2007 Epiphany Cellars Santa Barbara County Petite Sirah
Operative’s Choice: Top Santa Barbara Selection
Mission Codename: Is it wine – or food?
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Respond to Operative requests (okay,demands) for another great wine from Epiphany
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Epiphany Cellars
Wine Subject: 2007 Petite Sirah Santa Barbara County
Winemaker: Blair Fox
Backgrounder: Operatives went wild for the last Epiphany Petite Sirah we featured. They made their love for the wine known by buying out every last bottle. For today’s wine, Agent Red was again dispatched to Epiphany, where he procured a small allotment of their newest Petite Sirah. Grape for this wine came from the winery’s own Camp Four and Rodney’s Vineyards. The grapes are clones of the fabled Palisades and Rockpile vines which are, originally, 100+ year clones from Rosenblum in Napa/Sonoma.
Petite Sirah’s California roots dates back to when it was believed to be a close relative of the Syrah grape. Later it would be found to be genetically identical to the Durif, named for its after French discoverer François Durif who found that the varietal was a Syrah grape pollinated with Peloursin flowers. Its smaller berries with higher skin to pulp ratio leads to more intense flavors. Another benefit of the smaller berries are tighter clusters that are more resistant to mildew. Currently Petite Sirah is less popular in France and increasingly popular in the United States
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Dense and opaque, this wine shows a dark purple core with gorgeous maroon at its edges. Swirl the wine and tall, wine-stained tears take a long time to emerge – and an even longer time to run down the inside of the glass.
Smell – Bold and perfumy, aromas of blackberry, bramble, black plum, black pepper, coffee beans, dried meats, dark baker’s chocolate and anise all leap from the glass.
Feel – Initially cool and light on entry, the wine quickly becomes full-bodied and very rich. After a moment, it becomes chewy and grippy with big tannins and a great acidity that shows at the edges of the tongue.
Taste – Big blackberry, blueberry, dark plum and mixed dark berry jam take the lead. These are followed by earthy cocoa dust, espresso, toasty vanilla oak, pepper and soft dark spice.
Finish – Plump and ripe with black fruit that lingers for a long time. As the black fruit diminishes, dark chocolate, black licorice and soft oak appear, then fading quickly. A hint of black pepper persists for a long time.
Conclusion – The 2007 Epiphany Cellars Santa Barbara Petite Sirah is a fantastic wine from a fantastic vintage. 2007 has proven to be such a consistent winner for California wines, and this ‘07 Petite only reinforces our rapture with the vintage, the varietal and Epiphany. This wine is bold and big. It fills the mouth – without knocking your teeth out, as some PS can tend to do. We really enjoyed sampling this wine in small sips and big mouthfuls, each variation revealing different characteristics of flavor and feel. A great wine to sip, discuss and really enjoy, we believe that it makes an outstanding companion for a hearty meal. Pair this wine with a grilled Porterhouse, French onion soup (with tons of Gruyere) or an assortment of hard cheeses and spicy Italian sausages. Drinking beautifully, now, this wine can likely age for another decade or more. Be sure to get enough to try throughout the next several years.
Mission Report:
Pardon us, but we were unable to secure an interview with Blair Fox, today. With bottling in full swing, Blair was too busy to sit with us. We’ll be sure to conduct a full debrief with Blair, in an upcoming Epiphany Cellars feature.
WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER
SUBJECT: Blair Fox
DATE OF BIRTH: 10/74
PLACE OF BIRTH: Santa Barbara, CA
WINE EDUCATION: B.S. Viticulture and Enology, UCDavis
CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Enologist for Fess Parker Winery ‘99, Winemaker Sunstone Winery 99-02, Consultant winemaker Fess Parker Winery 02, Vintage Winemaker- Haselgrove Winery- McLaren Vale South Australia 03, Associate Winemaker in charge of the Rhone Varietal programs at Fess Parker 03-05, Head Winemaker for Fess Parker Winery 05-present
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: I spend a lot of time in the vineyard because I feel that wines are truly made in the vineyard. I try to show the different qualities of the different vineyards and create wines with distinct varietal character.
SIGNATURE VARIETAL: I have always been particularly fond of Syrah.
CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Traveling throughout the Rhone Valley in France and tasting some of the best examples of Syrah and other Rhone varietals the world has to offer.
WINEMAKER QUOTE: I feel privileged to work with some of the best vineyards and fruit in Santa Barbara County.
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Epiphany Cellars in Solvang can be seen in this satellite photo.
