| Petite Sirah Tasting Report |
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For our Petite Sirah staff tasting, we decided
to mix a little business with pleasure. We
started out by blind tasting six different Petite
Sirah wines and then headed upstairs in Ian
and Jenn’s house for some interesting and
entertaining karaoke. At this point it is still
unclear to me which was business and which
was pleasure! I can tell you that Alicia and
Chris put on an unforgettable theatrical
performance of Gloria Gainer’s “I Will
Survive” that I will likely never forget the rest
of my life and I’m quite sure I will never be
the same either!
The wines ranged from WOW to ho-hum. I
think as a whole, however, every one of us
agreed that we really enjoyed the wine style,
Petite Sirah. For many on the panel, it was
their first time drinking a Petite Sirah.
Everyone was also amazed in the amount of
tannins in a few of them and how dark the
wines are.
All of them of course came from California.
There just isn’t that many made in France
anymore and even less that are shipped to the
United States. The big surprise of the evening
was how awesome a $10.00 bottle was
compared to the rest. It really took us by
surprise when we unveiled the wines to find
out some of the ones we thought would take
first place did not fare as well as expected.
Here are our results:
to mix a little business with pleasure. We
started out by blind tasting six different Petite
Sirah wines and then headed upstairs in Ian
and Jenn’s house for some interesting and
entertaining karaoke. At this point it is still
unclear to me which was business and which
was pleasure! I can tell you that Alicia and
Chris put on an unforgettable theatrical
performance of Gloria Gainer’s “I Will
Survive” that I will likely never forget the rest
of my life and I’m quite sure I will never be
the same either!
The wines ranged from WOW to ho-hum. I
think as a whole, however, every one of us
agreed that we really enjoyed the wine style,
Petite Sirah. For many on the panel, it was
their first time drinking a Petite Sirah.
Everyone was also amazed in the amount of
tannins in a few of them and how dark the
wines are.
All of them of course came from California.
There just isn’t that many made in France
anymore and even less that are shipped to the
United States. The big surprise of the evening
was how awesome a $10.00 bottle was
compared to the rest. It really took us by
surprise when we unveiled the wines to find
out some of the ones we thought would take
first place did not fare as well as expected.
Here are our results:
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| Bogle Petite Sirah 2002 – California |
Nose – An absolutely gorgeous nose that
invites you to take a dip into a sea of
cedar, briar bush and blackberry aromas.
Taste – Very lush, romantic with a rich
mouth feel. Complex flavors of cedar,
spice, blackberries and cassis wrap into a
long drawn out finish. Studly!
Color me impressed! The youngest wine
of the tasting and the most pleasurable by
far. We all agreed that although this
would make an excellent food wine it was
more of a joy to drink it all on its own!
invites you to take a dip into a sea of
cedar, briar bush and blackberry aromas.
Taste – Very lush, romantic with a rich
mouth feel. Complex flavors of cedar,
spice, blackberries and cassis wrap into a
long drawn out finish. Studly!
Color me impressed! The youngest wine
of the tasting and the most pleasurable by
far. We all agreed that although this
would make an excellent food wine it was
more of a joy to drink it all on its own!
| Price $10.00 |
| Score A- |
| Guenoc Petite Sirah 2000 – North Coast, California |
Nose – A touch of menthol or eucalyptus
followed up with hints of briar patch and
red fruit flavors.
Taste – Initially sweet, but turns dry on
the finish. More raspberry than dark
fruit and a pleasing disposition.
I think this appealed to the panel because
it was simple and pleasant. However, it
was certainly not complex in either
bouquet or taste. Well done none-the-
less and one of the better food wines in
our tasting.
followed up with hints of briar patch and
red fruit flavors.
Taste – Initially sweet, but turns dry on
the finish. More raspberry than dark
fruit and a pleasing disposition.
I think this appealed to the panel because
it was simple and pleasant. However, it
was certainly not complex in either
bouquet or taste. Well done none-the-
less and one of the better food wines in
our tasting.
| Price $15.00 & Up! |
| Score B+ |
| Stags Leap Winery Petite Sirah 2001 – Napa Valley, California |
Nose – Very complex aromas of anise,
blackberries, white pepper and cedar.
Taste – Very bold and somewhat over-
the-top with high-powered rocket-charged
tannins that scrape the roof of your
mouth. Plenty of layers with spices and
dark fruits on a medium to full-bodied
frame and a long finish that
unfortunately, turns a little hot from the
alcohol.
This wine had two things going against it.
The Tannins where overwhelming and the
alcohol was very noticeable. The good
news is that those tannins will serve it
well in the future and I have no doubt that
five years from now, this Petite Sirah
would have been the star of the show, but
for now, it’s a tannic monster!
blackberries, white pepper and cedar.
Taste – Very bold and somewhat over-
the-top with high-powered rocket-charged
tannins that scrape the roof of your
mouth. Plenty of layers with spices and
dark fruits on a medium to full-bodied
frame and a long finish that
unfortunately, turns a little hot from the
alcohol.
This wine had two things going against it.
The Tannins where overwhelming and the
alcohol was very noticeable. The good
news is that those tannins will serve it
well in the future and I have no doubt that
five years from now, this Petite Sirah
would have been the star of the show, but
for now, it’s a tannic monster!
| Price $30.00 |
| Score B+ |
| Marr Cellars Cuvee Patrick 2001 – California |
Nose – Big oak fragrances with a strong
showing of tobacco and cigar box.
Taste – Very earthy and rustic. The fruit
in the wine is subdued by the earthy
overtones of leather and tobacco.
This is obviously more of a Rhone style
wine as it showcases the more masculine
side of Syrah-type wines. I think this
wine would be a hit with game meats and
hearty vegetables.
showing of tobacco and cigar box.
Taste – Very earthy and rustic. The fruit
in the wine is subdued by the earthy
overtones of leather and tobacco.
This is obviously more of a Rhone style
wine as it showcases the more masculine
side of Syrah-type wines. I think this
wine would be a hit with game meats and
hearty vegetables.
| Around $15.00 |
| Score B |
| Jewel Collection Petite Sirah 2001 – California |
Nose – A touch closed at first, but upon
further review one retrieves aromas of
cinnamon spice.
Taste – Super-charged blackberries and
plenty of them, followed up with a little
licorice on the finish. A bit one-
dimensional.
Hmm, this wine was out of place with the
rest in the tasting. It seemed to taste
more like something else rather than a
Petite Sirah.
further review one retrieves aromas of
cinnamon spice.
Taste – Super-charged blackberries and
plenty of them, followed up with a little
licorice on the finish. A bit one-
dimensional.
Hmm, this wine was out of place with the
rest in the tasting. It seemed to taste
more like something else rather than a
Petite Sirah.
| Price $10.00 |
| Score B- |
| Parducci Petite Sirah 2000 – California |
Nose – Earthy nuances of mushrooms,
leather and dried fruit.
Taste – A touch sweet with a medium
body. Dried prunes dominated the flavor
profile that turned out to be rather simple.
What a disappointment! I had high hopes
for this wine because of Parducci’s
reputation. It under delivered big time
and failed to stack up against the
competition.
leather and dried fruit.
Taste – A touch sweet with a medium
body. Dried prunes dominated the flavor
profile that turned out to be rather simple.
What a disappointment! I had high hopes
for this wine because of Parducci’s
reputation. It under delivered big time
and failed to stack up against the
competition.
| Around $8.00 |
| Score B- |