The 2008 V. Sattui North Coast Petite Sirah was produced using fruit sourced in Lake County (65%), Napa Valley (30%) and Dry Creek Valley (5%). In addition to Petite Sirah (95%), this wine has some Zinfandel (5%) blended in. This wine is available directly from the winery for $30.
The first noteworthy thing about this wine is its color. Like most great Petite Sirah it leads with a deep, dark, purple hue. It’s fair to say it’s as dark as night. From there comes the nose which is deep and brooding, loaded with aromas of plum and blueberry. This Wine has a big, burly palate which features intensely layered black fruit flavors which intermingle with copious spice characteristics. Blackberry, plum, and blueberry are the dominant fruits; plum pudding spices are prominent as well. Earth and dark chocolate notes are present on the finish which has good length and oodles of complexity. This wine features solid acidity and firm, gripping tannins.
Petite Sirah is a grape whose offerings I look to taste as often as possible. Sometimes I run across a surprising example of the varietal that exceeds expectations. This 2008 release from V. Sattui is such a release. The intense layers of complexity and good length along with its overall balance make this a wine that provides more quality than its price point suggests. If you like classically styled Petite Sirah, this is an offering you’ll want to sample. This wine is delicious now, but some additional bottle age will help it round out a bit. If you have patience lay this down for about 5 years and you’ll be dutifully rewarded with an even more resolved wine. If you’re drinking it now I recommend decanting it for about 2 hours.