Deep garnet color; olives, spice, leather, beef on the nose; black cherry, blackberry, black plum, blueberry, grilled meat, spice on the palate.
Dry; medium-full body; dense, sticky tannins that become more pleasurable after decanting, but this remains petit sirah with its distinctive tannins. Bold flavors. The throwaway line is “there is nothing petite about petite sirah,” and this applies here. In Europe, the variety is known as durif. It is a cross between syrah and peloursin grapes created by French botanist François Durif in the 1880s. It never really thrived in France, but has done well in California. It also now grows in South America and Australia. There is a near match of petite sirah known as petite syrah; same grape but slightly different depending on where it is grown.
The vineyard/winery history according to the website: “Wolff Vineyards is located on 125 acres of ecologically friendly, certified sustainable property just minutes from downtown San Luis Obispo, scenic beaches and major tourist attractions. The property is 4.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean providing the vineyard with a cool coastal marine influence. The vineyard was planted in 1976 with 55 acres of Chardonnay grapes by one of the Edna Valley’s winegrowing pioneers, Andy MacGregor. World-class awards were earned by wineries that used MacGregor Vineyard Chardonnay grapes. The new owners, Jean-Pierre and Elke Wolff, renamed the vineyard in 1999 when they acquired and expanded the vineyard and added their artisan winery.”
“Wolff Vineyards is a family owned business where every member brings their passion and unique talents. Elke Wolff is a principal owner bringing her public accounting background to good use by managing the vineyard and winery accounting and financial portfolio. Jean-Pierre Wolff, Ph.D. is a principal owner and wears many hats including the overall management of the vineyard, winemaking, estate property management, research and development and is head of the ‘Wolff Pack.’
“Our son Clint Wolff manages the tasting room and winery events. His excellent hospitality skills and well-rounded background in grape growing and wine making helps leveraging our growing business. Our son Mark Wolff is assistant winemaker. In addition to his professional winemaking skills, Mark is very resourceful in supporting our construction activities and repairs, he also provides tasting room support.”
Wolff Vineyards Petite Sirah Edna Valley 2015 is distinctive and delicious when paired with meaty fare. The Edna Valley is California’s coolest wine growing area, and this petite sirah reflects that terroir. If you are a petite sirah aficionado, try a bottle of this juice. Pair with rich meat dishes, lamb, venison, barbecue brisket with slightly sweet sauce, meaty pasta dishes, beef casserole. You will need meat with fat content to tango with the tannin and strong flavor to go with the petit sirah gusto. $24-28
