7 awesome Petit Syrahs from California to drink right now.

Published November 9, 2023.

If you ask a small group of wine lovers if they have ever tasted wine made from Petite Syrah, most would answer in the negative. This is absolutely unfortunate, because if you're looking for a wine that has abundant fruit flavor and rich color, Petite Syrah should be on your list. To be honest, Petite Syrah is not one of the traditional aristocratic grape varieties, in fact, it is quite young. It was created in 1880 by François Duriv at his agricultural laboratory in Montpellier, France, from a random cross between Peloursin and Syrah. Durive took credit for the resulting grape and prominently named it in his honor. In France and''In Australia it is still called Durive, but when it arrived in California in 1878 it was mistaken for Syrah and given the nickname "Petite Syrah" because of its low grape yields. It was originally used to produce dark colored juice for Port style fortified wines, but is now used as a varietal wine or for blending. The vineyard changed the spelling from Syrah to Syrah, and wine lovers should be happy to know that most of the cultivation of Petite Syrah is in the United States. Even California has a group of winemakers called PS, I Love You (psiloveyou.org), which is an organization that supports Petite Syrah.

With California in mind, here are seven California Petite Sirahs worth trying now.

McNab Ridge 2020 Petite Sirah Mendocino County''California

The McNab Valley in Mendocino is named for Alexander McNab, a Scottish immigrant who raised sheep on his 10,000-acre estate. Dog owners will be happy to know that the McNab breed originated from this area and is still widely used as herding dogs. The Parducci family purchased the valley land over 70 years ago to grow grapes, and today winemaker Rich Parducci continues the family winemaking tradition. His 2020 Petite Syrah has a rich garnet color with aromas of black currants, black blackberries and a hint of jalapeño. It is big and juicy on the tongue with flavors of ripe black fruit, cedar and tobacco leaf. Can be drunk now or anytime over the next eight to ten years. Buy it now: $22

Ovis 2017'. 'Betsy'\'s Vineyard Petite Sirah High Valley California

This varietal Petite Sirah is grown in a vineyard in the High Valley region of Lake County, California using sustainable practices. The unique soils in this region were formed by ancient lava flows that still impart volcanic flavors and minerality to the wines. Ovis 2017 has aromas of ripe red cherry, freshly ground black pepper and red plum. It has a silky tannin structure with flavors of cherry, wet river pebbles, nutmeg and clove, great mouth feel and a long aftertaste. Buy it now: $68

Aratas 2017 Shake Ridge Vineyard Petite Sirah Amador County California

The grapes for this Petite Sirah are grown at elevations between 1,600 and 1,800 feet in the Sierra Foothills in the county''Amador, where the vines can experience a fifty degree difference in day and night temperatures. This large difference concentrates the sugars in the grapes during the day and intensifies the acidity at night. This gorgeous wine has aromas of black raspberry, finely ground black pepper and cassis. It has elegant and rounded tannins with flavors of cinnamon spice, anise and black raspberries. Buy it now: $58

Stanton Vineyards 2019 Petite Sirah St.

Jesse Stanton purchased the 100-acre vineyard in Yountville in 1947, and today his son John and grandson Doug personally care for the vines. They also maintain three other vineyards in Napa Valley, two in St. Helena and one in Oakville. Their 2019 is a brilliant garnet color with aromas of red raspberry,''Black currant and vanilla with rounded tannins and flavors of black raspberry, black plum and a hint of butterscotch in the aftertaste. Buy Now: $65

Herman Story 2021 First Time Caller Petite Sirah Paso Robles California

Winemaker Russell Frome makes great wines with unusual names. In addition to First Time Caller, some of his other wines are called Late Bloomer, Bolt Cutter and Casual Encounters. For this delightful bottle of 2021, the vote went to his Petite Syrah grapes from France Kamp and Shell Creek Vineyards in Paso Robles County. After crush and fermentation, the wine is aged in 82% new French oak for 18 months. First Time Caller has a deep purple color with aromas of blueberry pie, dark roasted espresso beans and black currants. It is big and bold on the tongue with flavors of jam from''Black raspberry, fresh black plum and a hint of mochi in the aftertaste. Only 575 cases have been released. Buy Now: $73

Robert Biale Vineyards 2021 Royal Punishers Petite Sirah Rutherford Napa Valley California

The story of Robert Biale Vineyards begins with 14-year-old Aldo Biale, who helped his mother sell eggs and vegetables over the phone for extra income. The problem was that there was still a telephone "common line" in Napa Valley in the 1940s, so Aldo came up with the code word "black chicken" to include a bottle of contraband Zinfandel in the order. Aldo's son, Robert Bialya, continues the family tradition and makes a fantastic Zinfandel, but also makes a terrific Petite Syrah. The 2021 of his has a deep purple color with aromas of blueberry, black''Plum, espresso and cassis. It has generous and well-balanced tannins with flavors of prune molasses, turmeric, cocoa and a touch of crushed black pepper in the lingering aftertaste. Buy it now: $50

Ridge Vineyards 2020 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah Dry Creek Valley California

Ridge is best known for their Monte Bello, which the winery first released in 1962, also known for their gorgeous Zinfandel. Their Petite Syrah is a favorite of many wine connoisseurs, and the 2020 Litton Estate certainly meets all expectations. It has a deep purple color with aromas of cassis, red plum and black plum. The midpalate is bright with flavors of blueberry pie, black raspberry jam, smoked delicacy and cinnamon spice in the aftertaste. Buy''now: $47

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