Wine Lovers' Page: David Bruce 1996 Petite Syrah

Today's Wine Tasting Note

I have a known and noted prejudice against Petite Sirah as a one-dimensional wine made from a less-than-noble grape, so as a conscious way of keeping my head screwed on straight, I occasionally clear my mind of prejudice and try one anyway. I'm forced to confess that this one is persuasive. Although it shows a lot of the characteristics of the genre, I found it quite enjoyable. Of course, it's also at the higher end of the price range for this Rodney Daingerfield of grapes.

David Bruce 1996 Central Coast (California) Petite Syrah ($14.99)
Very dark blackish-purple color. Ripe berry fruit and pleasant leathery-spicy aroma notes. Juicy blackberry fruit and sweet oak flavors, very full and tart. Tannins are quite evident but are well upstaged by the fruit. As with most Petite Sirahs, I expect it will hold up for a very long time in the cellar before it even begins to evolve. (Feb. 7, 1998)

FOOD MATCH: Rare roast beef. Perfect!

USAGE NOTE: In an apparently intentional mispelling that seems to have missed the attention of the authorities, the winery uses the French "Syrah" rather than the traditional "Petite Sirah," an alteration that borders on the misleading since Petite Sirah is not the classic Syrah of the Rhone.

All my wine-tasting reports are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores.

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