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EP 808 Petite Sirah Tasting

Gary focuses on an interesting grape called Petite Sirah and tastes 3 from Napa Valley.

Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Elyse Petite Sirah RutherfordNapa Petite Sirah
2005 Corte Riva Petite SirahNapa Petite Sirah
2006 Robert Foley Pepperland Petite SirahNapa Petite Sirah


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luca bercelli

89/100

lines of the day – ‘Lady Gaga got screwed at the Grammys’ and ‘This is not what you want to serve at a house party if you love your carpet’

Tags: napa, Petite, red, review, Sirah, Video, wine, wines

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  • leif

    hey im sorry but banyules is from languedoc roussillon not from the rhone but still love ya show 😉

  • zman15

    Keep the facts at the beginning of the show coming. Just fully getting into wine and they're very helpful.
    Even though you were disappointed in the showing today it still gave me some insight on a varietal I don't have much experience with so I'm definitely going to check a few out.

    QOTD: Avatar

  • Domdomi

    Exactly !!!!

  • lorensonkin

    I am a fan of PS. That said, the Elyse has gone down in quality, for my tastes, in the last five years. I used to buy it every vintage, but stopped after 2002.

    In 2006 Foley bottled two PS's (I forgot why). Instead of the usual bottling, he split them up. I liked the Muscleman, not as much as the regular from prior years, but I agree. The Pepperland is weak and certainly not why I buy PS. Try the Muscleman, I think you will like it better anyway. The 03 Foley may be the best PS i have ever had.

    Love how these wines age.

  • Boxes, I don't carry or buy boxes, Bottles is my thing, the more the heavier 🙂

  • Aaron

    2006 Bogle Petite Syrah!!!! 'Nuf Said!!! Especially when you can pick it up on sale at the local liquor store. Peep Gary's review of this “Darling” of a wine: http://tv.winelibrary.com/2009/01/16/petite-sir…

  • John Angelo Santamaria

    QOTD 1: The timing of this episode is uncanny. I just viewed this episode on Wednesday, but I tasted my first ever Petite Sirah on Monday the day this episode was released. I opened an '05 Carver-Sutro that was offered on Cindy last month and I really enjoyed it. Actually it was even better the second day when I finished the bottle. Glad I picked up three bottles.

    QOTD 2: The first disappointment that comes to mind was last year when I attended the early IMAX Premiere event of “Star Trek.” I was wanting and expecting so much from that movie and J.J. Abrams just let me down. 😉

  • Not much experience with PS but have enjoyed 2007 McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah. The 2008 is now available. Not only do we like it, it is available for 9-10 bones.

  • pawncop

    Have not had a pure Petite Sirah only blends.

    Was ever so slightly disappointed with the steakhouse I took my wife to for our 25th wedding anniversary. It certainly was good but not outstanding as I had recalled.

  • jpsbean

    We have been watching you on Tivo for a few months now… big fans! I finally got on your websight to give you a thumbs up to you and your show.

  • Rich

    QOTD: I've had a decent experience with Petite Sirah. Everything from low level bottles of Crane Lake, to better bottles like August Briggs from Lake County, and Quixote from Napa. But you're right, they do lack a mid-palate, but they're full of blueberries and chocolate which is something my wife loves!
    QOTD2: Something I was disappointed at was, we had this blind tasting with 5 cabernet wines, and they were all supposed to be $10 a bottle. Well, I snuck in a $50 bottle of Silver Oak Alexander Valley, and you know what? It came in 5th place. After we unwrapped the bottles, people we're like, “we can't believe that came in last”. We finished off every bottle, except for the Silver Oak. That was disheartening.

  • is anyone else having issues with WLTV podcasts from iTunes not playing on there iPods? I have an iPod Touch and i have been going nuts. I can d/l the podcast but i can not play it! The error msg is “unrecognizable file format”

  • Anonymous

    Yep, been a fan of tool for almost 20 years. The principle of the third eye( or the inner eye) has been around for a long long long time in Hinduism and Buddhism. It is definitely Pretty cool stuff.If you like the artwork for tool check out their artist Alex Grey,he is awesome.

  • Gary, Great show! I appreciate your educating us on Petite Syrah!

    QOTD: I've only tried the Bogle PS, as many of the viewers.. A good value wine and available by-the-glass at many Northern Calif restaurants. I've heard that the McManis PS is the best $10 red wine out there (again, as many of your viewers have already stated). I agree completely that PS is good, a once-in-a-while wine.

    QOTD II: Hmmmm… well not impressed with a $60 Pisoni Pinot Noir that I recently tasted.

