October Lehigh Valley Chapter Tasting
Petite Sirah
Saturday, October 24, 2020 5 PM
Hosts: Judi Roggie and Tom Harbin
Virtual Event on Zoom
Join Judi Roggie and Tom Harbin on a Zoom session at 5pm Saturday October 24th to explore one of their favorite grape varieties, Petite Sirah.
Petite Sirah is a rich, dark, inky grape that has been grown in California since the 1880’s. These purple wines are often described as having flavors of black pepper, blueberries, and spice. The PA state stores carry quite a selection of Petite Sirah wines, although many of them are not readily available in the Lehigh Valley. We are going to sample two wines that are in good supply in the Lehigh Valley that Wine Enthusiast recommends and one old favorite that was presented at a Wine & Swine a few years ago and rated very highly against some far more expensive labels. We think that it is helpful to have a wine that can serve as a benchmark when exploring some that you have not tried before. These wines all keep very well for at least a few days, and sometimes even seem to improve overnight.
Store availability is as of September 6th.
Chronic Cellars Suite Petite (PRODUCT CODE: 2210) is selling for $15.99. Wine Enthusiast rates the 2018 vintage at 91 and describes it as:
Aromas of strawberry and boysenberry meet with smoked beef, violet and tar on the nose of this bottling, which includes 11% Syrah. Char and tar flavors are brushed with more elegant purple- flower and black-plum tones on the balanced palate. M.K. Published 7/1/2020
The vintage may vary from 2018.
Lehigh County has it at 10 stores with the most stock at Cedar Crest (21) and Krocks Rd (26).
Northampton County has it at 2 stores, Northampton Crossings (17) and Freemansburg (3)
2017 High Valley Vineyard Petite Sirah (PRODUCT CODE: 79239) is a Chairman’s Selection selling for $13.99. Wine Enthusiast rates the 2017 vintage at 89 and describes it as:
Very dark, very concentrated and very tannic, this massive wine offers grilled meat and pencil-lead aromas, superdark chocolate and black-pepper flavors underlain by blackberries. The tannins are dense, tight and thick in the texture,
needing a long time to resolve. Best after 2025. — J.G. Published 8/1/2020
You may want to decant this one.
Lehigh County has it at 5 stores with the most stock at Promenade (76), Cedar Crest (67) and Krocks Rd (50).
Northampton County has it at 2 stores, Northampton Crossings (56) and Freemansburg (42).
Spellbound Petite Sirah (PRODUCT CODE: 8576) is selling at $14.99. It’s familiar to many of us and has been consistently good from vintage to vintage and is always approachable and pleasant. 2016 or 2017 is probably on the shelf currently, but if you bought some on sale recently any vintage from 2015 to 2018 is fine.
Lehigh County has it at 9 stores with the most stock at Promenade (16), Allen St (13), and 12 each at Lehigh St, Lehigh Shopping Center, and Fogelsville.
Northampton County has it at 8 stores, with the most at Hellertown (14), 4th Street Bethlehem (13), Stefko Blvd (12), and Freemansburg (12).
