Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Epiphany Petite Sirah has notes of blueberry, plum, nutmeg and dark chocolate.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2019 Petite Sirah is deep, powerful wine, but with a bit less of the unctuous opulence of the past. Inky dark fruit, lavender, chocolate and black pepper all meld together. This friendly, heady Petite sure has a ton to offer. I would prefer to drink it on the young side, while the flavors remain vibrant.
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Wine Enthusiast
Brooding aromas of black plum and cassis meet with nutty milk chocolate scents on the nose of this bottle. The palate is thick as expected for this grape, with big berry and violet flavors. A tight acidity keeps it all in check.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2019 Petite Sirah Rodney's Vineyard is all variety and comes from the estate vineyard in Santa Barbara County. Its deep purple hue is followed by a big bruiser of a wine that's loaded with ripe black fruits, chocolate, gravelly earth, and sappy herbs. It's textured, medium to full-bodied, has ripe tannins, and great balance. It certainly delivers everything you would want from this variety.
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.