Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Petite Sirah
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
As it paints the teeth with dry, dusty notes of violets and cocoa, the tannins remain silky. Blackberry and underbrush create a grainy texture which coats the tongue. A marvelous interpretation of the elegance this variety can exhibit.
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Wine & Spirits
Soft and comforting, this feels warm, its alcohol integrated into potent, mouthwatering fruit. The juicy burst of plum freshness, along with the vegetal savor of the tannins reminded Tasting Director Corey Warren of newer styles of Madiran’s tannat—'violet perfumed and plummy.' Robert Pepi makes this wine in a Lake County collaboration with the Kreps family of Quintessential Wines.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is a selection from a high-elevation site. It is also a traditional expression of California Petite Sirah, with aromas of ripe, black fruits, baking spices, toasty oak, florals, and notes of savory herbs on the nose. The flavors on the palate are concentrated Blackberry confiture, peach, candied orange peel, star anise, mineral, and grippy mouth-watering tannins on the finish. Decant and pair with slow-roasted lamb shoulder.
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.
Sitting on the northeast side of the Clear Lake appellation, this warm area boasts multiple soil types that allow growers a lot of flexibility and experimentation with grape varieties. While Sauvignon blanc is a mainstay, this zone excels with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, as well as other less common varieties like Barbera and Tempranillo.