Matchbook Estate Bottled Petite Sirah 2020, Dunnigan Hills, California

Petite Sirah grown in the Dunnigan Hills produces the full-bodied, well-structured wine expected from this distinct varietal. This deeply colored red wine delivers on the aromatics: lots of sweet, brambly blackberry and saddle leather. The flavors are an intense mix of boysenberry, plum and blackberry jam, vanilla spice and nutmeg. The grape’s natural juiciness is mouth filling and a nice counter point to the dense tannins. The grapes were gently crushed, then fermented in small temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. A combination of specially selected yeast were used to enhance color and flavor extraction without harsh tannins. The tanks were pumped over multiple times a day until nearly dry, then pressed and aged the wine in a variety of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 16 months. Barrel lots of Petit Verdot were selected to enhance the Petite Sirah’s robust structure and intense flavor.