2004 Santa Cruz Mountains Petite Sirah
Vineyards
These grapes were grown in a vineyard located on the warm slopes of Pleasant Valley on the western foothills of Mount Madonna. Given a meso-climate punctuated by a fine, gravelly sand soil structure (once the bottom of an ancient river bed), daytime temperatures in the mid-80's during the majority of the growing season and cool, fog shrouded evenings due to its proximity to the coast (less than 4 miles due west), these vines produce grapes which possess balance, bright varietal aromas and structure to spare. The vines are cultured on a lyre-trellis to maximize sun exposure and the the resulting quadrilateral cordon is cane-pruned. These elements combine to allow the grapes to ripen to their fullest so as to develop the rich fruit and spicy components that are a hallmark of this grape, while maintaining a more elegant structure than is typically encountered in this varietal.
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In the Winery
The grapes were handpicked in late October of 2004. Yields were low, 1.5-2.0 tons per acre. Arriving at the winery, we destemmed the grapes and fermented them in small lots, utilizing the punch down method for cap management and maximum flavor extraction. The “whole-berry” fermentation combined with the cooler temperatures maintained in small lot fermentation allow us to produce a rich Petite Sirah, with all of its abundant fruit and spice intact, yet with softer, more subdued tannins than typical of this California varietal. Following the wine's initial fermentation, we barreled the wine in a combination of French (40%) and air-dried American (60%) oak. The wine was bottled in early May of 2006.
