Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One hundred percent Petite Sirah from vines planted in 1968, the 2016 Petite Sirah Palisade Vineyard is very deep purple-black in color with very pretty notes of lilacs, black and red cherries, mulberries and sandalwood with hints of menthol and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, refreshing and elegant, it has a gorgeous texture of firm, fine-grained tannins and tons of perfumed black fruit layers, finishing long and minerally.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A wine that spent a full 52 days on skins, the 2016 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard is 100% varietal and aged 16 months in 28% new French oak. Liquid blackberries, plums, blueberries, spice, and hints of scorched earth all flow to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, beautifully pure, elegant Petite Sirah that has sweet tannin, superb purity of fruit, and a big finish. It's going to keep for 15-20 years.
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Wine Spectator
Spirited, dark and potent, yet polished, with blackberry, smoky anise and licorice flavors that build speed toward big but refined tannins. Drink now through 2025.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.