A Beefy Bastard: Petite Sirah's big taste belies its little name
© by Taylor Eason
A Beefy Bastard: Petite Sirah's big taste belies its little nameThe Petite Sirah grape arrived in America through a case of mistaken identity. A re-emerged bastard French wine child from royal pedigree, Petite Sirah is called Durif in many parts of the world. It was engineered in the late 1800s by a possibly egomaniacal French guy named ÷ you guessed it ÷ Durif. He cross-pollinated the venerated Syrah grape with an obscure French peasant grape called Peloursin to create a highly marketable, mildew-resistant variety. Legend has it that this miracle of science immigrated to the U.S. with a man named Charles McIver. A wily French fellow sold him the newly-christened grape and, finding them awfully small, McIver coined them Petite Syrah (spelling change happened later). An innocent story, but this clever nomenclature established a lifetime identity crisis for a hearty grape decidedly not petite in flavor.
With its dark, inky color and often-astringent tannins, bold and beautiful Petite Sirah provides oomph to an otherwise wimpy wine. Up until recently, its juice hid inside "field blend" bottles from California, mixed with the equally obscure Carignan and Grenache grapes. Then winemakers began bottling Petite Sirah as a single varietal wine, and the American public began a discreet love affair with this rejected soul.
But the rise to success and its recent renaissance hasn't been easy for this ill-named grape. In France ö where it's still called Durif -- winemakers admire its pest-resistance properties, but finicky French drinkers reject its flavor. The grape has practically died out there. Right now, of the 8,000 acres planted around the world, 7,000 of them reside in the U.S. But these figures may not be completely accurate ö many growers weren't sure they were growing Petite Sirah until 2003, when genetic testing revealed its true lineage. Then there's the name. Some American winemakers, nodding to the revered roots, incorrectly spell it Petite Syrah, and Australians, always the rebels, call it Durif.
Petite Sirah has traveled a bumpy road. But these days, aside from some hardcore wine geeks, no one seriously cares about its lineage. They just love this big, bold, in-your-face yet fruity wine. There's nothing shy or small about this grape, whose murky purple juice stains tongue and lips.
Having only one glass of this lusciously concentrated wine proves challenging. At its best, this varietal gushes ripe blackberry and dark cherry fruit, with some lovely rustic leatheriness on the palate. At its worst ÷ often when the grape grower has harvested too early ÷ it smacks of bright red fruit, green pepper and olives. But both of these spectrums have their loyal audiences, and this badass bastard deserves your allegiance.
To find out more about Petite Sirah, check out the fan club website: PS Iloveyou.org
Recommended Wines
Foppiano Vineyards 2008 Petite Sirah Russian River (Full disclosure: Author now works for this winery)
Michael and David 2008 Petite Petit Lodi
Bogle 2008 Petite Sirah California
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April 12, 2011
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