Varietal: 100% Petite Sirah
Region: Livermore Valley – California – USA
Cost: $15 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: 2008 Petite Sirah, Conservancy has fantastic depth and character. It exhibits a rich nose of fresh berry fruit, and the flavorful palate shows blackberries, chocolate, mocha, and plums. Subtle notes of molasses, cedarwood, and rip mulberries are complemented by soft, creamy oak tones and a smooth, silky finish. Pairs well with barbecued chicken or your favorite lamb recipe.
My Review: It’s been a little less than a year since I tried the 2007 Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah, so I was pleased to see the 2008 vintage show up at my office recently, as there’s something to be said for seeing how a wine changes from year to year. Unlike the previous vintage, the 2008 Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah is 100% Petite Sirah, with none of the Petit Verdot that made its way into last year’s vintage.
In the glass the wine was a dark, almost inky reddish-purple color. A fairly generic berry aroma was all I got on the nose, and I say generic to mean that no particular fruit jumped out at me. In the mouth I got berry, chocolate, and cedar. The finish was as silky as advertised, which would make this wine great for sipping on just by itself.
Paired with a dinner of grilled BBQ chicken and corn on the cob (wrapped in sprinkled with Old Bay, wrapped in foil, and thrown on the grill) it was the perfect compliment. The weather here in Richmond was perfect on Sunday so my wife and I enjoyed both our meal and the bottle out on the deck, thanks in no small part to daylight savings time keeping light back there around dinner.
Concannon is currently celebrating their 50th anniversary as America’s first Petite Sirah, so now is a great time to try out their wines, particularly the Petite Sirah. If you can’t find the 2008 Petite Sirah at your local store you can order it online by following this link. I definitely enjoyed this wine and I think you will too.
