2017 LangeTwins Petite Sirah from One Hundred Acre Vineyard
The Winery
Established in Acampo (north of Lodi in the Central Valley of California), they have been around since 1870 as farmers and purchased their first vineyard in 1916. They have historically made some delicious wines but wanted further to enhance their presence in the market with an offering called their Single Vineyard Series. The winery has vineyards in Jahant, Mokelumne River, Clements Hills Appellations of Lodi as well as Clarksburg. The desired goal of the Single Vineyard Series is to make a wine that expresses the character and “terroir” of a specific area and their agricultural skills of sustainability and care.
The Wine
This is the first vintage Petite Sirah from the One Hundred Vineyard by LangeTwins. The Jahant AVA is the smallest of Lodi’s seven AVA’s. This area is unique as it sits on a river terrace and old flood plain with rich soils and deposits. The first thing you notice is the immensely deep color and the lushness of the viscosity. On the nose, aromas of blackberry and blueberry abound and beckon the first sip. Once on the palate, violet and bittersweet chocolate swirl with delight. The aging in both French and American oak adds just enough influence and spiciness to make a long and enjoyable lasting finish.
As an educational note, Petite Sirah is not a “smaller” version of Syrah as it is a wholly different varietal. The background on Petite Sirah is that it is the offspring of Syrah and Peloursin (a scarce and almost extinct grape).
The Food and Wine Pairing
Last evening pairing with the LangeTwins Petite Sirah was a pork chop sautéed in garlic, white wine and ground coarse black pepper. Accompanied with a fresh garden salad and Yukon Gold potato. I did a thin glaze of Tabasco on top of the pork chop and the Petite Sirah with its fruit was a smooth and soothing wine!
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 