bit leaner than you expect in a PS. I got blackberry and mocha-cocoa flavors, with some spiciness.

The website also indicates a cherry jam and hint of mint in the flavors, which I didn’t get. Good finish. I give it an 87.

The Second Wine was the 2005 Guenoc PS from Lake County (north of San Francisco).

The color is a dark purple with a dark garnet edge. Dark fruit (black and blue berries) and Plum aromas are a bit restrained on the nose. Gentle tannins in the finish make it a bit on the soft side for PS. A very short finish and it is only 13.5% ABV.

While drinkable, this is not a great PS, in my humble opinion. Out of the three wines, this was a very distant last.

I give it an 85, which is similar to its CellarTracker scores.

The Third Wine was a 2004 X Winery PS from Paso Robles.

Nice dark purple color with very expressive blueberry and plum aromas. Dark fruits on the palate with very nice tannins and very good finish (some cocoa).

100% Paso Robles. Only 571 cases produced.

Seems like a nicely balanced wine that can drink well now or be held for a while. However, 14.5% ABV makes it the highest ABV in the flight. But I didn't get too much alcohol during the tasting. I felt it deserves an 88, so that's what I give it.

The Rest of Gabe's Tastings

2008-05-29T21:07:00.000-04:00

See the rest of Gabe's "12 days of Petite Sirah," which goes from the widely available to the cult, from the beloved to the despised (by me).

Truly a phenomenal series of posts, and one involving a lot of tooth-brushing!

Quick Update

2008-05-01T11:03:00.006-04:00

Although real life and laziness have gotten in the way of my updates, Gabe over at Gabe's View is here to provide you with PSManna from Heaven.

Gabe is currently doing "12 days of Petite Sirah," during which time that lucky bastard is reviewing over 20 different bottles of PS.

WineDavid Has Blessed Us

2008-04-07T02:22:00.003-04:00

This week on wine.woot... a jaunt along THE PSYCHOS' PATH!!! A 3-pack of 2005 Peltier Station Petite Sirah, from Lodi, for $39.99/3pack + $5 shipping on your order.

This is one to stock up on, especially for those of us on the East Coast who have a much harder time finding this!

See the thread, including pairing advice, and interaction with the winemakers, all right here.

Rogov Gets Vertical with Vitkin PS

2008-03-31T13:06:00.008-04:00

Daniel Rogov, the Dean of Israeli wine critics, recently paid a visit to Vitkin Winery, where he had an epic vertical of their PS that included a barrel sample of the '06. In the post on his forum describing his visit, he reviewed the wines and provided a brief overview of the history of PS in the Holy Land (minor formatting changes only):

This late morning (Sunday, 30 Mar 2008) found me at a press tasting of several of the wines of Vitkin Winery. The purpose of the tasting was limited but fascinating, a vertical of each of the releases of the winery's Petite Sirah.
Interesting to note, that for many years Petite Sirah had a particularly bad name in Israel that thanks to the rather primitive wines that appeared under that label for more than 30 years, wines made from vineyards where quantity of output was thought to be far more important than quality. Information about whatever was added to or otherwise done to those wines remains locked in the brains of a few winemakers, those of whom are still alive being far too wise to confess to their earlier sins. At any rate, those wines were pretty awful.
The first boost to returning the Petite Sirah grape to its rightful place within Israel probably came about when Yair Margalit started using old vine, thoroughly untended and unirrigated grapes in his Special Reserve wine. Today with both older and newer vines producing very low yields, Petite Sirah is alive and doing very well thank you and Vitkin is largely responsible for its justifiable return to fashion as a varietal wine.
Vitkin was founded by Doron and Sharona Belogolovsky on Moshav Kfar Vitkin on the central Coastal Plain and released its first wines from the 2002 vintage. Since its inception the winemaker has been the talented Assaf Paz and the winery has been and remains on my list of "rising star" wineries of the country.
With regard to the vertical tasting, several notes of interest First, each of the wines is proving longer-lived than originally predicted (don't blame me for that, with young wineries it is always especially difficult to predict longevity of a wine). Second, although each of the wines from each vintage is different, all show a definite consistency of style.
Following are today's tasting notes. I shall, by the way be visiting the winery on 13 April to do extensive tastings, re-tastings and barrel tastings. I shall, of course, report back then. [And this Blog will be covering that too!]
Best
Rogov
Vitkin, Petite Sirah, 2002: Developed in used French barriques and bottled unfiltered, the tannins of this full-bodied red now integrated beautifully and showing still youthful and lively. Opens to show red plum, wild berry and boysenberry fruits that remain tight and concentrated those on a background of tar and cedar wood. Tannns kick in on the finish nicely. The wine was tasted from a magnum bottle so it is difficult to say that it has outlived the 2002 curse but I will be visiting the winery on 13 April to be donig extensive tastings and will re-taste from a regular format bottle. At any rate, if in magnum bottles, drink now-2010. Score 89. (Re-tasted 30 Mar 2008)

