Epiphany Petite Sirah 2018
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Known and loved for its extraordinary inky color and full-bodied favors, Petite Sirah has become a staple in the Epiphany lineup. Blueberry, blackberry, plum, baking spices, smoked meat and tar aromas cannot be contained within the glass. Rich and balanced, this Petite Sirah will food the palate with dark fruit favors, dark chocolate, cinnamon and grilled herbs with a touch of vanilla coming through on the finish.
Petite Sirah is at its best when paired with richer, more fatty foods or bold exotic spices and herbs. Try with chicken in mole sauce, beef stroganoff, an aged gouda or blue cheese. If looking for a vegetarian option, sautéed mushrooms or stuffed peppers would hold up beautifully to this show-stopper
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Iodine, violet, tar and plum extract aromas show on the nose of this bottling from the Fess Parker family's estate. It's very tarry on the rich palate, where darkly charred fruit, dried meat and crushed herb flavors converge.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
I always love this variety from Epiphany, and the 2018 Petite Sirah Rodney's Vineyard is another wine well worth seeking out. Loaded with smoky black and blue fruits, notes of dried herbs, chocolate, iron, and a kiss of meatiness, and medium to full-bodied, it’s another ripe, sexy wine that leads firmly into the ripe, textured, hedonistic side of the spectrum while staying balanced and incredibly drinkable.
-
Wine & Spirits
While plenty ripe, there’s restraint here, too, which makes this wine compelling. Starting out smoky and dark, with scents of fig and dark chocolate, the palate opens up into a spicy mélange of clove, mace and windblown dust. Its texture is firmed up by oak, and the wine has the depth for tri-tip.
Other Vintages
2019- Vinous
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
Founded by Eli Parker at the turn of the last century, Epiphany was at first intended as a creative outlet for the then adventurous winemaking son of Fess Parker. As the years progressed, Eli assumed the role of Brand Visionary, paving the way for winemaker Blair Fox to assume the enological reins at the winery. The Epiphany portfolio has become a highly coveted selection of mostly Santa Barbara County- designated Rhone-inspired wines, considered by leading critics to be a flagship producer from this vibrant growing region.
Epiphany has transformed into a leading, contemporary producer of Rhone-based and esoteric varietal wines from the Central Coast, and a meaningful representation of the second generation of the Parker family name, and their continued dedication to ultra-premium wine production on the Central Coast.
Sought after by chefs, sommeliers, retail buyers and consumers alike, the Epiphany brand has distinguished itself among the wine cognoscenti as a trustworthy, quality-oriented and forward-thinking wine brand.
With its deep color, firm tannins and bold flavors, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The variety, originally known as Durif in the Rhône, took on its more popular moniker after being imported to California in the early 1880s. Quintessentially recognized today as a grape of the Golden State, Petite Sirah works well blended with Zinfandel and finds success as a single varietal wine in the state’s warmer districts. Somm Secret—Petite Sirah is not a smaller version of Syrah but it is an offspring of Syrah and the now nearly extinct French Alpine variety called Peloursin.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.