2019 Petite Sirah
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Sensory
Eye
Magenta core, fuschia rim.Nose
Initial aromas of herbaceous peat, damp bark, mushroom, tobacco, and smoked meat open to notes of dark red rose and early morning garden. Time in the glass reveals toasted brown sugar, whipped butter, subtle eucalyptus, dark cherry, blackberry.Palate
Full body, layered and highly-structured mouthfeel, grippy finish.Cellar life
Drink now through 2031+. -
Technical
- Composition
85% Petite Sirah
15% Zinfandel - Vineyard Source
Brown Estate - Appellation
Napa Valley - Barrel Aging
12 months in 40% new oak, 100% American - Alcohol by vol.
14.5%
- Composition
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Wherefore
The fruit for this wine hails from a small 3-acre block in our Big Field vineyard. An outsider to the cult of noble grapes (as is Zinfandel), Petite Sirah is part underdog, part phoenix. Considered lacking in pedigree it triumphs paradoxically on the strength of its many overlooked virtues. A sort of alter ego to Cabernet Sauvignon, unburdened of noblesse oblige, it is everything its royal counterpart aspires to and more. Holding nothing back, neither reserved nor austere, its exuberance and unadulterated power deliver a wallop of fruit, game, and earth. This is vintage no. 12, and our first vintage of estate Petite Sirah — earlier vintages hailed from a neighboring vineyard in Chiles Valley while our estate fruit went into our Chaos Theory red blend. Quiet as it’s kept, Petite Sirah rivals Zinfandel as David’s favorite varietal.
