Winemaker Notes
See that first-chair flautist, the one really nailing a high E? Last weekend he got the largest gator in Razzor Ranch history. Didn’t shoot it, mind you, but wrestled the scaled beast into submission. Then kicked back with a slice of blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream, black licorice ropes, and a whole gallon of sun tea until the conservation folks showed up. Under that tux, he’s got claw marks head to toe, and he lost a couple fingers but wow, he’s ripping this third movement a new one.
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.
