Hearst Ranch The Pergola Petite Sirah 2013
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Wilfred
Wong
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Wine Enthusiast
A blueberry-balsamic reduction sauce scent kicks off this rich and opulent wine from the legendary Hearst family. It also shows smoked beef, uncracked peppercorns, black spices, vanilla bean and black coffee on the nose. The palate is lush and layered with blueberry paste, dark-chocolate fudge and Ethiopian espresso bean.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
To this very day, Petite Sirah remains one of the most under-the-radar wine grapes in the marketplace. People often misspell its name or avoid the wine because of their fear of the unknown. The 2013 Hearst Ranch Winery The Pergola Petite Sirah is simply excellent. Rich—yet balanced and almost elegant despite its richness. Drinks well now. (Tasted: September 13, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
Independently, Steve Hearst and Jim Saunders are accomplished businessmen that have the talent, imagination and integrity to create great things. Collectively, their shared vision on sustainable agriculture, resource protection and historical preservation brought Hearst Ranch Winery to fruition. These men have fostered a friendship and an enduring devotion to their community.
The hand-crafted offerings of Hearst Ranch Winery have been brought to life by the collaboration of sound agricultural practices, impeccable winemaking and the philanthropic involvement of Steve Hearst and Jim Saunders. The fruit from California’s Central Coast vineyards is among the finest in the world. Blend in the talent of our winemaker and you get Hearst Ranch Wines, exhibiting the excellence that is a testimony to the "Legacy of Quality™"—synonymous with the Hearst tradition.
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.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.