With winter’s cold settling in, I find myself craving heartier foods and heartier wines to accompany them. If you are looking for full flavored wines, too, especially ones that provide a lot of wine for the money, consider Petite Sirah and Syrah.
Until the last decade or so petite sirah was a largely unknown grape, used mostly for blending. Now, DNA testing has proven that the vast majority of what has been known by that name in California is actually durif, a variety that was propagated in the south of France in the 1880s by crossing the noble Rhone variety syrah and the obscure grape peloursin.
But the grape thrives in California. It often has been commented that there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah wines. While they often display a flavor profile similar to their parent syrah – dark berries, tobacco, leather, earth, mineral and pepper, with an ability to age well, they typically are wines of deep color, dense structure, rustic body and agibility.
A good introduction to the style is the 2013 Chronic Cellars “Suite Petite” ($15) with its big, brash fruit. Josh and Jake Beckett, whose parents own Peachy Canyon in Paso Robles, created this wine company focused on casual wines in 2008. And this wine delivers.
More serious is the 2013 Parducci “True Grit” Reserve ($30). In Mendocino County since 1932, Parducci was an early adopter of petite sirah and True Grit is their flagship wine. This vintage is meaty and woodsy with plenty of rustic tannins suggesting it’s best to let it evolve for a few years before enjoying.
Another pioneer of modern winemaking in Mendocino, Edmeades is best known for its Zinfandels. But their admirable 2012 Mendocino County Petite Sirah ($35) shows smoky, concentrated aromas and bright, spicy fruit, while a lush texture balances the initially tough tannins.
Since its establishment in 2005, Fulcrum Wines has distinguished itself as a Pinot Noir specialist. As the name Fulcrum indicates, the stated goal for the wines is balance, a quality that is a challenge to achieve with Petite Sirah. But, even while petite sirah is unusual for the pinot noir and chardonnay dominated Russian River Valley, Fulcrum has pulled it off with the 2012 “Landy Vineyard” ($45). Its ripe fruit is balanced with firm acidity, while its lush texture reveals ample tannins. It should gain complexity with time.
Syrah is widely recognized as one of the world’s great red wine grapes. At its best, its wines provide great concentration, complexity and elegance, with characteristic pepper, meat, and leather accents and an ability to develop for many years. Even a lower priced syrah will deliver forward fruit and a smooth texture that is just right for everyday drinking.
The 2013 Kendall-Jackson “Vintner’s Reserve” Santa Barbara County ($17) is a good example of a value drive syrah. It has notes of resin, smoke and earth balanced with solid fruit, while its solid structure is presented seamlessly.
Bob Lindquist founded Qupé Winery in 1982 with a name to honor the Chumash, the indigenous people of the California’s Central Coast and Channel Islands. His 2012 Qupé Santa Barbara County Syrah ($30) is admirably suggestive of a French Rhone’s bold textural qualities. It is deep and spicy but also savory and elegant with a solid structure.
Finally, here’s a fantastic syrah-dominated blend from Washington: the 2012 Buty Walla Walla Valley “Rediviva of the Stones” Rockgarden Estate ($60). Buty Winery is the fifteen-year-old project of Nina Buty that has quickly taken a place among the state’s best. A blend of 78% syrah, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 9% mourvedre, this wine entices with its intense aromatics and flavors that deftly blend fruit and savory elements into a wine of lively elegance, yet enough structure to improve over the next ten years.
So, whether it is “sirah” or “syrah,” these substantial reds are ideal candidates for you’re your winter meals.