2020 Petite Sirah

VARIETAL/VINEYARD: Our first Petite Sirah since 2007 comes from a 3/4-acre block located next to the Benchland Syrah grafted in 2011. This site is much better than where we were growing Petite Sirah on the winery parcel.

VINTAGE: Like everything else that year, 2020 was a crazy growing season. A fairly normal-to-warm growing season was interrupted by a mid-August lightning storm. This resulted in many wildfires, including the Walbridge Fire, about 3 miles from Dry Creek Valley. We also experienced an extreme mid-September heat wave, which combined with smoky skies had us thinking this was the end of the world. Remarkably, our 2020 Petite Sirah came through with flying colors—and never tested for smoke taint, pre or post fermentation.

WINEMAKING: We gently de-stemmed and transferred the grapes via peristaltic pump to concrete tanks where we allowed the must to cold soak before native yeast
commenced fermentation. We drained and pressed off the skins after 20 total days in tank and then transferred into French Oak barrels for 16 months of aging, 25% new. Native malo-lactic fermentation takes place in barrels, and the wine was bottled un-fined and unfiltered.

STYLE/DESCRIPTION: As expected, our Petite Sirah is very dark and robust, yet it has incredible black and boysenberry fruit. It is much more polished than your average wine from this grape, and remarkably drinkable for how young it is. The tannins should allow this wine to age easily for 10 years.