Vitkin, Petite Sirah, 2003: Medium- to full-bodied, garnet towards royal purple, with still generous tannins now integrated nicely with spicy oak. A bit of confusion here as an earlier winemaker's note says that the Petite Sirah was blended with 10% of Cabernet Franc and his latest note states that it is 100% Petite. Whatever, aged in oak for 14 months, showing aromatic and flavorful, opens in the glass to reveal blackberry, blueberry, purple plum and raisin notes those supported nicely by notes of white pepper. Ripe, deep and long, with notes of red cherries and the solid tannins rising on the finish. Drinking beautifully now-2010, perhaps longer. Score 90. (Re-tasted 30 Mar 2008)

Vitkin, Petite Sirah, 2004: Dark garnet in color reflecting its 15 months in partly new French oak with fine balance between firm tannins, sweet cedar and spicy oak, all coming together nicely to reveal a broad array of plum, blackberry, meaty and herbal aromas and flavors. Long and complex, with a hints of minerals and bittersweet chocolate rising on the finish. Drinking nicely now but best 2009-2011, perhaps longer. Score 91. (Re-tasted 30 Mar 2008)

Vitkin, Petite Sirah, 2005: Made from old vine grapes and oak-aged for 16 months. Full-bodied, impenetrably dark purple-black, with deep spicy overlays and firm tannins all coming together beautifully. On the nose and palate blackberry and blueberries, those matched nicely by notes of white pepper, tobacco and cedar and, on the long finish enchanting hints of raspberry jam. Drink now–2012. Score 91. (Re-tasted 30 Mar 2008) [available for purchase from the winery]

Vitkin Petite Sirah, 2006 (Advance Tasting): Reflecting its youth with a dark royal purple color medium- to full bodied, with fine extraction and with lively notes of spices, white pepper, tobacco and cedar wood supporting generous blackberry and huckleberry fruits. Chewy tannins rise on the finish along with a hint of grilled beef. Best 2010-2014. Score 90. (Re-tasted 30 Mar 2008)

uPdateS

2008-03-17T15:49:00.003-04:00

Oddly, during the last 3 months, my updates have come in a string in the middle of the month. I guess the workload (and my laziness) have been somewhat cyclical lately. I'm still working on those last updates, but I also have a few new ones for you guys, including the massive petite sirah tasting at the 2nd NYC-area Wine.woot gathering (which included a Concannon mini-vertical -- '04 and '05; Bogle '05; Oliverhill '06 from Australia, and Stonehedge '01 Reserve PS)

In other news, Dr. Debs of Good Wine Under $20 hikes on the PSychos' Path and reviews the 2003 Enkidu Petite Sirah

Dark & Delicious 2008 Report

2008-02-16T19:14:00.004-05:00

Jo Diaz has a report with some nice PhotoS from Dark & Delicious 2008, every PSycho's dream.

Also in her report is the news that D&D 2009 will be held at Concannon's new $25M cellar/tasting room. If that renovation is half as successful as their 2005 vintage, we'll all be thrilled!

Depard-mon-dieu!

2008-02-15T20:21:00.000-05:00

I recently (1/19) drank the Girard 2005 Petite Sirah, from Napa Valley. One of the sales RepS from the winery recently participated (with great customer service) in the Thanksgiving Week Windsor Sonoma offering on wine.woot.

While my own personal preference within PS is for full-bodied PS with massive tannins, lots blueberry-to-blackberry fruit, good acidity and structure with as little sugar as possible, I appreciate all PS for the wonder it is, so long as it meets a pretty low threshold of enjoyability.

This one was the color of Ocean Spray Cran-Blueberry, which suggested good things to me. As usual, this PS needs to breathe quite a bit, so decanting is highly recommended. The nose, though tight upon opening and pouring, opened up nicely to reveal flavors and scents of blackberries, blueberries, and red currant/cassis, with some minerals and hints of allspice at the back end. The tannins were PleaSantly soft, and the wine had good acidity. In the mouth, it was fairly thick, not jammy or syrupy and very smooth and refined, definitely not on the rustic end of the spectrum.

This was quite enjoyable. Rather than a big "cult PS" (ala Turley, Foley, or Biale), this is the sort of wine to transition those who are used to big, fruity, tannic Cabernet into PS. It would pair better with a steak or buffalo fillet than it would with gamier meats, but depending on your palate, may also be approachable without food.

Pardon the Dust

2008-02-15T15:16:00.003-05:00

I've started at least 3 posts over the last 4 weeks, but haven't finished any of them. I'll try to get a few up this weekend. Sorry about the delay, folks!

