The grapes for our Petite Sirah come from the Biodynamic Dark Horse vineyard in the eastern foothills of Mendocino County. This vineyard contains a multitude of beneficial plants and insects that allow the vines to thrive naturally. The vineyard is dry farmed and the soil is made up of a plethora of organic matter that feeds each grapevine’s root zone wholesome nutrients, which in turn leads to healthy, delicious fruit. Mendocino County has a diverse range of microclimates, from cool, coastal, elevated mountain vineyards, to hot inland hills and valleys that are ideal for Petite Sirah.
These Petite Sirah grapes come from head-trained vines that are planted at 1100 ft. elevation on a fairly steep slope which allows for a wonderful expression of dark fruit characteristics with excellent integration of tannins. We employed a small percentage of whole-cluster in the fermentation to help promote a more complex aromatic and textural profile. After primary fermentation the wine was aged in neutral barrels until where it was bottled unfiltered and unfined.
Petite Sirah is a wine that has always endlessly fascinated me in its ability to show power and elegant beauty simultaneously. This wine is a perfect example of that duality. In the glass the color is almost infinitely deep and dark and yet on the nose the first thing that jumps out to me is the smell of sweet pea flowers and irises. Behind those purple flowers is a berry pie full of boysenberry, blueberry, and blackberry as well as a touch of coffee and dark chocolate. This is certainly not a light wine, but it holds its weight incredibly well and somehow walks that tightrope between power and elegance effortlessly. – Winemaker Scott Kirkpatrick
