Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2017

Petite Sirah | Family Vineyards v.2017 SONOMA COUNTY, DRY CREEK VALLEY

Family Vineyard Sources:
This richly flavored grape, long known for its intense characteristics, has been grown side by side with Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley for over 100 years. Petite Sirah has been planted on our home ranch since the early 1900s and used in our Zinfandel production as a key part of the blend. The ‘family’ connection is with Carol Bushnell who is a third-generation Pedroncelli; her vineyard has been a source of fruit since the 1940s. The resulting blend contains a combination of fruit from Estate and Bushnell vineyards.

Winemaking:
The 2017 vintage overall had a good growing season with winter and spring rains giving the vines the water they needed to support a good crop of fruit. Slow ripening and development helped the tannins to soften and aromas and flavors to excel. The heatwave at the beginning of September accelerated the harvest and pumped up polyphenols resulting in a nicely extracted wine.

The fruit was crushed into stainless steel tanks where frequent pumping-over of the juice during fermentation allowed the young wine a substantial increase in the extraction of color and flavor. The wine was aged for eighteen months in small American oak barrels, with 30% new oak.

Tasting Notes: 
Deep dark purple in the glass. Our full-bodied Petite Sirah offers up aromas of blueberries, red plum, and black pepper. Deep and complex flavors of blueberry, black cherry, and vanilla follow. There is nothing ‘petite’ about this wine and it is well structured with firm tannins, spice, and a smoky finish. It has the structure to age well over many years.

APPELLATION: Dry Creek Valley, Estate Vineyards
COMPOSITION: 100% Petite Sirah
BARREL AGING: 18 months in American oak
ALCOHOL: 14.5%
pH: 3.70
TOTAL ACIDITY: .630g/100ml