So as part of an evening of sharing five pricier wines with some friends, I opened a vertical of Petite Sirah from True Grit – 2004, 2005, 2006. I’d been looking for an excuse to open three wines at once, and having half a dozen friends over seemed like as good a reason as any – I got to share some wine, and I got to get other opinions on them from other people.
So which was my favourite? Which was the house favourite? Let’s jump in and find out.
2004 True Grit Petite Sirah
Varietal: 97% Petite Sirah; 3% Viognier
Cost: $50 (SRP)
Region: Mendocino County, CA
This was hands down my favourite of the night. It was big, round, smooth, and featured great earth notes balanced by dark fruit. Sometimes petite sirah can be too jammy or have too much licorice/anise notes for me, but none of that was a problem here, and while I often shy away from $50 wines (I’m not made of money), this bottle was absolutely worth every penny.
2005 True Grit Petite Sirah
Varietal: 92% Petite Sirah; 8% Grenache
Cost: $50 (SRP)
Region: Mendocino County, CA
So if the 2004 was my favourite, the 2005 was the house favourite. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the 2005, just that I (and my palate) preferred the older vintage. The 2005 was more fruit forward (though not in any way a fruit bomb), and was a bit juicier in the mouth compared to the 2004. That being said, it was excellent and was also worth the asking price.
2006 True Grit Petite Sirah
Varietal: 94% Petite Sirah; 4% Grenache; 2% Syrah
Cost: $50 (SRP)
Region: Mendocino County, CA
So the 2006 was a tricky one for me. I didn’t find it demonstrably different than the 2005, which isn’t in and of itself a condemnation (I liked the 2005), but if I can’t tell a big enough difference, it’s hard to justify buying one over the other for me. The 2006 did continue the trend of the 2005 in being more fruit forward than the older vintages, which gives me encouragement for its potential to age.
Wrapping Up
I’ve done similar tastings to this at wineries and at special events, but there’s something fun about getting to do it at home with friends. If you’ve never done a vertical tasting I can’t recommend it enough; if you’ve only ever done them at wineries, don’t rule out setting one up at home and doing it with friends – it’s a great time, fun to see how different people view the wines, and the perfect excuse to open wine with friends (you know, if you need that sort of thing).
Editor’s Note: I received these wines as free samples for review.
