This wine is the debut vintage of this varietal introduced to the reserve line from Francis Ford Coppola and I have to say the Bevill-Wolcott Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley grew some pretty awesome fruit for winemaker Corey Beck. The depth of flavor and complexity in this wine makes it hard to believe that this vineyard was replanted in 2004. With 22 months in wood the final product does not taste like it was made from vines with only four years of maturity. I am a bit of a Petite Sirah snob because it is one of my favorite grapes due to its paring ability to match it up with some of the boldest culinary flavors going including smoked pork. Yeah, I’m talking real honest to goodness BBQ either Memphis dry rub ribs, North Carolina pulled pork or 18 hour smoked Texas beef brisket. This wine can hold its own with all three of the mouthwatering dishes I just mentioned and still cleanse your palate like it was nothing.

Very few wines can stand up to that task other than this varietal—there are only a few other grapes than can even come close. Other than Petite Sirah these grapes will do best at pairing with smoked meats—Zinfandel, Grenache, and a few Syrahs which by the way is a completely different grape from Petite Sirah.

At every wine judging competition I attend I always ask for the Petite Sirah flights and my fellow judges usually harass and cojole me about my unwillingness to assign awards unless it is a flawless monster of a wine that hits every note of this varietals flavor profile. This wine fits that description to a tee. The immense saturation of color was the first indicator this wine was produced using very low-yield concentrated fruit. The huge aromas that waft out of the glass after a ten minute breathing break and a generous swirl of the glass emanated overripe blackberries, sandalwood and jasmine incense and mocha.

As you sip this wine the luscious concentrated flavors cascade like a smooth waterfall of red fruit and dark chocolate flowing across the palate. As this wine opened up the pleasure of drinking it increased sort of like how ones fondness grows for a sultry partner you know you should not introduce to your parents.

The texturally balanced finish shows enough tannin to exhibit age worthiness of at least a couple of decades. This wine is a treasure worth seeking out. To receive this wine you must become a Wine Family Member at Francis Ford Coppola’s because this is a wine family exclusive, which makes it a pretty good reason to become a member.

Rating: Excellent (91) | $32 | 13.5% ABV

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