2006 Petite Sirah - Wittstrom Vineyard

Overview
The 2006 Petite Sirah marks our inaugural vintage for the varietal, which joins our small family of red wines from Paso Robles. Winemaker Matt Ortman has long been a fan of Petite Sirah, and he jumped at the chance to make it when fruit from Wittstrom Vineyard became available. This vineyard occupies an ideal site for Petite Sirah, yielding a wine that is big yet elegant with lusciously intense flavors.

Vineyard
Wittstrom Vineyard is located just west of Highway 101 halfway between Paso Robles and San Miguel, a perfect location for achieving optimal ripeness for Petite Sirah. Planted with progressive high-density vine spacing, Wittstrom Vineyard boasts low-yielding vines that produce concentrated flavors. The vineyard rows run west to east to capture the benefits of the prevailing coastal breezes, bringing added depth and complexity to the fruit.

Winemaking
A relatively cool summer brought slow maturation for most varietals in 2006, and the Petite Sirah at Wittstrom Vineyard was no exception. The berries were small, compact and intensely flavored. The fruit was hand harvested and destemmed directly into a 1.5 ton fermenter. The must was cold soaked for three days, and the wine was allowed to ferment using native yeasts. The wine was pressed directly to barrel and aged in French oak barrels (66% new) for 14 months. Production was limited to three barrels.

Tasting Notes
The 2006 Petite Sirah begins with warm, spicy aromas of blueberry and plum. The palate unfolds with chewy flavors of blackberry, black cherry, mocha and vanilla bean. The finish is silky and supple, with hints of exotic spice. This big, luscious wine is a fine match for a variety of hearty fare, including veal roast, filet mignon with herbed butter, Irish beef stew and pasta Bolognese.

Fact Sheet (1 page, 460 KB)