Tonight’s Occasion: 2013 Petite Sirah by Cedarville Vineyard, Fair Play CA
Dark opaque color. Firm nose with an intense dry dark plum and dusty cedarwood essence. Swirling vigorously unlocks sweet ripe dark cherries and licorice. There is a clear separation between the notes.
Body is firm on the attack, balanced from front to back. A slight citrus tension persists, as a counterpoint to a slightly restrained dry dark plum structure. Blackberries and dark cherries fill the body with fine grained dusty mouth feel. Oak is barely noticeable if not for a slight softening of the edges. This wine is pretty dry, but retains a bold fruit expression – a hallmark of this region and its extended ripening season or hang-time as folks up the hill call it. A warm spice heat permeates the entire experience. Transition to finish is marked by subtle black currants and crisp fresh palate right before succumbing to firm dry dusty tannic grip. As it opens up, licorice turns to a bold star anise. Another hallmark of this region.
This wine is unmistakable, clean, crisp, structured and highly delineated. A textbook representation of this region. For those who wish to familiarize themselves with this frontier of California winemaking, I highly recommend studying Jonathan’s wines. Decades obsessing over every detail has yielded, for the enlightened palate, an uncompromising look at the Sierra Foothills. Nicely done Jonathan!
Jonathan’s Petite Sirah is surprisingly consistent across vintages. I had a distinct pleasure and privilege to look at the 2002 not long ago and despite the clear age difference, they share more similarities than not. The 2013 vintage is just now beginning to shine. I think it will only develop more beautifully over the coming decade. These wines age very gracefully over long periods while maintaining excellent structure and balance. Because they are so good, the hardest part is to not open the younger vintages. Give them a decade and you won’t be disappointed.
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