  • looper1313

    Love petite syrah. Really surprised by the lack of thunder.
    Maybe you should have had a steak with these wines, like the guy on man vs. food that I am watching right now. He ate a 48oz. porterhouse in 20 min.
    Best Petite Syrah that I have had in a while.
    Stags Leap 2005

  • Weston3220

    qotd1: had one at a wine event, had a couple drinks, we all did and a guy brought a petite sirah out and was fantastic but I think because it is so over the top and big with a couple of drinks how could you not love it

    qotd2: the 2006 bordeaux the french embassy put on pfft

  • NIB

    Love the PS

  • bobjenson

    A client who I was designing a website for first recommened me to check out your site as the perfect example of an interactive and social site – I've been hooked ever since!
    Please review some New Zealand wines (now living in this wonderful country) 🙂
    Cheers,
    Bob – Action Online

  • Let me know when you revamp your site, and keep up the great work!

    Thanks for the beer labels. I’ll check my beer distributor here in town and see if I can pick some up or order some. I used to live in San Diego, CA and you could get just about any beer or wine from a wonderful store called BevMo. Here in Boise, you have to get a little creative.

  • KAHUNA

    I would buy another case of it for sure

  • #1 I usually like PS, but agree that a little goes a long way.

    #2 Oregon Pinot Noir. Don't understand the hype. Watery and blah…

  • winecutter

    QOTD #1: PS is kind of like Viognier…if done right it can be amazing. If done wrong, it can be very disappointing. I had a Sean Thackrey PS that was one of the best wines I have ever had.
    QOTD #2: What is something that I went into with great expectations that has let me down? My job.

  • boomy13

    Lets see. For me, the Petite Sirah's I have had were a bit too sweet and one dimensional. I wanted to like them more than I liked them. QOTD2, how about non that I can think of at the time. Am in too positive of a mood to dwell on a downer.

    Thanks again Gary.

  • A.S

    Never had a 100% Petite Sirah wine. But I will try one in the nearest future!

  • jayhitek

    Love Petite Sirah. Glad you did a show on it.
    QOTD1: See above. Love it.
    QOTD2: The Vayniac Cab.. Sorry man. It's a good bottle that I enjoyed drinking, but for $40… I think there is a lot out there for that kind of money. Oh well. Live and learn. We tried.

  • VS

    yes I ahve the same issues for the last several episodes. I am going nuts as well.

  • Robert

    Gary, Gary, Gary…really eviscerate Rommel who made the Corte Riva. It's his own label. Although
    he's worked with Bob Foley at Pride Mountain for many years, Bob didn't make the wine. Surprising you'd have Corte Riva with Foley's Petite.

  • I agree with you that you have put out a lot of great show for this week. I absolutely loved the scoobie doo comment. Nothing like the Mystery Mobile.

    QOTD 1: I have only had a few petite sirahs in my life.
    QOTD 2: In the past few years I have loved all the wines produced at Oliver Winery, a family owned winery in Bloomington, IN (Go Hoosiers!!). I recently visited the vineyard and was very disappointed in their most recent wines. They have really let themselves go and it shows in their wines. They moved from wonderful Syrah's and Cabs, to honey wines and cheap easy-to-sell $6 red table wines. Hopefully they get a wake up call soon and move back to their roots.

  • have you updated your ipod recently? I had that issue and I just put the newest update on it and they work fine now.

  • I'm getting excited about this weekend Dominus!! I'm here in Indy and I love the vib we've had all week. Go Colts!!!!

  • JayZee13

    Weird show. I like Petite Sirah quite a bit, but my favorite example of it is Shafer's Relentless Syrah which is mostly Syrah with a good dose of Petite Sirah blended in. I also have enjoyed the Consilience Petite Sirah quite a bit over the years. I think today you gave me a new perspective on scores. I have always thought of a 90 point wine as a good, solid, delicious wine. You used those words in this episode, but scored two of the wines much lower than your notes would have implied. Maybe just a bad day.

    QOTD: My wife and I went to see the Cohen brothers latest movie, “A Serious Man” and I usually love their movies, but this one left me sort of empty and blase.

  • John__J

    qotd 1: Love petite sirah, one of my fav varietals. A Stag's Leap petite syrah (as they label it), might be the wine that really got me into wine. With that beings said, there are scores of bad petite sirah's out there.
    Robert foley does make a good charbono.
    qotd: The 1st red wine I had from Jura, can't even remember what it was. I have had ones since that had great q.p.r.'s

  • A dumb Rhein king

    QOTD1: I love Petite Sirah.

