WTN: 1997 Behrens & Hitchcock Petite Sirah Old Vine

[Clint Hall]

It's funny how some wines that seem over the hill just need a little air to wake up. Last night we popped and poured a bottle of this 1997 Petite Sirah and found it tired and unyielding, but after the second half of the bottle overnighted in a 375, tonight it was singing, with plenty of fruit and about as tasty as this modest varietal gets, and every sip was better than the previous one. While old PSs tend to taste a lot like soup, this one held its tannins, acid, alcohol and extract all in pretty good balance. I see there's still a bottle in our cellar, and I'll make it a point to give that one some decanter time.

[Jenise]

Believe it or not, I have exactly one bottle of this wine in my cellar that I can never decide when to open. I just don't buy petite sirah, but it's actually not because I don't like it. I just don't think of it--and in our market, where it's Bogle or go home, well, I'm just not GOING to think of it. Thanks for the tip; this will encourage me to get around to that one. But speaking of our market, a few weeks ago I did buy a PS, the 09 Foppiano for $13. It's a better bottle of wine than I've had for that kind of money in a long, long time, Clint. I mentioned how impressed we were to an instore wine consultant yesterday and she said "I know! I've ordered three cases!" It's so monumental, I'm going to make PS our big neighborhood wine group topic next month. Just hope I can round up five other examples without resorting to Bogle.

[Clint Hall]

Oh boy, is my face red! I don't know how I made this stupid mistake but THE WTN I SUBMITED SHOULD HAVE READ 1997, NOT 2000. I will edit the posting accordingly, but unfortunately that will make Jenise's posting a little misleading.

Anyhow, Jenise, thanks for the tip on the 09 Foppiano PS. I'll look for it.

[Jenise]

Hey no problem, these things happen. Let me know if you try the Foppiano. Probably not a better bargain in American red wine today than that.