This wine is produced from 86-year old vines coming from Allias Vineyard in the Rutherford sub-AVA of Napa Valley and everything about it is wonderful. It is the essence of wine that I taste in my dreams. Yes, I dream about wine and usually it is red. The magnitude of the avalanche of fruit aromas and flavors that this wine possesses is hard to accurately depict in anything less than a short story length piece. It’s like there was a pie fight at the end of a County fair judging and all the blue ribbon blueberry pies wound up on my face. Explosive berry aromas and flavors with balanced tannins and acidity that will cut right through the smoky, cheesy, earthy flavors of the previously mentioned menu. Congratulations to Brooks Painter and his winemaking team for a job well done.
For my money, Napa Valley produces some of the best Petite Sirah fruit the world has to offer. Lodi and Mendocino are also great. Too bad most plant Cabernet Sauvignon. But when is the last time you bought a Petite Sirah over $100? Trying to get more people to grow Petite Sirah has not been easy. Hell I can’t even get the people who produce it now to receive free promotion by sending samples for us to review (Hint Hint PS I Love You Members). 150 case production.
Rating: Excellent (93) | $35 | 14.8% ABV
Buy this direct from V. Sattui winery.
Wine connoisseurs say that Petite Sirah is one of the distinctive red wines of America. It has been a favorite of wine drinkers from many years among those who like a big and bold wine.
My dream is that Petite Sirah becomes the new favorite go to red in America :)
What an awesome find! Sometimes the best wineries are those little out of the way places nobody knows about. This place could be just that. The 2005 Cabernet Franc tastes like CANDY and the petite sirah is fantastic! The Petite Sirah vines used in this wine are between 5 and 30 years old but alot more young vines than old vines. The father says that some of the best wines come from the earliest harvests which is in contrast to what everyone says about “old vines.” It just depends what you like. They also make a syrah and a cabernet sauvignon which they’re almost sold out of. Very reasonable prices, but small production, so buy up now. Do it now!
Yes, indeed the least expensive wine wins again! No wonder Kermit Lynch said “Blind tastings are to wine what strip poker is to love”!