Winemaker Notes
Black plum, blackberry, and blueberry aromas mingle with notes of almond and musk on the nose. On the palate, concentrated flavors of cherry, mulberry, and blackberry marry with spicy cigar box and cedar, carrying through to a medium-plush finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is deep, with aromas of dark berries, black plum, molasses, allspice, toasted oak and violets on the nose. The flavors on the palate are black currant confiture, blueberry and vanilla cream, layered with cardamom, espresso and a supple, long finish.
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.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.