New York Store
Contra Costa County Petite Sirah Three Wine Company 2018 NY
Tasting Notes: For this wine, the Petite Sirah grapes come from a mature vineyard in the Contra Costa County. Moderate growing conditions, combined with the sandy-loam soil of the vineyard, lead... to low-yields, small berry clusters, and concentrated fruit flavors. In the glass, the wine is a dark purple color, with a jet-black center. The nose has a complex aroma of ripe blueberries, crème de cassis, black mission figs, and sweet rosemary. On the palate, the wine is supple and juicy, with notes ripe black fruits, dark chocolate, baking spices, and white pepper. Read More
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Matt Cline, winemaker at the Three Wine Company, is noted as one of the original champions of single-vineyard, old-vine Zinfandel. This puts him in a select group of winemakers, such as Joel Peterson at Ravenwood in Sonoma, and Paul Draper at Ridge Vineyards in Santa Cruz. Before establishing the Three Wine Company in 2006, Matt Cline had a strong career in the wine industry, which included working with his brother Fred Cline at Cline Cellars and as a founder of Trinitas Cellars. Today, Matt Cline produces powerful red wines from grapes that are mostly purchased under contract with third and fourth generation farmers, who maintain ancient parcels in the Contra Costa County towns of Oakley and Lodi.
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California has a rich history of vine growing beginning in 1769 when Padre Junipero Serra is believed to have brought vinifera cuttings with him from Mexico, when he established the Mission San Diego. With the secularization of the Franciscan missions in 1830, commercial winegrowing was established throughout the state, though on a fairly small scale. Vinifera vines from Italy and Southern France were brought to the U.S. by immigrant farmers building their new lives in America. By 1840, Contra Costa County was one of the most important viticultural areas in the U.S. Prohibition destroyed the large market for Zinfandel and Mataro (also known as Mourvèdre in the South of France), with only small plantings left for local consumption. Just outside the town of Oakley, many of these small plantings survive on original rootstock in sandy, desert-like conditions that have protected them from the ravages of phylloxera. The yield from these centenarian vines are extremely small, and flavors are concentrated.
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The Petite Sirah grape is a crossing of Syrah and the now nearly extinct Peloursin. In the late nineteenth century, this variety was propagated by French botanist François Durif, and today, it is also known by the name of Durif. Its other name of Petite Sirah is a reference to the small berry size. Wines made from this variety are often full-bodied and tannic, with flavors of dark berry fruit, cacao, and black pepper.
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This wine has worked well with roasted game birds, lamb roasts, grilled lamb, and rack of lamb. It's a big wine that pairs well with "big" dishes.
