If you read my last post (and I sure hope you did) then you know that I like my Petite Sirahs BIG and peppery. I think my description was, “I want it to slam me against the wall.” When I take a first sip of that inky black juice and it feels like my hair is standing on end and my teeth turn purple, then I’m happy girl. You would think that because Petite Sirahs are, in contradiction of their name, really big wines to begin with, finding one that meets the aforementioned criteria would be easy. But it’s not as easy as it might seem. One of the complaints most leveled at Petite Sirah is that they can be overwhelmingly uninteresting. So I’m always on the lookout for those that are “my kind” of Petite Sirahs.
Enter Ira and his quest to find wines I’ll love at prices that don’t slam
him against the wall. Last fall, during one of our runs to Bottle Barn, Ira once again treated me to a case of wines that he picked out. In that case was this gem:
McManis Family Vineyards 2007 Petite Sirah, California that I pulled out of the stash this past week. Let me tell you, it was, the “big yahoo!” And for $8.69 (a Bottle Barn price to be sure but his wine is still in the “yahoo” price category of around $11-13), well let’s just say it isn’t often that a wine comes through this house that makes both Ira and I this happy.
With big, jammy blackberry, creamy vanilla, and white pepper on the hedonistically long finish, its sturdy, robust structure slaps you around a bit but just enough to put a smile on your face. Having said that, this wine, while big, bold, and aggressive also has an aura of elegance and finesse. Ultimately, though this wine makes you stand up and pay attention and creates the kind of excitement a roller coaster instills—exhilarating with a tinge of terror—and when the ride is over, you can’t wait to go back and do it again.
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