VARIETAL & VINEYARD: This wine is 100% Petite Sirah from a 2 acre block located on our Winery property. Planted in 1998, these vines are cordon trained using a vertical trellis to expose the fruit to sunlight. We routinely crop thin in order to improve flavor concentration, and to avoid bunch rot, which can be a problem with this tight clustered varietal.

VINTAGE/HARVEST: While the 2003 vintage was a great one for us across the span of varietals we produce, it was somewhat unique for Petite Sirah. The moderate September weather gave us ripe grapes with higher than normal acid levels. Harvested on October 9th, this Petite Sirah showed some of the cooler, or peppery, side of this varietal. We were also able to avoid overly ripe fruit and harsh tannins to make a Petite Sirah that is, dare I say, balanced.

VINIFICATION: The grapes were cold soaked for five days in a stainless steel tank before fermentation began. We pump-over the wine, twice daily, during fermentation. Our Petite Sirah is aged in 60% French oak barrels and 40% 4-year-old American oak barrels, for 13 months. About 20% of the French oak barrels were new. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

STYLE/DESCRIPTION: Upon pouring this inky black wine you will be tempted to pop a Lynyrd Skynyrd cd in your stereo and brace yourself for a full-throttle tannin bomb. Not so quick. This unique Petite Sirah is full of floral/spicy aromatics while tasting surprisingly light on its feet. Ideally, this wine could use another year or two of bottle age, and then I would drink it with hearty foods; preferably meat.