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Mission Codename: Le Roi de Cœur

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Olabisi Wine Cellars, in the town of Napa, and procure their the new release of their Petite Sirah, a 2007 that is one of their most popular wines.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Olabisi Wine Cellars

Wine Subject: 2007 Suisun Valley Petite Sirah, King Vineyard

Winemaker: Ted Osborne

Backgrounder: Petite Sirah’s California roots dates back to when it was believed to be a close relative of the Syrah grape. Later it would be found to be genetically identical to the Durif, named for its after French discoverer François Durif who found that the varietal was a Syrah grape pollinated with Peloursin flowers. Its smaller berries with higher skin to pulp ratio leads to more intense flavors. Another benefit of the smaller berries are tighter clusters that are more resistant to mildew. Currently Petite Sirah is less popular in France and increasingly popular in the United States

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark burgundy, with a very dark heart. The wine is clear, not opaque, but you really need strain your eyes to see through it. At the glass wall, a thick ring of beautiful magenta encircles the wine. After a swirl, tall, skinny, colored tears move very slowly down the glass.

Smell – Very aromatic, with bold fruit, spice and earthen scents leaping from the glass. Rich, ripe blackberry, blueberry and dark cherry are way out in front. Just behind these, dark chocolate, brown spice, dried leaves, leather and green tobacco leaf provide the perfect balance to all of the up-front fruit.

Feel – Full and mouth-coating almost immediately. Firm, well-integrated tannins provide a very plush, crushed-velvet feel. As soon as the wine passes the palate, a grippy dryness spreads all around the mouth, drying cheeks, tongue and lips.

Taste – Bold and dark with ripe blackberry, seared plum, darkest blueberry, currant and black cherry. As the wine opens up, additional flavors emerge, including cocoa powder, soft spice, chalky minerals and hints of star anise, black pepper and dried violets.

Finish – Extremely long, drying and packed with dark fruit flavors, that gradually yield to spice, minerals, dried dark flowers and black pepper at the tail end.

Conclusion – Thank you, Ted Osborne! We loved Ted’s fantastic 2006 Petite, but today’s 2007 King Vineyard Petite Sirah is simply remarkable. After about 20 minutes of decanting, we set about to review this wine. In that time, it really opened up on the nose and the palate, revealing far greater dimension and character. Where the wine had been a little tight, before, it now delivered a rush of aromas that could be sensed before even lifting the glass. Aromas and flavors, while bold and big, are very balanced. This wine does not slap you around like those from rival regions. We paired ours with a perfect, seared, rare New York strip steak, rubbed with Himalayan pink salt, cracked pepper and garlic. The combination was perfection! Be sure to stock up on this ready to drink, age worthy Petite Sirah.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the King Vineyard can be seen in this satellite photo.