2020 BARRA Reserve Petite Sirah – Wine as Dark as the Shadows of Night
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
BARRA of Mendocino has a new label for their line of Reserve wines which are all CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers). It is in honor of a historic oak tree found on its home ranch on the Redwood Valley Vineyards. It is both a foiled oak and grape leaves, embossed on a black background. On the back of the bottle it states it is symbolic of their 70 year history making wine as in “Like an old oak tree, our roots run deep”. Martha Barra, winery owner and co-founder stated “A powerful icon in our vineyards, the oak tree represents wisdom and knowledge, strength and endurance, stability and honesty”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Charlie followed his father and maternal grandfather who migrated to Mendocino County from Piedmont, Italy in 1906. Charlie began farming grapes in the mid 1940’s and in 1954 purchased Redwood Valley Vineyards. He worked vigorously with Karl Wente, Robert Mondavi and others to be one of the first growers of many varietals planted on the North Coast. Today the ranch grows organically Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Muscat Canelli. Besides the BARRA of Mendocino label, they have two other labels, Girasole Vineyards and CORO Mendocino. Charlie passed in 2019 and his wife Martha who worked with him for almost 40 years, is heading the family winery which now stands at 350 acres and a 2.8 million gallon custom crush facility. They launched the BARRA of Mendocino Brand in 1997 and the Girasole Brand in 2003. Their son and daughter also have major responsibilities to keep the “family farm” running.
For more on BARRA’s CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) and Charlie’s 55 year history developing the land click below for details at:
The Wine 2020 BARRA Reserve Petite Sirah – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
With the statement on the title “Wine as Dark as the Shadows of Night” this wine is not so much lyrical and poetic as it is one of thunder, strength and boldness. First on the eyes the deep carverness black coloring is astonishing in the glass. Bright radiant purple hues surround the edges highlighting the uniqueness and purity of this wine. Showing a medium high viscosity while swirling. On the nose cherry was the dominant aroma wafting into the nose. On the palate an intense concentrated flavor of an amalgamation of blackberry, cherry and blueberry provided a “sweetness of flavor” but not sugary. Secondary flavors of earthiness, black pepper and a tinge of dark chocolate counterbalanced the fruit. The finish was bold and with strong tannins that provided a “chewiness” after sipping this dry and delightful wine. While tannins abounded initially, it morphed into a smooth and complex finish.
This wine was handpicked from their 27 acre hillside vineyard, Bella Collina, located high above the Ukiah valley at 1100 feet elevation. The wine was aged 18 months in 30% new French oak and the remaining in neutral barrels. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol and is listed at $28/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Chose this wine tonight to pair with a center cut large pork chop with a homemade rub, seared and BBQ’d to medium. Served with a drizzle of Cherry Pepper sauce over the slices of pork. A BBQ’d portabella mushroom along with long and short grain wild rice accompanied the meal. Also a “jumbo” artichoke completed a wonderful meal. The wine and the pork were a match made in heaven especially with the Cherry Pepper sauce.
I am personally amazed how BARRA Reserve wines are so excellent at such an extremely reasonable price points. This wine made my list of best tasted wines for 2023 in the less than $50 for value and taste!
Sláinte,
Michael