2018 Petite Sirah
Pocai Vineyard
Fresh concentrated plum jam with orange peel and Campari hit the nose while the palate is teased with butterscotch, dark cherry, leather, and white pepper. Violets and blackberry are secondary notes that accompany orange blossom and tobacco leaf. This heritage varietal is as flavorful and complex as it is rare.
In Stock
Wine Specs
Vintage
2018
Varietal
Petite Sirah
Appellation
Calistoga-Napa Valley
Vineyard Designation
Pocai Vineyard
Harvest Date
September 20th
Acid
6.08 g/L
pH
3.58
Aging
17 months in French oak barrels; 35% of which was new French oak
Alcohol %
15.2
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Fresh concentrated plum jam with orange peel and Campari hit the nose while the palate is teased with butterscotch, dark cherry, leather, and white pepper. Violets and blackberry are secondary notes that accompany orange blossom and tobacco leaf.
Vineyard Notes
The Pocai Vineyard has been continuously farmed by our family for over 100 years, ever since Betty Ballentine’s grandfather purchased it in 1906. Purchased with a pile of gold coins, Pocai Vineyard is the heart and soul of the Ballentine Family Estate. This vineyard is located on the southern edge of the Calistoga Appellation. The soil is Bale gravelly loam, the rockiest soil of our three vineyards, and the fertility of the soil is low, but the drainage is excellent and is perfect for growing powerful red grapes.
Winemaker Notes
We press off the Petite Sirah at dryness and barrel age in French oak for a period of 17 months. The wine is racked a little more rigorously over its life than some of our wines to allow the tannins to mature and body to develop with the additional exposure to air while racking. We bottle on the younger side to keep that vibrant fruit as bright as possible.
Food Pairing Notes
Smoked meats, BBQ or chocolate dessert
Production
227 cases
Other Notes
98% Petite Sirah
1% Cabernet Sauvignon
1% Zinfandel