Epiphany Petite Sirah 2017
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
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Wine Enthusiast
Inky dark in the glass, this bottling from the Fess Parker family's vineyard starts with tarry tones before opening toward aromas of smoked beef ribs and black currant jam. It's a mouthful of wine on the palate, presenting blueberry, smoked meat and crushed stone, hitting all the dark grape's classic marks.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The vivid purple-hued 2017 Petite Sirah comes from the Rodney’s Vineyard in Santa Barbara County and is loaded with ripe blueberry and raspberry fruits as well as notes of spice and chocolate. This rich, chewy, mouthfilling effort has good overall balance, yet I suspect it’s best enjoyed in its youth.
Other Vintages
2019- Vinous
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spirits
Wine &
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Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
Founded by Eli Parker at the turn of the last century, Epiphany was at first intended as a creative outlet for the then adventurous winemaking son of Fess Parker. As the years progressed, Eli assumed the role of Brand Visionary, paving the way for winemaker Blair Fox to assume the enological reins at the winery. The Epiphany portfolio has become a highly coveted selection of mostly Santa Barbara County- designated Rhone-inspired wines, considered by leading critics to be a flagship producer from this vibrant growing region.
Epiphany has transformed into a leading, contemporary producer of Rhone-based and esoteric varietal wines from the Central Coast, and a meaningful representation of the second generation of the Parker family name, and their continued dedication to ultra-premium wine production on the Central Coast.
Sought after by chefs, sommeliers, retail buyers and consumers alike, the Epiphany brand has distinguished itself among the wine cognoscenti as a trustworthy, quality-oriented and forward-thinking wine brand.
With its deep color, firm tannins and bold flavors, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The variety, originally known as Durif in the Rhône, took on its more popular moniker after being imported to California in the early 1880s. Quintessentially recognized today as a grape of the Golden State, Petite Sirah works well blended with Zinfandel and finds success as a single varietal wine in the state’s warmer districts. Somm Secret—Petite Sirah is not a smaller version of Syrah but it is an offspring of Syrah and the now nearly extinct French Alpine variety called Peloursin.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.