"Mommy, where did I come from?"
Well, Durif, when a Frenchman loves a Peloursin vine very much, he starts feeling a little experimental and unwittingly takes it upon himself to merge the Peloursin with other grapes.
Then, about one hundred years later, Peloursin will make an appearance on an American daytime TV talk show and get in a shouting match with throngs of unemployed urchins about your real pollen source - your real daddy, little Durif.
So some nice scientists - who, by the way, cunningly convinced a pretty prestigious university to dedicate loads of funding to wine studies - these very smart scientists will conduct a genuine DNA paternity analysis to determine who your daddy actually is.
"My daddy? Who is it?"
It's Syrah, my sweet petite Durif. It's Syrah!
"Oh."
Yeah, pretty anti-climactic, I agree.
"At least we got a free hoodie from UC Davis."
Features
Color: Purple-black
History: The steep slopes and bright red soil of the Todd Brothers Ranch in Geyserville are the perfect terrain for growing unusually good Petite Sirah. Each year, we're floored by the intensity of these jet-black, tiny grapes that produce such balanced, yet substantial, wine.
Production: In 2012 we harvested the Petite Sirah from the ranch separately from the zinfandel, in mid-September. The grapes were trucked to the winery in 1/2 ton picking bins and then carefully sorted on a conveyor belt to pick out any less-than-perfect clusters on their way to the crusher. At the fermenter, we pitchforked whole clusters into the tank (about 10% of the total volume) to help moderate the tannins and help produce lovely violet and lavender floral character in the wine.
2011 Petite Sirah, Todd Brothers Ranch, Alexander Valley 750ml
Color: Purple-black
Aroma: Extremely brooding and intense, earthy, coffee, chocolate, blackberry, cassis, and licorice notes.
Taste: Beautifully intense black currant and blackberry fruit, balance with an intense coffee and peppery spice. The fruit entry is followed by notes of earth, roasted herbs, chocolate, and black licorice. Quite viscous mouthfeel and long, persistent finish of blackberry, chocolate, and coffee.
History: The Todd Brothers Ranch, located outside of the town of Geyserville in the Alexander Valley, is an ideal site to grow intense, substantial Petite Sirah. 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 and tiny. The resulting Petite Sirah is astonishingly intense, luscious, and complex; an ideal wine for grilled meats and robust meals.
Production: In 2011 we harvested the Petite Sirah in mid-September. The grapes were trucked to the winery in 1/2 ton picking bins and then carefully sorted on a conveyor belt to pick out any less-than-perfect clusters on their way to the crusher.
We fermented the grapes by our traditional method of native yeast fermentation, using the yeast on the surface of the grapes to ferment the grape must. This native yeast method maximizes flavor, color, and complexity from the grapes. At dryness, the wine was gently pressed in a membrane press and pumped to traditional 60-gallon older French oak barrels.
The wine was aged for 14 months in barrels - we prefer the flavor of the fruit to not be overpowered by too much oak flavor, hence the older age of oak - so 95% of the barrels were three years old (or older).
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 20 years of bottle age. A great wine for the cellar.
2012 Petitie Sirah, Louvau Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley 750ml
Color: Black-Purple
History: A rich, round, sensuous Petite Sirah from one of the best vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley.
Production: Making Petite Sirah is always an adventure. It's a race between fruit and tannin, so the winemaker needs to make decisions that help make it soft and flavorful, while taming the tannins. 2013 was a perfect year to help with this process, because the ideal weather made for perfectly ripe flavorful grapes without too much tannin.
Specs
2010 Petite Sirah, Todd Brothers Ranch, Alexander Valley 750ml- Blend: 99% Petite Sirah; 1% Zinfandel
- Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
- Barrel Regime: 14 months, French; 5% two-year old oak, 95% older oak
- Alcohol: 13.7%
- Production: 245 cases
- Blend: 99% Petite Sirah; 1% Zinfandel
- Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
- Alcohol: 14.6%
- Time in Oak: 14 months
- Oak: French: 5% two-year old oak; 95% older oak
- Production: 147 cases
- Blend: 100% Petite Sirah
- Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
- Barrel Regime: 22 months, 100% 1-year of older French oak
- Alcohol: 13.8%
- Production: 122 cases
Specs
2010 Petite Sirah, Todd Brothers Ranch, Alexander Valley 750ml- Blend: 99% Petite Sirah; 1% Zinfandel
- Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
- Barrel Regime: 14 months, French; 5% two-year old oak, 95% older oak
- Alcohol: 13.7%
- Production: 245 cases
- Blend: 99% Petite Sirah; 1% Zinfandel
- Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
- Alcohol: 14.6%
- Time in Oak: 14 months
- Oak: French: 5% two-year old oak; 95% older oak
- Production: 147 cases
- Blend: 100% Petite Sirah
- Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
- Barrel Regime: 22 months, 100% 1-year of older French oak
- Alcohol: 13.8%
- Production: 122 cases
Vendor Details
Dashe Cellars
- Founded:
- 1996
- Owner:
- Michael and Anne Dashe
- Location:
- Oakland, CA
Sales Stats
- Speed to First Woot:
- 5h 41m 13.004s
Purchaser Experience
Purchaser Seniority
Quantity Breakdown
Percentage of Sales Per Hour
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