Here's some of what you have to look forward to: What does a strangely-made PS from 1980 taste like? (Wednesday or Thursday night); Kent Rasmussen's 2002 PS; Chiarello Roux Old Vines PS 2000; and a preview of the *NEW* 2005 Vintage of the Concannon Limited Release PS (and just when you thought the entry level of PS didn't get better than the '04...); Girard 2005 PS; a report on Dark and Delicious '08.

Trust me, it will be worth the wait. I just have to write them up!

Parker Tastes Some Israeli PS

2008-01-18T19:28:00.001-05:00

(Yes, I took a winter vacation from blogging, in large part because I, *gasp* wasn't drinking all that much PS over the last 4 weeks).

For those who have an interest in the wines of Israel, the last few weeks have been pretty thrilling. Robert Parker, perhaPS the best-known wine-critic in the world (though not without critics of his own), has, for the first time, tasted a sample of some of Israel's best wines. Israel showed very well, with no fewer than 14 of the 90 or so wines scoring over 90 points.

3 of these wines from the PromiSed Land were labeled as PS, though none were wines that I've sampled, to date.

Vitkin, Petite Syrah, 2004 Score 89 - The 2004 Petite Syrah spent 16 months in oak barrels, only 20% new. It is a beautifully structured wine, with impeccable balance, an elegant mid-palate and moderate tannins. Vibrant and persistent on the finish, its parts meld together quickly and well. It becomes more attractive with air, as the fruit becomes juicier and the wine remains harmonious. This is probably the nicest use of the Petite Sirah varietal I saw for this report. [[N.B. -- Parker did not taste the utterly sublime Sea Horse 2005 Petite Sirah "Munch" by our hero Ze'ev Dunie]]

Carmel, Petite Sirah, Appelation, 2005 Score 88 - The 2005 Petite Sirah opens with a lush, oak-driven texture and flavor. It is charming and frequently tasty, if also a bit simple. The mid-palate is modest in weight, and the structure is modest as well, although there are some light tannins. At age two, it is quite approachable, and not likely to reward much cellaring. There were moments when the alcohol showed a little.

Recanati, Petit Syrah-Zinfandel, Reserve 2005 Score 87 - The 2005 Petite Syrah – Zinfandel Reserve is a blend, 70% Petite Syrah, and the rest Zinfandel. It was aged in American oak, and that distinctive nuance marks the wine. The oak becomes better integrated with air, providing a smooth, lush feel at the outset, that changes into a more balanced wine. It has grip on the finish, and an elegant mid-palate. It is a charming presentation and well structured, although somewhat simple, with too much oak-derived flavor.

UPDATE: 2/4/2008: I spent Shabbat with an Orthodox friend this weekend, and we and some others had this wine along with some delicious, incredibly filling cholent. I agree that it needed to breathe a bit (but that's something I'm going to keep pounding home about PS, because it's the biggest barrier to people enjoying it), as it was delicious after 2 hours in the open bottle. I do happen to have somewhat of a "hole" in my palate when it comes to oak in red wines, as I find it very hard to taste and smell, but I didn't notice anything too bad. It's definitely on the rustic side, but it's a reasonably-priced, enjoyable kosher wine that pairs well with cholent and would go equally well with stews and brisket. The tannins are soft and well-integrated, and it's full of plummy fruit that with a bit of spice thanks to the zin. It's not jammy like many zins, though it is quite viscous, with nice legs in the glass. Again, just because this is kosher does not mean that isn't worth seeking out, especially for the $14-$18 price.

PhantaSm

2007-12-16T23:13:00.000-05:00

Saturday and Sunday I had the Bogle Vineyards 2004 Phantom, which I got for about $14 at Trader Joe's, and have been waiting to try for a while.

Saturday night, I popped and poured. I had 2 glasses side-by-side, one in the Schott Zweisel Diva Bordeaux glass, and one in the Waterford Mondavi Syrah glass. This wine is 54% PS, 43% Old Vine Zin, and 3% Old Vine Mourvedre, so I wasn't sure which glass would go best.

However, the experiment didn't really have any result worth reporting. On the first night, it didn't taste great in either glass. The nose was very awkward, both hot and acidic, with some black cherries, blueberries, and cloves. The palate wasn't that much better, with a similar flavor profile, but had nice mouthfeel with soft, chewy, tannins and the fruits had a jammy, extracted, sense to them.

On the 2nd night, the remaining half-bottle was much better integrated and more balanced. As with any PS, I highly recommend a few hours of decanting, as the overnight helped the wine come together and increase the tannins, and I can only surmise that a few more years in the bottle or a while in a decanter would help even more.

