Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to what is sure to be the burliest tasting in town! No, it’s not the “Semi-International Lumberjacks, Kodiaks, and Yetis” convention (S.I.L.K.Y.). It’s far better! It’s time for the Weekly Exploration Into the Spectacular World of Wine With the Carpe Vinum Friday Tasting and Newsletter of Unquestionable and Never Dubious Facts and Fun! (Sorry that doesn’t make an interesting acronym.) This week it’s the wine that would be King . . . of . . . something . . . It’s Petite Sirah! Let’s dive right in. It’s well worth it!

Petite Sirah is a grape variety that makes a wine that is burly, tannic, powerful and flavorful. You know what it is not? It is not Syrah. I’ve seen tastings that will lump the two together, but that’s just not fair to either varietal. The idea has been tossed around for years that Petite Sirah was possible synonym or clone of Syrah. It is not. Genetic research has finally deduced that Petite Sirah is Durif, a cross between Syrah and Peloursin and a native to the French Rhone. Native, but not currently grown there . . . at least not on purpose. It might be lurking between the vines, unidentified in some French Syrah or Peloursin vineyards. But really, the noble Durif had to make it to the New World to break big.

It is currently grown mostly in California where it is still known as Petite Sirah and in Australia where it is grown as Durif. In recent years the Petite Sirah has been surging in popularity as a cult wine. (Not “cult” as in “don’t eat the pudding” kind of cult, but a cult wine as in people discovering it and raving about it on their own rather than having critics telling them that it’s what they need to be drinking.) In fact, like the organizations for Zinfandel (ZAP) and Rhone Varietals (Rhone Rangers), Petite Sirah also has its own advocacy group (PS I Love You).

I’m going to take a quick detour here. (Don’t worry, we’ll still end up on the same road.) I started collecting wine for my own cellar years ago while working at a wine distributor. I didn’t really know anything about cellaring and aging wine and didn’t know what would age best over the years. So I just cellared anything I liked, and I’d always been fond of the Syrahs, Zinfandels, Rhone Blends, and of course the Petite Sirah. For the most part those first three aren’t suitable for longer aging considering what we like about them is the big fruit and the sturdy , but softer tannin, and those are the first things to dissipate when a wine is aged.

As I’ve been bringing things out of the cellar recently I’ve been very disappointed in the fact that I’ve held things too long and the wines had fallen apart and lost everything I liked about them in the first place. This is a depressing prospect when you consider the bottle had been taking up valuable real estate in your cellar and failed to pay off at the end. It’s like a roommate moving out and stiffing you with a decade-old phone bill. Petite Sirah, however, seems to have a sturdier structure that appears more conducive to cellar aging. I recently opened a bottle of the Lolonis Orpheus from 1996, and it was still wonderful 10 years after the vintage date. Still, I don’t recommend aging it that long, but it has me interested in the longevity of the Petite Sirah, and I’m certain to cellar more of it.

Speaking of which, one of my recent cellar additions is on the schedule for tomorrow’s Super-Bonus pour in the continuing series of “Let’s all taste wines we really can’t afford and donate the proceeds to charity!” This wine is the only Australian Durif I’ve been able to find this time around. It’s the Massena “Howling Dog” Durif and it retails at just under $50. I tried it a few months ago and can honestly say I found it spectacular. Highly recommended! I figured this would be another perfect excuse to taste it again. The rest in here are old favorites, tested and true. And will also turn your teeth blue.

So Friday, March 16th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

P.S. I Love You!!!
McManis 2005 Petite Sirah, California
Concannon 2004 Limited Release Petite Sirah, Central Coast, California
David Bruce 2004 Petite Sirah, Central Coast, California
Train Wreck Cellars 2004 Petite Sirah, California
Foppiano 2003 Petite Sirah, Russian River, Califnornia

P.P.S. I Love You Two!!
Girard 2004 Petite Sirah, Napa Valley, California
Lolonis 2001 Orpheus Petite Sirah, Redwood Valley, California

And the Super-Bonus, Delicious-Wine-We-Can’t-Afford Pour For Cystic Fibrosis!!!
Massena 2004 The Howling Dog Durif, Barossa Valley, Australia
(Robert Parker gave it 88-90 points, if you follow that kind of thing.)

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours,
and $5 for the Charity Pour.

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is The French Languedoc and Rousillon!

M