Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Flirting with perfection, the 2012 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard and 2012 Petite Syrah Pesenti Vineyard both have off-the-charts richness as well as opaque black/blue colors, enormously concentrated red, blue and black fruits intermixed with camphor and creosote notes. The Pesenti also reveals a chalky minerality that no doubt is from the limestone soils of that region. They can be drunk for their impressive scale, richness, texture and power in their youth, but they will not exhibit much secondary development for at least a decade. They will still be offering provocative and prodigious drinking 30 to 40 years from now.
Range: 96-100 -
Wine Spectator
An intriguing mix of sandalwood, frankincense, candied ginger and espresso flavors, wrapped around a deep, dark core of huckleberry, blackberry and boysenberry, accented by touches of black licorice, clove and dried sage. The tannins are thick and velvety, and the finish goes on forever. Drink now through 2030.
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.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.