Winemaker Notes
Blend: 91% Petite Sirah, 8% Syrah, 1% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Up until fairly recently, petite sirah was one of the most common varieties planted along California’s northern coast, a favorite of growers both before Prohibition and in the first few decades that followed. For those who have been burned by sweet, overextracted and overripe petites, this might give a clue as to why the obscure French grape previously known as durif found a niche in California. Bob Swain drew on two of the Parducci estate’s benchland petite blocks planted in 1985 and 1999 near Ukiah, both farmed under biodynamics. He added a bit of estate syrah and grenache, along with some fruit from grower Tim Norgard’s nearby vineyard on gravelly soil. At first the tannins are as tight as in the most structured young Bordeaux, firm and almost black in flavor but glinting with promising scents of violets, star anise and rosemary. It takes five or six days of air before the wine has absorbed enough oxygen for the tannins to turn completely velvety and release a cascade of cassis and blackberry fruit, still firm and aromatic and not volatile in the least. At this price, buy a case, but don’t touch the first bottle for at least five years unless you’re having steak.
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Tasting Panel
Deep. Purple. A Rustic and grainy core of tannins and texture on the tongue. It keeps reinventing itself with a slideshow of violets, spicy cedar, mocha, earth and black plum. The acidity shines through the screen, finishing with an unexpected juiciness. True Wow!
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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.