Nose
The 2017 vintage exhibits dense dark fruit aromas and an inky opacity.
Palate
On the palate, it conjures up blueberry pie, plum and black currant with faint hints of pepper on the finish.
Growing Conditions
We selected these grapes from our historic Thomann Station Vineyard, nestled just behind our winery in St. Helena. This location is ideal for growing Petite Sirah, thriving in the deep, gravelly loam soils of the Napa Valley floor. The 2017 vintage began with ample winter rains, fueling vine growth early in the season. Steady warmth in the summer and fall followed, leading to a slightly early harvest with ripe, fruit-driven intensity.
Aging
A three-day cold soak allowed for gentle extraction of flavor and color. We then used a careful combination of punch-downs and rack-and-returns during fermentation, which helped to tame the varietal’s burly tannins and build a balanced, beautifully finessed Petite Sirah. Total aging was 15 months in a combination of French and American oak, the latter imparting a sweet bacon spice note to this remarkably rich wine (60% new oak, 37% French, 23% American).
