Besieged

Under a threatening sky, BESIEGED by rain clouds, lightening glinting in the hills, the winemaker worked alone to collect grapes destined for one of his debut wines. As he worked, the ravens cackled from above but instead of being harbingers of doom, they brought him good good fortune, becoming the totem for his winery.  The winery is Ravenswood.  And the wine.  It is Besieged.

I have to admit that the label caught my eye.  However, I do not buy wines solely on the label.  Many a bottle has stood on a shelf because I will not allow myself to be swayed by what is little more than marketing.  The one thing that led me to purchase a bottle of this wine was the blend ... Petite Sirah, Carignan, Zinfandel, Alicante Boushet, and Mourvedre.  I am a big fan of Petite Sirah, and have a great interest in both Carignan and Mourvedre.  But Alicante Boushet?  I had never heard of that varietal.  It was the prospect of having a wine made with a grape that I had never tasted.

The grape, Alicante Bouschet, is a hybrid, produced by crossing Petit Boushet and Grenache.  It was first cultivated by ... Henri Bouschet ... in 1866.  The result was a high quality grape that enticed French vineyards and winemakers throughout much of France, including Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire Valley, as well as by Portuguese vineyards in the Alentejo.  It is also a popular grape among winemakers and vineyards in California, including Joel Peterson of Ravenswood.

The Besieged pours a dark red to almost black. Something that echoes the colors of a raven's wings.  The aroma is full of fresh, ripe dark fruit, such as blackberries, black cherries and plums.  There is a slight spice or pepper in the background, but it struggles to make itself known amongst the fruit.

As for the taste, I have to say that I was truly impressed with this wine.  The elements include the fruit -- blackberry, black cherry, and plum.  The winemakers also suggest a rather peculiar spice ... cardamom.  And, I have to say, I actually picked up the cardamom in the wine.  It revealed itself for just a few moments before being wrapped in the dryness of the tannins in the wine. The finish is a little dry, but that is to be expected given the use of Zinfandel and Mourvedre.

When it comes to pairing, this wine is perfect for a grilled steak or other grilled meat, such as chicken or pork.  The fruit flavors, and the cardamom, contribute to the flavors of the grilled meat.  I paired this wine with my Green Fire Ribeye, which is a grilled steak with a rub made of green Hatch chile, coriander, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder.  Notwithstanding the use of chile powder, the wine still worked very well because the tannins are relatively tame.

I found this wine in a local grocery store.  A bottle runs from $14.99 to $16.99.

ENJOY!

The Phantom

There is a story that begins, "in the dark recesses of your cellar you sense a presence, hear footsteps."  You stand still, asking, "why is it these things happen to me when I am alone?" You slowly turn, looking over your shoulder only to catch, "in the shadows, a glimpse of muddy boots and old blue jeans."  Sights of "the lurking legacies of hard work and determination left by those who have come before you."

This story is on the label of Bogle Vineyards' Phantom (2008), a blend of old vine Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and old vine Mourvèdre.  The exact blend is 51% Zinfandel, 47% Petite Sirah, 2% Mourvèdre.  The grapes were cultivated at Bogle's principal vineyard in the Clarksburg American Viticultural Area (AVA), along with its vineyards in the  Lodi and Amador AVAs. The wine is aged for two years in 1 year old, 2 year old and 3 year old American oak barrels.
 

The winemaker describes the Phantom has having "notes of boysenberry and black fruit are deepened with pipe tobacco and black pepper, with subtle clove and vanilla softly envelop the palate."  He added that the taste of the wine is "intense and luscious, the rich character opens to reveal red fruit of spirited cranberries and raspberries."

For me, the wine pours a dark crimson, with ruby hues around the edge and a center that appears nearly impenetrable to light.  The aromatic elements of the wine hint at black cherries, drawing one into the darkness.  With each sip, apparitions of dark plums, black cherries, and tobacco flavors cross the tongue.  And, just when it seems that the wine is gone, the tongue is gripped by some fairly strong tannins.

