Big Flavor from Petit Syrah

Filed in archive California Wines on July 18, 2007

I only recently discovered Petit Syrah. I mean, I knew it existed, of course, but I'd never tried one. Once I did, however, wow - I was hooked! The black pepper and dark fruit just danced on my tongue. I couldn't believe that I'd never given this wine a chance before. I suppose I thought that the "petit" indicated a soft, gentle wine, and not one that packs a punch.

If you have never tried a Petit Syrah, or if you are looking for some new bottles to try, the Journal & Courier Online has some suggestions:

2004 David Bruce Central Coast petite sirah. $19.99. The aroma showed bright cherry, deep strawberry, candied orange, cola and earthy fruit. We found lots of alcohol on the palate, but the fruit flavors still came through. Green fruit and eucalyptus merged with the strawberry flavors. Ranked No. 1 in our tasting, flavors and characteristics were best integrated in the David Bruce.

2002 Lolonis Orpheus Redwood Valley petite sirah. $29.99. In the nose, we smelled blackberry jam, tobacco, black tea, cocoa and big-time alcohol. High alcohol content crossed the tongue but it was not overwhelming. More alcohol and tannins appeared on the finish. Voted second in our tasting, it had nicely concentrated flavors.

2003 Elyse Winery Rutherford petite sirah. $39.99. Meaty, smoked ham smells rose from the glass, with charred oak, pine and juniper aromas. In the mouth, tannins almost covered up the fruit. Smoky through the finish, this wine had hints of semisweet chocolate, pepper and spice. The Elyse ranked third in our tasting, with the least fruit of the five.

2003 Mettler Family Vineyards petite sirah. $22.99. The bouquet reminded us of cherries jubilee plus cedar. The wine was lighter in body and more elegant or feminine than the others, with more cherry fruit plus cola and teaberry gum flavors. Drink this as an entry-level petite sirah if you don't want the bigger style.

2005 Two Angels petite sirah. $29.99. The aroma suggested a late-bottle vintage port, with caramelized sugar, cotton candy and fresh gauze - yes, gauze. The unusual gauze smell carried over to the palate, along with eucalyptus and big tannins. This wine needed to decant for a couple of hours or age a few years, for the tannins covered up the fruit.