WineBlogging Wednesday Wrapup

2007-12-14T11:20:00.001-05:00

While I am not going to rePubliSh/copy/steal the exhaustive wrap-up that Sonadora, this month's hostess, did, I am going to point out some of the things that I learned:

Petite Sirah is also grown in Mexico (Baja California) and Chile (Maipo Valley)
There is an Israeli PS, the Barkan, that I haven't tried (though there's a store in Georgetown that carries a later vintage for somewhere around $10-15).
Vinquire samples 10 different Cali PS wines, but has the temerity to suggest that the wine "clearly doesn't stand on its own as a classic," though they patronizingly sniff that "the varietal has some potential." I can't say I'd heard of any of the PS they tasted, other than the admittedly entry-level Bogle and Concannon, but I have to side with Gary Vaynerchuck, who is much higher on those two (89 on the Concannon, not sub-84 like Vinquire). I think they might have had a different opinion if they'd (I feel like a broken record) decanted or allowed the wines to breathe, or even sit in the fridge for a few days. I am also curious as to what stemware they used.

PS Raffled Off for a Good Cause

2007-12-12T11:19:00.000-05:00

Gary Vaynerchuk, among many other wine and food bloggers, is participating in the 4th annual Menu for Hope, in which various wine-, food-, and cooking-related goods and services are being raffled off. Most of the PrizeS seem amazing, with Gary's "Me + $500 of wine + you + 7 friends, anywhere you want" probably among the most desired.

Just as PS is undervalued and under-appreciated in the market, directing your raffle tickets towards the PS-related PrizeS offered up will also likely offer greater statistical return than the more highly-touted offerings. Of course, I'm quite tempted to not publicize these so as to maximize my own chances of winning PS, but charity combined with my desire to exPoSe as many people as PoSsible to PS are winning out.

Jo Diaz, combining her roles as wine-blogger and communications director for PSILoveYou, has made available a mixed case of PS from 12 PSILoveYou members as their donation to Menu for Hope, with a value of at least $250 (and probably closer to $300 when you realize that shipping is on them!) -- prize code WB07. This case includes the following wines:

2000 Concannon Vineyard Heritage, Livermore Valley
2003 EOS Estate Winery, Paso Robles
2004 Foppiano Vineyards, Russian River Valley Estate
2003 Grizzly Flat, Lodi
2002 Marr Cellars, Tehama Foothills, California
2004 Mettler Family Vineyards, Lodi
2005 Mounts Family Winery, Dry Creek Valley
2004 Parducci “True Grit,” Mendocino (reviewed by themostrighteous, below)
2003 Pedroncelli, Dry Creek Valley Family Vineyards
2004 Silkwood, Modesto
2002 Trentadue Winery, Alexander Valley
2005 Twisted Oak, Calaveras County

In addition, Simply Recipes is offering a half-case of the highly-touted Quixote 2004 Petite Sirah, valued at $210 (again not including shipping). (reviewed by Gary Vaynerchuk in Episode 161, link in the right-hand column), under prize code WB08. More details about this delicious wine, including information about the winery and links to some tasting notes/reviews are available at the Simply Recipes post announcing the prize.

Wow, is it Wine-Blogging Wednesday Already?

2007-12-12T00:04:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody, it's Wine-Blogging Wednesday! I'm your [primary] host, Loweeel! Welcome to the Blog about all things even tangentially related to Petite Sirah, the greatest grape on earth, which just so happens to make the biggest, most age-worthy, most delicious wines ever.

In addition to all my PreviouS blog PostS here on the PSychos' Path, I have some special reviews for you folks.

First up is the 2004 Concannon PS Limited Release (California, Central Coast; tasted 12/10/07), which, despite its somewhat confusing name, is actually Concannon's most widely-produced and widely-available PS from the '04 vintage, and was favorably reviewed by Gary Vaynerchuk in Episode 161. I actually consumed this somewhat spur-of-the-moment, because a friend (who I have been trying to get into wine) was over and interested in drinking a little bit of something other than beer. As usual, this wine had its characteristic nose and palate of red fruits. However, unlike my usual practice, I neither (intially) decanted it (as PS usually requires) nor served it at actual room temperature, instead serving it at ~56 Fahrenheit. Both were mistakes.

This wine, while potentially delicious and food-friendly (especially at $11@ WL) and a great entry-level PS, needs a little bit of massaging to reach its full potential. Serve it at no less than 58-60 degrees, and definitely decant it first. (I consumed out of Waterford Mondavi Syrah stemware.) This wine needs to breathe the oxygen in the air to let its acidity settle down, its tannins integrate back in, and its fruit to take its rightful but not forward place. Otherwise, it's consistent with my PreviouS notes -- well-balanced tannins, great red fruits (cassis, cranberry, black cherry, black raspberry), and a steal at $11. I wouldn't necessarily drink it on its own, but it's not SO overpowering that it requires food (especially not grilled meat), unlike, say...

