VIOLET GREEN Petite Sirah 2016
This wine garners the 3 Bs: big, bold and balanced. 100% Petite Sirah from the mountains of northwestern Napa Valley. I taste dark, very ripe blackberries and blueberries that stop short of cooked or jammy fruit sensations. Also smell & taste espresso, chocolate shavings, cracked black pepper and black licorice. Classic and classy California Petite […]
OAKVILLE RANCH Field Blend 2016
83% Zinfandel, 17% Petite Sirah from Oakville Ranch Vineyard which looks down on The Valley on the east side…best view of the Napa Valley you’ll ever get. This wine is huge. Pours out black-ruby with some purple in there. Black licorice, nutmeg and cinnamon hit the nose along with the blackberry pie and black cherry […]
CLIF FAMILY Petite Sirah 2016
From “Nichelini Vineyard” in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. Textbook, so satisfying Petite showing blueberry sauce, smoked meat, black licorice and cocoa smells and flavors. Bursting with fruit and fine tannins. Very rich and strong, just like we want out Petite Sirahs to be. 100% Petite Sirah, aged in 30% new French oak barrels […]
STRALA Proprietor’s Blend, Napa Valley 2015
This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Malbec comes from a handful of Napa vineyards. A “Modern Red Blend” style for sure, this is low-acid, jammy, super-ripe and big-flavored. Toasty, seductive oak, black cherry liqueur and cocoa starts in the aroma and continues on in the flavor. Rich, spicy and chewy on […]
RED THREAD Red Wine Blend, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley 2015
This big, rich “Mountain Red” is 40% Zinfandel, 35% Petite Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. A sweet nose of black cherry compote, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla bean hits the tongue with firm tannins and lots of sweet, fruity extract. White pepper, lime zest, caramel and buttered wheat toast complement the rich, ripe fruit, which is […]
BEHRENS “The Road Les Traveled 5”
A real waker-upper, the 5th incarnation of “The Road Les Traveled” is 74% Petite Sirah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc. Made from 2013 and 2014 vintages. Prepare yourself for a small explosion of cocoa-covered blueberries plus black licorice and black pepper in the mouth. Subtle it is not. Less tannic (drying) […]
MERISI Petite Sirah 2014
The world needs more delicious Petite Sirahs. Had this on a sunny Saturday afternoon in January around the firepit…appropriate place for the wine. Boysenberry, black pepper, blueberry, cinnamon. 50% new French oak and skilled winemaking take away the wine’s hard edges while keeping the concentration. Inky wine. Inky-dinky production. A Mom & Pop winery if […]
CERRO Petit Verdot Napa Valley 2014
Single vineyard, Rutherford, 100% Petit Verdot. For power, concentration and tannins, think Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Get cocoa-covered dark red & black cherries, smushed up blackberries, roast tarragon & thyme and a pleasant, unexpected mineral earthiness at the end of the flavor and the finish. Petit Verdot is most often seen as a 5-10% addition to […]
TEETER TOTTER Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015
Teeter Totter Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the Napa Valley’s newer “Value Luxury” Cabs. Benoit Touquette, owner/winemaker, sources grapes from multiple undisclosed Napa vineyards to assemble this rich, powerful, drink-me-tonight Cab. Blackberry jam, spicy chocolate, toasty barrel, black fig paste and cedar smoke smells and flavors reveal themselves easily. Drink this opulent, full-throttle red anytime. […]