    QOTD2: A Chicago vacation. It is so riddled with people who nonstop hassle you for your hard earned money. About a quarter of the time they were down right aggressive. I've been in quite a few large cities for extended periods, so I know the game, but Chicago was the worst by far. I've been there twice now and I personally don't see the attraction to the place.

  • Robinelle

    The video is not working well for me tonight, but I love petite syrah and had a good one recently from Sebastopol. I thought I heard that someone called you a fraud for some reason. I guess when you're in the public eye you have to develop as thick a skin as Rahm Emanuel must have by now.

  • Mike

    I love Petite Sirah. So what if it is somewhat one demensional……as long as you don't overpay. Bogle , McMannis. Parducci. Make no mistake…….this wine needs to be paired with food. Let the good times roll.

  • BradinCleveland

    I love Petite Sirah, but you should have been in Lodi, not Napa. Vino Con Brio makes the first and best I've ever had. Lodi also produces some great PS/Zin blends, like VCB's Matzin or Bogle's Phantom.

  • tommyb2

    QOTD: I've had 1 Petit Sirah from Mexico – a 2005. It was OK but quite jammy.

    Had an 2005 Barolo the other day – it was slightly dissappointing but it only cost me a tenner – you get what you pay for…

  • James

    Gary,
    Can you do a tasting with Alicante Bouchet wines

  • Rob

    Passed up a perfect opportunity – Michael David Petite Petit from Lodi. 85% Petite Sirah and 15% of your favorite Petit Verdot.

  • erikwait

    When I taste an over the top wine (like a Petite Syrah) that sell for $40+, I go back to one that is under $20 that I KNOW is a reliable “go to” wine and do another comparison. It makes me appreciate the “value priced” wine even more. I'd be curious to compare these wines to a simple grocery store bought $9 Petite Syrah such as Bogle.

    To Rob, I work in and frequent the Lodi wine country and in my opinion the Michael David Petite Syrah from Lodi is is WAY too hot. The alcohol is really out of balance as are most of MD's wines.

  • Whit Creech

    Question – For the Petite Sirah tasting what glass did you use?

  • Craig Cooper

    Idea for show:Organic wines (you know dude for us sandal wearing,seed munching,green tea drinking vegans who love wine)Love your shoe.Signed recent convert.

  • fatherthechair

    QOTD1: I've tasted one Petite Sirah (Rosenblum Heritage Clones 2006) and my experience was very similar to yours on this episode. I found the wine to be comically hyperjammy and one dimensional– a nuclear bomb filled with raspberry jam, not much else. One discussion board poster left the comment that it was “slutty,” which I think is the perfect word; it sounds like this is the same experience you had with these three. BTW, it seems to be very difficult not to use male-female relationship comparisons when describing wine. They just seem to fit.

    QOTD2: Got promoted and started reporting to a great mentor at work, then 5 months later the company restructured and everything changed, not for the better. Still employed there, staying positive and making the best of it.

  • garyleak

    Fun to include a $9 Bogle Petite Syrah in the mix.

  • garyleak

    BTW, it seems to be very difficult not to use male-female relationship comparisons when describing wine. They just seem to fit.

    That's what she said.

  • jsums

    QOTD 1 – PS for me can occasionally be brilliant when there's balance and secondary complexity, but most PS I've had were very tasty yet very boring fruit bombs propped up by solid tannins. I think it may take some slightly cooler weather to really find it's voice. The best ones I've had were from the cooler spots in Cali. QOTD 2 – Most red Burgundy I've had. Maybe I'm not drinking the right ones or something (have had several mid-range '05 though, which is actually quite expensive relative to most other regions). Don't get me wrong, I don't want my PN tasting like syrah…which happens far too often in Cali, but how about some balance and charm? That's what great Oregon PN does for me. Balance. Acid AND fruit AND earth, mushroom, forest floor AND silky structure AND it doesn't cost me a freaking fortune. I don't know. Maybe it's me? Maybe I just don't get Burgundy? I've just spent so much money trying to like it, and almost always leave each bottle disappointed.

  • chukheadted

    wow–gary–bravo on the slam dunk references and imitations hahah!

  • Those are some expensive wines for how disappointed you were GV.

    QOTD1: I don't know too much about PS. People always ask me the difference between Petite Sirah and Syrah, so I'm trying to learn more. It would be nice to see another show with some more affordable ones.
    QOTD2: Every Golden State Warriors season…

  • We have just released our second vintage of South Africa's first and only Petite Sirah. IMHO it is looking like it is going to really do awesome stuff in our country. It could be real interesting to do a county comparison of this varietal? Diggin the show as usual. Cheers

  • Mike in C-town

    Totally with you on the Oregon PN vs. the Cali ON

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