The Lorca 1999 Petite Sirah Napa Valley ($23 @ WL, no longer available there; tasted 12/11/07) is the oldest vintage PS that I can find on the shelves without too much difficulty. As befits an older PS, its fruit is more hidden and it is much more cranky. This was the wine that changed the most, and not in the same way over the night. For tasting this, I was joined by my friend Aileen, a fellow wine.wooter; we had both this and the next wine both with grilled steak and with clean PalateS. and at first sat open for about 90 minutes before first consumption.

Initially, this wine smelled of cassis, going to cherry, which matched its dark ruby red color. It felt somewhat round in the mouth, with a not-unpleasant sour kick on the long finish. We discovered that the long finish was in large part due to our consumption of steak and theorized that the taste ParticleS were binding to the meat residue on our palates; after drinking water, the wine neither had such a long finish nor was particularly PleaSant at first, with the pepper notes predominating. The non-fruit tasting elements also consisted of black pepper and hints of leather. While not particularly soft nor fruit-forward, the fruits were sharp across the center of the mouth. After sitting while we sampled wine #2 of this evening, the return to this wine was initially smelled almost like a shot of pomegranate vodka. After some serious swirling, it settled down and was PerhapS better integrated than at any prior point over the evening. Once again, this shows that you're much more likely to go wrong with not decanting a PS than you are with decanting it, and that PS often stands for "PreferS Steaks".

The 2nd and final PS we had this evening was the Michael-David 2004 Earthquake PS (California, Lodi; sampled 12/11/07), which was reviewed by Gary Vaynerchuk in the Petite Sirah Taste-Off Episode 284 and labeled as a "pazzzz". I think that Gary's unfavorable review was in part due to his practice of merely opening the bottles for an hour or so prior to tasting rather than decanting as the massive PS demands throughout its lifecycle.

This wine had some of the coolest labeling I've seen. Initially, it looked like blueberry juice when sampled out of my Schott Zweisel Diva Bordeaux stems, which was pretty amazing in and of itself. The nose was a creamy mix of blueberries, blackberries, and light PlumS with hints of ultra-soft leather. Unlike the Lorca, this is not a wine that requires food. It tasted very extracted, blueberry/blackberry syrup, almost jammy, but very round... approaching blueberry liqueur. The tannins were not particularly pronounced, but they started to appear at the end. Like the Lorca, we did not decant this, though it "breathed" in-bottle for about 2 hours prior to consumption.

This one was definitely the favorite of the night. Aileen, a big merlot fan, liked its fruit, while I liked the structure on top of the fruit. This one might be a bit too fruity for the biggest, gamiest, grilled meats, but wow, was it delicious. It was not particularly complex or multi-layered, with not much besides the dark fruits, cream, and soft tannis, but the purity-bordering-on-fakeness of the fruit was just quite tasty. We kept going back for more, and despite not starting this until later, we finished it quickly while about half of the Lorca remained. It would be exceptionally delicious with dessert as well, especially dark chocolate. This wine, despite being merely the '04 vintange and only being on its side since August, also had some SERIOUS sediment. Take a look for yourself:

Also, compare the color of the Earthquake (the darker, left) with that of the Lorca (lighter, right). You can really see the difference, which mirrors their flavor profiles:
Again, thanks for stopping by, and feel free to email me if any of you would like to participate with this blog in the future. I'm too lazy to do it all by myself (yes, it's true!) so I would love to have as many people involved as are PSycho about Petite Sirah! And, as the single best wine-blogging wednesday in the entire history of tha intarwebz comes to a close, I will leave you with my new favorite poem/bit of doggerel.

Powerful Titan, arms reaching for sky,
Earthbound devourer, open your eyes!

Throw off your blankets, the day has begun,
Indulge yourself in warm Lodi sun.

Take what is given, the world is your own,
enjoy your dominion, you sit on the throne.

Stand and be noticed, grape without peer,
Instruct in the others what they should fear.

Raise up your standard, proclaim your rights,
Answer to no one, conquer with might.

Hail the victor, the king without flaw,
Salute your new master...Petite Sirah

- The rear label of the '04 Earthquake

Psycho Blend: 2004 Parducci PS True Grit

2007-12-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

First things first: My sincere thanks to The PSychos' Path Master Loweeel, both for inviting me to blog away (which he may yet regret) & for introducing me to Petite Sirah in the first place.

Early in my adventures into the wonderful world of all things PS, I came across (courtesy of Loweeel) what I believe to be a fairly unique PS-centric blend, the 2004 Parducci Petite Sirah True Grit. Unique because I have yet to find a blend of PS (89%), Syrah (8%) & Viognier (3%) elsewhere. I have been dying to find out what that was like. I secured a couple of bottles a month or so ago, waiting patiently for the right occasion to sample this wine, and so, after four hours or so of decanting earlier today, here we are…

If I could see through it, I just know that the True Grit would be clear as day (and I hope that makes sense to someone other than me), but it is the deepest velvet purple, bordering on black, incredibly dark & highly extracted, with thin but prominent candle wax drip legs that its relatively high (14.5%) alcohol content demands.

