Crane Lake Petite Sirah 2004

by Ethan Johnson
December 29, 2007

Cheap wines: Accept them before they destroy you! Or, perhaps life is too short to drink cheap wine. In either case, we can get all philosophical about liking or disliking a glass of:

Producer (Vineyard): Crane Lake Cellars
Varietal (Grape type): Petite Sirah
Vintage (Year): 2004
Country: USA (California)
Color: Red
Cost: Cheap ($5 USD)

Teh booze

Swirl and Sniff: The color is deep purple. It smelled like Windex™ in the early going, and transformed into black currant/grape as the wine sat.

Taste: Very watery on the edges, with grape-y flavors in the middle, with a sharp finish. This is a pretty thin wine for petite sirah, which should normally be "booming".

Pairing: I paired this with our holiday roast, mashed potatoes, and a creamy salad. The wine argued with the roast, was more or less agreeable with the potatoes, and was either acrid or very sympatico with the salad, depending on how much salad was in my mouth while adding some wine. I added a dark chocolate-coated biscuit (cookie) for dessert, and the wine was "ok" with the chocolate but didn't seem to enhance the experience any.

Rating: When it comes to this wine, I would (and you may):

  • Buy three or more bottles for regular enjoyment
  • Buy a bottle or two for occasional enjoyment
  • Ask for when dining out or at a party
  • Settle for if your preferred wine is not available
  • Politely decline and never drink again, ever

I keep threatening to review my all-time favorite producer of this varietal (thus far), but keep trying out other contenders for my Petite Sirah love. I didn't have any illusions that Crane Lake was going to be my go-to producer for this or any other varietal, and while it was an OK dinner wine for hardly any money, I'd prefer to keep it real with my favorite. That is, whenever I get to pulling the cork on it. Anyway, if you see this wine around, give it a whirl, but keep your expectations low. At least the price is right.

If you do give this a try, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The Totally Unpretentious Wine Reviews Index may be found here.)

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baught it at big lots for $3
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2008-01-10 23:07.

baught it at big lots for $3 drank 6 bottles loved it

Petite Sirah choices
Submitted by Lee from Lorain (not verified) on Tue, 2008-01-15 10:30.

OK, you've teased us enough! What IS your brand-of-choice for Petite Sirah? I prefer the 2002 Meeker Dibble Vineyard myself, but I really haven't tasted a wide range of Petite Sirah yet (too hard to find this variety in Ohio, most wine shops only carry 2 to 4 different brands of Petite Sirah!). Some of the local grocers carry Crane lake, but none carry the Petite Sirah.

Lee

Tease
Submitted by ethan on Tue, 2008-01-15 19:43.

I was going to reveal my fave, but then the bottle I had stashed was skunky, and now nobody seems to sell it locally. (??!!) If I can't find it soon I'll spill the Petite Sirah beans with well-wishing for whoever wants to seek it out. I bought another trial bottle since I apparently have to find a new favorite - if I want to drink petite sirah ever again.

If you live in the midwest
Submitted by Heather (not verified) on Sat, 2008-03-29 00:04.

If you live in the midwest you can buy crane lake cab suav, merlot, chard, or wht zin for $3.29 a bottle at Meijer. For the price it is def a decent wine. much better than gallo or sutter home, which you will spend more money on.

WE had Crane Lake petit
Submitted by larry (not verified) on Sun, 2008-03-30 23:41.

WE had Crane Lake petit sirah 2005 the other day, and went back to buy four more bottles today. A delightful light wine, no tannins, no harshness, smooth and pleasant. A good wine for everyday drinking, and one you can annoy your wine snobs friends with.