2011 Petite Sirah Old Vine, Contra Costa
Contra Costa
The 2011 Petite Sirah is dry farmed near the town of Oakley. This wine boasts aromatics of blue fruits, baking spices and semi-sweet mocha. The tannins are supple yet support the acid in perfect balance. On the palate one will discover ripe, boysenberry jam & black cherry reduction playing with spices such as ginger, nutmeg and light espresso.With a harmonious finish that lingers into the back palate, this wine decrescendos with ease as it continues to call for another sip.
The Winemaking
Grapes are handpicked and de-stemmed. Must is pumped to our temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, and then inoculated with a wine yeast selected for its hardiness and alcohol tolerance. Once the wine has extracted desired level of tannins, the grapes are pressed. Both free run and press juice combine to enhance the wine’s structure. Fermented in open top tanks punched down 4 times daily to optimize bright fruit. Barrel aged in American oak for 18 months.
The Vineyard
The Petite Sirah comes from the Gonsalves Vineyard in Oakley. Deep sandy soils with root-systems that stretch almost 60 feet deep make this area extremely unique for growing Petite Sirah. These vineyards are well over 100 years old and have survived both phyloxera and prohibition.
The Vintage
The 2011 Vintage was challenging for vintners with rains coming at inconvenient times and a growing season that yielded one of the smallest crops in years. The grapes that did make it in 2011 are good but there is not much out there, so buy up the 2011 wines because they will go quick!
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