The grapes used in this wine -- Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel -- suggest that this hearty wine is best paired with roasted or grilled meats.  One could also pair this wine with earthy dishes, such as a stew or chili.

This wine is available at most wine stores and grocery stores.  The wine sells for about $23.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

Michael David Winery Earthquake Petite Sirah (2008)

Michael David Winery is a Californian winery that produces some very good wines, with names like the 7 Deadly Zins, 7 Heavenly Chards, and 6th Sense Syrah.  Michael David also produces a label of wines known as "Earthquake."  I have tried the Earthquake Zinfandel at a local restaurant.  And, when I saw the Earthquake Petite Sirah at a local wine store, I decided to buy a bottle and spend sometime learning more about the wine and winemaker. 

The magazine Wine Enthusiast dubbed this wine as the "Petite Sirah Quentin Tarantino."  In other words, "big, in your face, and ultimately a fine bold wine..."  This bold wine is 100% Petite Sirah, with an ABV of 15.5% and was bottled on July 28, 2010. With a review like that, I looked forward to trying this wine.

The Earthquake Petite Sirah pours a dark, cranberry red.  The deep redness extends across the entire glass, with only a small light ring at the very edges of the glass.  The aromatic elements of the wine are fruit forward, with raspberries and strawberries.  A little spice follows the fruit. 

The taste of the wine is very interesting, with a contrast of flavors.  The Earthquake Petite Sirah has flavors of both vanilla and chocolate, along with the standard berry flavors, such as blackberry and raspberry. 

The 2008 vintage of the Earthquake Petite Sirah scored a 92 rating from Wine Enthusiast, which is a pretty impressive showing.  This is especially the case given the wine sells for between $24.99 to $26.99 a bottle.  This wine is available at many wine stores.

ENJOY!

San Simeon Petite Sirah (2006)

Outside of Oregon's Willamette Valley, the wine region in the United States that captures my interest the most is the Paso Robles region in California.  Located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Paso Robles is home to dozens of vineyards and wineries who grow more than forty different grape varietals.  The primary varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah, in that order. Paso Robles also has its own AVA (American Viticultural Area), which is the American equivalent of a DOC in France or Italy. 

While perusing the aisles of a local wine store, I came across a Petit Sirah from Paso Robles.   A common mistake is to assume, as I did for a while, that a Petit Sirah and a Syrah are wines made from the same grape.  However, a Petit Sirah wine is produced with the Durif grape, which is a cross between the Syrah grape and the Pelousin grape. Although first discovered by Dr. Francois Durif, a botanist at a university in Southern France, few, if any, French vineyards and wineries do not grow the Durif grape or produce the Petit Sirah wines.  Instead, the largest producers of these wines are found in Australia and California, such as in the Paso Robles AVA. 

One producer of Petit Sirah wines is the San Antonio Winery.  This winery has been in operation since 1917, and, over time, it has expanded to produce wines under several labels.  One such label is San Simeon.  The San Simeon Petit Sirah is produced from Durif grapes grown at the Steinbeck Vineyard that were harvested on September 21, 2006.  The wine is aged in barrels (consisting of 70% French oak and 30% American oak) for twenty-four months.

The San Simeon Petite Sirah pours a red velvet color, with purplish hues.  The aromatic elements of the wine are full of dark red fruit, like raspberries, blackberries and plums.  The taste of the wine reinforces the aromas. One can taste blackberries and plums both up front and through the wine, is full bodied and "jammy."  This wine has tannins, which particularly show themselves in the finish.

The one thing that a Petite Sirah and a Syrah share in common is that they are best paired with roasted or grilled meat dishes.  This includes beef and lamb, as well as some other meats that one may not ordinarily think of, such as duck or rabbit. 

Overall, this wine has some of the best characteristics of a Petit Sirah.  I found this wine at a local wine store for about $19.99 a bottle. 

ENJOY!

For more information about the Durif grape, check out Wikipedia.