Alissa Leenher on October 28, 2013 0 Comments This week has been short on inspiration and long on distraction. The monster landscaping project has stolen my attention; what is left has been poured out at the sewing machine and at my daughter’s school. You might think that would require more wine, but I haven’t opened much lately. It was time to write my weekly review, but lately I had only opened small production wines from less well-known regions. Lovely, but hard to get a hold of and composed of more obscure grapes. So where does one find inspiration on a weeknight? This week it came in the form of a lovely 375ml sample that has been patiently waiting in my wine cooler. Earlier this year, I received several samples of Petite Sirah from the group, P.S. I Love You, just in time for the last cold front of the year. Because there were too many to taste well in one night, I saved a few. I drink seasonally so as the temperatures soared, the big reds sat. We are getting reacquainted. The Tasting The 2009 David Fulton Petite Sirah was one of the first to arrive and one I’ve been anxious to taste. They do one wine and they do it well. Their dedication to great wine started in 1860 when they began what is the oldest, continuously owned and operated family winery in California. Now, six generations later the commitment and love for Petite Sirah continues. The color of this wine is stunning: deep ruby with hints of violet, so vibrant, so rich. The nose is just as intense. Black fruit and spice, black pepper and cinnamon stick, specifically. This wine has layers of perfumed fruit and such warmth. It’s like autumn in a glass. In the St. Helena region of Napa Valley, the growing season consisted of late spring rains and plenty of heat in the late summer that year. The grapes were hand sorted and the wine spent 30 months aging in oak. You can taste the love. Now, I decided against the small production wines because I didn’t want to tease you with them. I may have inadvertently done that anyway. The 2009 sold out in eight months. After an October release, it was gone by June. But that tells you something, doesn’t it? Selective production, quality wines are in demand. But never fear. Even though the 09 is gone, they’ve done an early release on 2010. Get it while you can.
