Fittingly Conncannon Vineyards is the last stop for the 12 Days of Petite Sirah. Back in 1964 they were the first winery to varietally label Petite Sirah. Their history in the California Wine Industry goes back many years before that. Of all the varietals they produce, Petite Sirah remains their calling card.

The 2005 Concannon Vineyards Limited Release Petite Sirah is 95% varietal. Merlot (2.5%), Petit Verdot (1%) and mixed reds make up the balance. This wine spent 12 months in French and American oak barrels. 75,000 cases of this wine were produced and it’s suggested retail price is $16.

The Concannon Petite Sirah opens with vanilla, berry and cedar notes in the nose. It’s a bit tight out of the bottle and decanting is strongly recommended. Once it opens up the Concannon Petite shows itself to be a rich, structured and complex wine for the money. Dark berry shows up throughout the palate along with persistent spice notes. The finish has lots more spice with a touch of earth, mocha and some espresso notes. The oak on this wine is prominent but not overwhelming. Enjoy this wine with grilled meats or dishes featuring mushrooms.

The Concannon Limited release Petite Sirah is impressive within it’s price point, Considering how much of this wine is made year after year they do a nice job providing lots of true varietal character. This is perhaps the most commonly available Petite Sirah. It acts as an excellent introduction to the grape for those unfamiliar with Petite Sirah. Tasted side by side with the Bogle Petite I looked at a few days ago it offers a nice contrast in styles from that one in a similar price range. while the retail price for this wine is $16 it can generally be found for closer to $11.

Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.

And Thus Concludes The 12 Days of Petite Sirah

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At the 12 Days of Petite Sirah comes close to ending I’ve fixed my gaze at Mendocino County. This time the producer is Fife Vineyards. Founder Dennis has a long and storied history in the California wine industry. A history that dates back to be President of legendary Inglenook Napa Valley. After several other impressive stops along the way he founded his own winery in 1991. Petite Sirah is a varietal he’s worked with since 1972

The Fife Vineyards 2002 Redhead Vineyards Petie Syrah is 95% varietal with 5% Carignane blended in.  Production is fairly small at 533 cases. The suggested retail price is $24.

The Fife Petite Syrah opens with blackberries and cherry liqueur in the nose. Out of the bottle this wine is a bit tight and decanting is highly encouraged. Once this wines unwinds and begins to express itself it shows black pepper and vanilla at first followed by an absolutely tremendous expression of cherry that cuts through the mid-palate and lingers until the finish. More pepper, both black an white highlight the finish along with lingering dried fruit notes and a closing chicory note. This wine is rich,  well balanced and built to accompany food. This wine is dry and sonewhat austere, making it a good bet for a wide array of foods.

The Fife Vineyards 2002 Redhead Vineyards Petite Syrah is a rich offering with an elegant and austere dryness to it. With a solid 45 minutes in the decanter this wine is drinking quite well right now.

Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.

Next: 12 Days of Petite Sirah Concludes, 1 Petite Sirah Left!!!

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Having recently looked at a few releases from Edna Valley Vineyard I decided to include them in the 12 Days of Petite Sirah. Their vineyards are classic, cool climate Central Coast locations. While they are a fairly large winery with numerous wines in wide distribution, Petite Sirah isn’t one of those. They make a small lots of Petite Sirah most years, with the allocation going to their wine club and direct purchases at their tasting room. This wine retails for $20.

Vanilla and dark plum are the most dominant notes in the nose of the Edna Valley Vineyard Petite Sirah. Right from the first sip, rich jammy fruit bursts out of this wine. Nutmeg, vanilla and subtle cedar notes make up the medium length finish. Good acidity is present, keeping this wine in balance. Match it up with big bold foods such as a BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich.

Right now the hallmark of this wine is big bold and jammy fruit, not unlike a Zinfandel in style actually. If you like big, fruity wines that get in your face a little bit then drinking this one young is definitely recommended. If you lay it down for a few years that fruit will settle down a little and earthiness will take hold. Both ways will be enjoyable, it just depends what your preference is. For $20, this is a good value in Petite Sirah.

Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.

12 Days of Petite Sirah Concludes Later Today

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Markham Vineyards in Napa Valley is the next one I’m looking at for the 12 Days of Petite Sirah. Over the years I’ve enjoyed many of their offerings, from their staples such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to budget releases from their second label, Glass Mountain ,to smaller lot productions.

The 2004 Markham Vineyards Petite Sirah falls into that latter category. This wine is 100% varietal and bit more than half of it spent approximately 20 months in French oak of varying age with the remainder in American oak. The suggested retail price for this Petite is $35.

The Markham Vineyards Petite Sirah is tight and a bit tart out of the bottle. This offering definitely requires decanting for a minimum of an hour (two would be better). Once it opens up blackberry, dark chocolate and baker’s spices dominate the palate of this wine. The nose is full of violets and plum. White pepper is the most prominent of a host of spice notes that dominate this wines finish. This is a well-structured wine with firm tannins and good acidity. It’ll match up with a wide array of bold, full flavored foods.

At almost four years old the Markham Vineyards Petite Sirah is still quite young. My suggestion is to lay it down for a year or two if you can. If you want to enjoy it fully now, decanting for several hours is strongly encouraged. The hallmark of Markham Vineyards wines for me across all their offerings and price levels has always been true varietal character. The 2004 Petite Sirah is no exception to that.

Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.

12 Days of Petite Sirah Concludes Later Today

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