2017 Petite Sirah, Todd Brothers

History
This is another classic wine made from the Petite Sirah vines at the Todd Brothers Ranch, located outside of the town of Geyserville in the Alexander Valley. It’s an ideal site to grow intense, substantial Petite Sirah, since the bright red rocky soil and the steep slopes of the vineyard make the vines struggle to survive, and the resulting grapes are jet-black, concentrated, and tiny. The resulting Petite Sirah is balanced and lush, and yet also intense, structured, and complex.
Production
We harvested the Petite Sirah in ½ ton picking bins and sorted on a conveyor belt to pick out any less-than-perfect clusters on their way to the crusher. We fermented using the yeasts on the surface of the grapes to ferment the grape must. This native yeast method maximizes flavor, color, and complexity from the grapes.
The wine is very intense, dark, and complex, tasting very much like a wine from the Southern Rhone Valley of France. It should easily improve over 10 or more years and last for over 25 years of bottle age. A great wine for the cellar.
Production: 79 cases
Tasting Notes
Color: | Purple-black with reddish edges |
Aroma: | Blackberry, plum, black cherry. Beneath the fruit, aromas of earth, coffee, chocolate, and licorice notes |
Taste: | Beautifully intense cassis and blackberry fruit, balanced with a intense coffee and peppery spice. Surprisingly bright and crisp acidity highlights the fruit, which is followed by notes of earth, roasted herbs, chocolate, and black licorice. Beautiful texture on the palate and a long, persistent finish of blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, and coffee. |