The nose is surprisingly moderated, but not muted, dominated by blackberry & black cherry, with a hint of black pepper & dark chocolate (or is it burnt caramel?), a totally unexpected element of leather & moss, and (of course) elusive & uber-faint floral accents deep in the background (amazing what a dollop of Viognier can do).

The mouth exhibits moderate acidity; tannins that make their presence felt; a nano-drop of sweetness that is a nano-drop too much for me; a medium body that is a bit leaner than I expect in PS (but, then again, I remind myself that this isn’t 100% PS); and a flavor profile to largely match that of its aromas, with the exception that the earthen qualities of the nose have been replaced with a permeating but mild trace of quinine or (if this makes more sense to others) tonic water. This actually works for me in this wine, and I love it, but I would strongly caution that this is not for the faint of heart.

The finish goes on for a glorious 20+ seconds. Hmmm...

The True Grit is a relatively well balanced wine of moderate complexity & very good to excellent quality that packs a flavor punch that comes somewhat from left field. It is very approachable now but would likely benefit from a couple of years of cellaring, although I would guess that this a 10-year wine & not your typical 15- to 25-year PS. Check in with me when I open my remaining bottle after 2010.

I really liked. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But only to those who have tread the PSycho Path for some time.

Inky and Incredible!

2007-12-07T19:52:00.000-05:00

If any of my readers are located anywhere near San Francisco, you should save the date of Friday, February 9th, 2008 from 6-9pm local time. That day is when we are all encouraged to shell out $50 and go PSycho about Petite Sirah.

That is, at Dark & Delicious, the consumer Petite Sirah event, featuring 35 different wineries pouring their delicious, mouth-drying, teeth-staining, liquid perfection at the
Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. This quasi-religious enological experience will also feature 20 different food vendors, and will offer enough different types of meat and dessert to balance out any Petite Sirah.

You can only purchase tickets at PSILoveYou. Don't delay your purchase, because last year's event sold out and this year's is expected to sell out as well.

If I were even in the Midwest, I would be there. Unfortunately, between the time off from work and the cost of plane fare and accommodations, I am not able to go this year. I am, however, blocking off the date so I can be there in '09.

For those who are able to attend, I would love to hear all about it, in the comments, via email, or even in a post on here if you'd prefer.

First Restaurant Wine Review

2007-11-29T22:50:00.001-05:00

Tonight, I went out for dinner with my co-worker to Ray's The Steaks, perhaPS the best steak place in the DC-area. Yes, the decor may not be much, but they have a decent and reasonably-priced wine list, have gigantic, thick steaks that are butchered on-PremiseS each day, and the chef actually refuses to overcook them. Also, the service is usually quite prompt, and the free home-cooked bread and spicy PeanutS (as apPetizerS), free creamed spinach and mashed PotatoeS (as sides, unlike most other steak places), and home-made after-meal hot chocolate (during the winter months), don't hurt either. They also have a killer (as in "I haven't bathed for days!") sherried crab bisque, PoSsibly the single best soup I've ever consumed, but I decided not to PuSh my arteries too hard tonight.

Anybody want to hazard a guess what we drank with dinner? I know, it's a really tough question. I actually hadn't consumed any PS since the Crane Lake I sampled about 2 weeks ago, and like any junkie, I needed my fix. Well, it was a pretty easy choice, as there was only one PS on the menu: the Trinitas 2004 Old Vines Petite Sirah from Lodi, in California's Central Valley ($22 @ winery; $31 @ Ray's -- so a smaller-than-average markup).

Restaurants often have a problem with stemware, and PS is PerhapS the American wine most in need of decanting, whether young or old, so one should always be a bit wary of ordering PS at a restaurant not known for specializing in wine, because the lack of air time quite literally cramPS its style. Our table had the "standard restaurant wine glasses", decent but not huge bowl, nice shape, but cheap, easily replaceable rolled-rim glasses. When first opened, this had a decent nose from the standard glasses, but definitely was a bit too acidic. I noticed that the credenza towards the back of the restaurant had nicer wine glasses (some sort of nice Bordeaux-shaped glasses, I believe) with cut rims, and our waitress immediately and very PleaSantly brought me a different stem upon my request after my first glass of wine, which provided much more nose and a bit more complexity on the palate. My co-worker also noticed, a bit too late for our purPoSes, that they had decanters towards the front of the restaurant as well. So, hindsight being "50/50" as one of my wine.woot friends says, I would have asked the waitress to decant it and then pour from the decanter into the nice glasses, because this wine definitely needed some air to breathe.

Anyway, this was a pretty nice bottle for $31. especially along with our respective 20 oz medium-rare boneless NY Strip with sauteed garlic and grilled red onions (me, $33) and 28 oz medium double-thick "cowboy cut" bone-in Rib-Eye with horseradish sauce (my co-worker, $32). Both of us had about as much meat left over as we managed to eat!

