California's Jewel Petite Sirah 2005

by Ethan Johnson
January 16, 2008

Where, oh where has my favorite Petite Sirah gone? While I'm hunting around for it (the scarcer it gets, the less likely I am to chase after it), I found this suitor at good old World Market. Pop, goes the synthetic cork:

Producer (Vineyard): Global Wine Group
Varietal (Grape type): 100% Petite Sirah
Vintage (Year): 2005
Country: USA (California)
Color: Red
Cost: Inexpensive ($10 USD)

Teh booze

Swirl and Sniff: The color is light purple. Berry-ish scents right off the initial pour. The bottle claims "blueberries", which may be true. Definitely cherry to darker berry.

Taste: Sma-ooth. Blueberries indeed. Lightly tannic (they're there, if you wait a second for that dried-up tongue feeling), and none of the watery edge feeling I've been plagued with lately. Smooth sailing down the gullet.

Pairing: I drank this because I felt like it. If I were drinking this with food, I'd go the steaks and stews route. But perfectly fine on its own. Dare I say...?

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

If my usual favorite cannot be procured easily (it seems to be vanishing locally), I do declare this is my new favorite Petite Sirah. I suspect we'll be seeing more of this "Jewel" line of wines. For the so-called "super premium" market (I think this means cheapie wines that sell a lot in marketing-speak), this seems like a good wine to have on hand, either for you, or your guests. I'm interested to find more of their varietals, especially the Lodi Zin.

FYI, this wine seems to have a shelf life (relative to the date on the bottle) of about 4 years. So drink this by 2009, apparently. Translation: This is not for long-term "cellaring".

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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