2013 Napa Valley Petite Sirah

Petite Sirah can truly be a diamond in the rough from some of California’s best producers.  Rich, velvety, dense, and – at Montelena at least- ageable, the wines are typically an excellent value.  Our dry-farmed Petite Sirah comes from 100 year old vines on the south-west side of Calistoga. As is the case in the vineyard–where ignoring the temptation for over-ripeness is paramount–in the cellar we grapple with the seemingly ubiquitous tendency to over-extract, and instead aim for balance, structure, and nuance, the cornerstones of great wine.