On the nose, the wine smelled heavily of black pepper and PlumS, with some soft leathery hints as well. The black pepper also carried over to the palate, but the PlumS faded to the background in favor of ripe blackberries. There were also some soft earthy notes (almost loamy) and hints of smoke to join the faint leather on the delightfully tannic finish. The tannins, while very nice, were not immediately apparent without some glass-swirling and mouth-swishing. Towards the end of the bottle, the tannins became better integrated, which is why I so strongly suggest decanting this. This wine had a fantastic color too -- almost the way red ink looks when inside a ink cartridge of a pen, with a dark ruby on the edges of the glass. Granted, the restaurant didn't have the best lighting, but this stuff was optically dense. It had a nice mouth feel, and was fairly jammy for a PS; my co-worker described it as sweet because the fruit was much more obvious, even along with the pepper, than the Syrahs and Pinots that he's used to.

All-in-all, not a bad night: a great meal, a new PS for me at a very restaurant-reasonable price. This isn't something I'd necessarily seek out, but it certainly PuncheS at its own weight in PS circles. I think it's something worth picking up if you see it and haven't tried it, just to broaden your PSalate and see what the nasty-looking but delicious-tasting old vine PS can be.

It's Not Just Red (Or Inky Purple-Black)

2007-11-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

Although PS is most famous as the inky, mouth-staining, tannic red wine with which we are familiar, it also exists as a Rosé, thanks to the creativity of a few PS-obsessed, winemakers who are willing to experiment a little bit. Specifically, Turley, Bogle, and Bella Vista Winery/Cilurzo (see picture, left) all make a Rosé out of PS, though apparently not necessarily each vintage. Bentley Cellars apparently makes one as well, but I have been unable to find any real information on it. (I may be missing some others, so if you know of one or more, or even better, produce it, please let me know and I'll add to this list.)

HapPy ThankSgiving!

2007-11-23T22:09:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving is not just about Pinot Noir, nor Cru Beaujolais (no matter how fond of it I am, especially on QPR grounds). In fact, lots of people had some delicious PS during their Thanksgiving rePaSts. CellarTracker has been tracking what wines people have consumed over the Thanksgiving holiday, and see what PS your fellow PSychos have enjoyed!

Wine-Blogging Wednesday Features The Best Grape

2007-11-21T02:18:00.001-05:00

The Next Wine-Blogging Wednesday (WBW) will feature PS, the greatest grape in existence. I have several wines that I am considering for this (but not the Turley Hayne '04 that I'm picking up tomorrow in NJ for less than $100). Sonadora (who apparently lives close to me) has all the details and her husband will be a very lucky guy that night thanks to her PowerS of PerSuasion working at WBW central!

PS reviews are due to her -- either at your blog or, if you're not a blogger, to ctsonadora@gmail.com , by Wednesday, December 12.

And how about some comments, folks? All ... uh, 1 of you who read this blog? I want to hear your PerceptionS on PS.

Scraping the Bottom of the PS Barrel

2007-11-17T17:37:00.001-05:00

Tonight, in part out of curiosity and in part to prove that I am willing to sample just about any PS for the purPoSes of this blog, I popped open the Crane Lake 2004 Petite Sirah, from the rather PermiSsive California AVA. There isn't much info on the back of the label either.

From what I've seen online, Crane Lake is basically the sister label to Charles Shaw (aka "2 Buck Chuck"). Bronco Wines, which makes 2$C, makes it exclusively for Trader Joe's. Crane Lake is their label for independent wine stores, and is a bit more exPanSive in choice of graPeS and exPerimentS more than the 2$C ... hence the PS on this label and not 2$C.

Now, I've heard that 2$C isn't all it's cracked up to be, other than the Shiraz and Chardonnay (a mixture of oak chiPS, butter, vodka, and water, I have no idea how people drink the swill from that horribly overrated grape... but I digress). But at $4, this was a pretty damn good bottle of wine, insane QPR. That's not to say this was a good PS, because it wasn't. But for $4... wow.

This was like the light beer of PS -- the fruit (on both nose and palate) wasn't really there, and was very soft, light, cranberries, sour cherries, and blueberries, no PlumS or blackberries. The tannins were very soft, if they were there at all. The color was a decent, albeit translucent, dark garnet red, not an inky purPliSh-tinged black. The most disappointing part, aside from the tannins, was that the finish was almost non-existent. After about 3 hours in the glass, the finish became somewhat unPleaSantly sour and started to fall apart, an increase from the good acidity that the wine had in the mouth early on. It was somewhat integrated, yet awkward, because of the acidity, but other than being a bit out of balance, it was varietally correct, even if very light for the varietal.

