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petite sirah
Brrrrrrrrr…
Baby, it is cold outside but wine lovers in Florida see the bright side: Perfect weather for stews, barbecue, chili, leg of lamb… and big reds. At last!
Some folks bring out the amarones, the big mountain cabs or the ports. Me, I call the chill wind “petite sirah.”
2006 Girard Petite Sirah Napa - 24.99 (22.49 by the case!)
Despite the name, petite’s very big, the John Wayne of wines. It’s an unsophisticated fieldhand working with zinfandel in old California field blends. Big in alcohol, a truckload of flavors, black berries, blueberries, raspberries, pepper and spice, chocolate and licorice, and yet its texture is lush and supple thanks to palate-friendly tannins.
While petite is a secret weapon in many great zins and newfangled table reds, it’s rich on its own. In the value cellar, petite’s my fave on the flavor-per-dollar scale. Bogle and McManis (9.99) and Ravenswood ($6.99) are consistent winners. At those prices and this weather, better lay in a case before snow blocks the passes.
Petite is not just a cousin from no-name corners of the Central Valley; Petite still grows in NapaValley and comes out elegantly in 2004 Delectus ($43.99) and Girard’s 2006 ($24.99). Up in Alexander Valley where the Seghesios show great respect to their pioneer elders, they expanded and replanted the 1895 clones to make an historic and heroic Home Ranch Petite Sirah in2005 ($31.99).
What were we drinking? Mon petite and my big fat lamb chops.
2004 Delectus Petite Sirah Napa ($57.99)
We had thick chops off the the grill with a wide strip of fat and a good char – marshmallows for grown-ups. The petite was just as fatty. Ravenswood’s 2007 Vintner’s Blend, is Ravenswood’s entry level edition of the varietal ($6.99), but the grape always packs so much smoke and rich texture that it’s almost bacon fat – with the very modern chocolate trim.
There was still enough hints of pepper and black cherry, underscoring why I love this oddball varietal especially with big flavored grilled meats. McManis and Bogle are fine producers at the same price point. For exceptional renditions of petite, try it from old hands of Seghesio in Alexander Valley ($31.99) or the rare old petites still made in Napa by Girard ($24.99) and Delectus ($57.99).