Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Not surprisingly, Switchback Ridge has made a bevy of amazing Petite Sirahs, and the 2005 Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard possesses off the charts richness as well as a full-bodied style offering notes of espresso, ground pepper, blackberries, camphor, and incense. It is an exotic, full-bodied, enormously concentrated wine to drink over the next two decades.
Rating: 95+ -
Wine Spectator
Superrich, powerful and almost syrupy, edging toward prune. Very deep and concentrated, with plush layers of plum, wild berry, cassis and a minerally, earthy aftertaste.
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.