Description
77% Petite Sirah, 17% Syrah & 6% Tannat
Californian wines seem to be right on trend at present with drinkers embracing the bold styles that ooze with ripeness and easy drinkability. Petite Sirah (known as Durif in Australia) really suits the warm Californian climate and this delicious example from Matchbook is a real crowd pleaser packed full of big and juicy dark fruits layered with earth and spice and vanilla oak. Intensity meets generosity with load of flavour and drink me appeal.
Winery notes (2016 Vintage)
“The inaugural release of our Estate Bottled Petite Sirah has everything you would expect from this intensely flavoured grape. Seductive, heady aromas of ripe plum, cardamom, earth and vanilla are followed by bold flavours of blackberry cobbler, cracked pepper and spice. Firm tannins are balanced by a broad dark berry finish that lingers on the palate.
The grapes were gently crushed 20 minutes after harvest, then fermented in small temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. We used a combination of specially selected yeast to enhance colour and flavour extraction without harsh tannins. We pumped the tanks over twice a day until nearly dry, then pressed and aged the wine in a variety of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 16 months. Barrel lots were selected for their robust structure and intense flavour to create our first Estate Bottled Petite Sirah.”
5 Stars & 94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, May 2019 (2016 Vintage)
“Sweetly fruited and gorgeously expressed, the fragrant bouquet shows blackberry, blueberry jam, violet, cedar and anise characters, followed by an intensely flavoured palate that is supple and velvety. This is powerful yet graceful, wonderfully complemented by spicy complexity and polished tannins. At its best: now to 2022.”
4 ½ Stars Michael Cooper (2016 Vintage)
“Traditionally cultivated in warm climates, petite sirah (also known as durif) yields dark, tannic wines. A ripe, powerful California red, this example is deeply coloured, with substantial body (13.9% alc/vol) and densely packed plum and spice flavours. A real conversation point.”