I've had much more exPenSive PS -- the '04 and '05 Guenoc; the Wilson Vineyard and PETS from Vinum Cellars -- that were much more muted and much less PleaSant to drink than this. This won't knock your socks off, and isn't even something I'd recommend. But it's damn good QPR, and you can spend a lot more and get worse PS. It's worth giving it a try -- especially with food, because of its nice acidity. Maybe an 82-83. Not bad at all, but not great either.

First, Do No Harm (Part 1 in a Series)

2007-11-15T00:16:00.000-05:00

As you can probably tell from this whole blog, I think that Petite Sirah is usually a pretty damn good wine to drink. It has the tannins and the fruit to go well with food, and it ages inordinately better than one would expect. In fact, it's hard to go wrong with Petite Sirah, but there are certainly wines to avoid.

I'm going to start off by describing some of those wines, so you can learn from my mistakes and avoid these like you would avoid Chardonnay.

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I've long had a fascination with Israel, so when I saw a bottle of the Gedeon 2004 Petite Sirah (Kosher) at WineLibrary last spring, I had to buy it. The only things better than Petite Sirah and Israel, or I thought, would be something that combines Petite Sirah and Israel. There is certainly some mindblowingly amazing Petite Sirah made in Israel, but the Gedeon was not it. It wasn't even plonk. It was just not really anything remotely close to wine. On the first day, it tasted like sour, bitter (yet not tannic!) prune juice. It was not just unstructured, but seemed to have an anti-structure. On the second day, it "improved" to sour plum juice, and got about a sPlinter'S worth of additional structure.

Maybe part of the problem is that Gedeon is made by Hevron Heights winery, which is one of the largest Kosher wineries in Israel. Hevron Heights also makes many of their wines mevushal, and while one would think if any grape could handle the flash-PaSteurization, it's the sturdy Petite Sirah, this was not the case. However, there might be another explanation: although the genius Dr. Carole Meredith determined that most of the PS in California is "Durif" (as opposed to "Grosse Syrah", PelourSin, Carignane, or Zin), this quite obviously does not apply halfway around the world, in a place with a much different viticultural history. The "PS" used by Hevron Heights might in fact be something else, though it could also be a misbegotten clone or a bizarre cross left over from Israel's pre-genetic ID "jug wine days", wretched terroir, or cranio-rectally ignorant management of this truly noble (though PerhapS Bar Sinister) grape.

Regardless of the problem, if you see this label, head for the hills, and bring plenty of the good stuff with you to ride out the storm!

The PSychos' Path

29 PresentS

Israeli PS Update

ProdigiouS

PreSents

PreServation

2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Port

PSoCal

OoPS!

Visit to Vincent Arroyo 3/3/09

A Thousand PardonS

Links

PSymPoSium RounduPS

sPeechleSs

Westside!

Adobe Clayhouses: Not Just for HoPiS

ReCrush

Remote Tasting

Crushing It!

"PaSsionate" requires PS

HePtetS

PSnooth

More RounduPS

Perfectly Satisfying

ExPloSive growth in the Pacific northweSt

PSymPoSium

48 hours with Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah 2002

Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Barrel Sample Tasting Notes

TraiPSing

10^3 words

V-I-PS

WBW #56 -- Fine Kosher Wine

Wine Library PimpS PS

Around the Web

Wineblogging Wednesday does PaSsover!

A PocalypS Now? (aka "A Diamond in the Rough?")

More On PS Not PaSsing Its Prime

Patrick'S

Are You PSycho about PS?

RounduPS

"Mr. Brecher, (and Ms. Gaiter), Open That Bottle!"

The PaSt is Prelude

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love you Tomorrow, You're Only a Day Away...

2 Days Left...

3 Days Left...

4 Days Left...

5 Days Left...

6 Days Left...

Beginning... The Final Countdown!

You're Only A Day Away...

Time CaPSule II

Time CaPSule I

Israel KeePS ImPreSsing!

Carpe Diaz

On Tap

An Early Birthday Present

Dr. Debs on Entry-Level PS

PaSt and PreSent PreSents

Never, Never, Never Give In!

APair-i-tifS

Pardon the Dust

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

Israel is looking for a signature red. PS can answer the call!

ONE WEEK LEFT

**BREAKING NEWS** PSychos and Pet-Heads ZAP the Zinfidels

Titus Maximus

SamPleS from Twisted Oak

DARK AND DELICIOUS '09

WSJ on PS

Ursa Minor

Spivak on Israeli Wines

Join the Dark Side

URSA MAJOR

SamPleS on the Way!

GaryV Tastes Value PS

THE NEXT BIG GRAPE

The Rest of Gabe's Tastings

Quick Update

WineDavid Has Blessed Us

Rogov Gets Vertical with Vitkin PS

BREAKING NEWS PSychos and Pet-Heads ZAP the Zinfidels