Starry Night
2014 Petite Sirah
, Lodi

Exceptional price for quality here. Many say Petites walk the line of being too big, but this one totally nails it with a touch of finesse.

Deep purple in color... Loaded with rich fruit, driven with flavors of ripe plum, black cherry, hints of anise and white pepper.  A brilliant version of this classic grape.  Awesome, straight-up WOW wine from a producer well known for their red wines. Only 400 cases made.

History of Petite Sirah

Petite Sirah is sometimes mistakenly spelled "Petite Syrah," which has historically referred to a small berried clone of the Syrah grape by Rhône growers. In California, immigrant vine growers introduced Syrah in 1878 and used the phrase "Petite Syrah" to refer to the lower yields that the vines then were producing in California. Actual Petite Sirah (Durif) was then introduced in 1884.

The "petite" in the name of this grape refers to the size of its berries and not the vine, which is particularly vigorous. The leaves are large, with a bright green upper surface and paler green lower surface. The grape forms tightly packed clusters that can be susceptible to rotting in rainy environments. The small berries create a high skin to juice ratio, which can produce very tannic wines if the juice goes through an extended maceration period. In the presence of new oak barrels, the wine can develop an aroma of melted chocolate.

Lodi, California

Lodi is one of the highest-quality growing area in the vast inland San Joaquin Valley just east of the Napa Valley. Very few of these wines retail for more than $30 and recent arrivals are getting bolder and challenging the status quo.

Vintage:  2014
Varietal:  100% Petite Sirah from 25 year old vines.
Appellation:  Lodi
Cooperage:  Aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels.
Brix: 24.6º
pH:  3.67
TA:  .664 mg/100ml
Alcohol:  15%

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