12 Days of Petite Sirah continues, with the first of several coming up from the Lodi California appellation. I find this region to be particularly noteworthy for Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Therefore I'm happy to report that several of the two-dozen Petite Sirah's I'm covering will be from this area.
Peltier Station is the first selection from Lodi I'll be looking at. I recently had their Viognier at a tasting and was impressed by it's freshness and varietal character. So when I was planning the 12 Days of Petite Sirah I knew I'd want to include Peltier Station in my coverage.
This Petite Sirah is 100% varietal and all Lodi fruit. Oak alternatives were used over 7 months to replicate 24 month of barrel aging. 5,000 cases were produced and the suggested retail price is $18. This is a wine made with a specific flavor profile in mind, that of big and brawny Petite Sirah.
A huge nose of plum and vanilla are the first things from the Peltier Station Petite Sirah to present themselves. The first sips reveal a bit of tartness, deep jammy plum and dark berry fruit. Atypically for a Petite Sirah this wine opens up quickly when decanted. The mid-palate through the finish feature a ton of white pepper notes as well as continued dark berry fruit and undertones of mocha and earthiness. This wine will match up with the biggest food you can throw at it. Steak, Lamb, and Wild Boar are but a few choices that come to mind.
The 2005 Peltier Station Petite Sirah epitomizes Lodi fruit. It's bright and jammy on top with a solid backbone of dark fruit underneath. This wine is a big, rich, opulent, drink now pleasure giver. The Peltier Station Petite is over the top and I mean that in the best way possible. As the old Howlin' Wolf song is titled this wine was "Built for Comfort." While it's not as age worthy as the other Petite Sirah's I've looked at, so far, that wasn't it's intent. All that in mind it still the structure to drink well for several years. But why wait?
While the retail price is $18 you can find this for under $15 if you look around. At that price it's the perfect choice to bring to a Memorial Day BBQ or other event where you want to wow a large group for a reasonable amount of money.
Check out PS I love You, the Advocacy Group dedicated to this great varietal.
Up Next: 12 Days of Petite Sirah Continues, Stay Tuned.
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