Retro Cellars Napa Valley Petite Sirah 2013
-
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2013 Petite Sirah has a fantastically opulent nose of star anise, cassia and cardamom with a core of blackberry preserves, plum pudding and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, concentrated, rich and densely packed with black fruit preserves and exotic spices, it has a firm yet approachable frame and long, chewy finish.
Other Vintages
2011-
James
Suckling
The historic Park Muscatine vineyard on Howell Mountain was chosen in part because Mike has known this vineyard since his childhood, pruning the vineyard in winter, and harvesting the fruit in the fall. With its scant ton per acre production, this vineyard is a gem.
They chose the Retro name to pay homage to the generational groundwork that’s been laid for their endeavor and with a vision for continuity in the future literally illustrated by the artwork on the label, which came from the hand of their then 11-year-old son, Alex. Alex, now 23, is a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, and part-time cellars hand at Dunn Vineyards and Retro Cellars.
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.