Don't Fear the Grape

Several years ago I had the privilege of meeting Stephen Ross Dooley at I wine tasting I was attending. Stephen, a winemaker from California, also happened to be from my hometown in Minnesota. At the time, I was just getting in to wines, and was fascinated by listening to Stephen talk about his career in the wine industry and about establishing his own wine label in 1994, Stephen Ross.

Stephen presented a few of his wines that night, and I fell in love with his Pinot Noir, which seems to be something Stephen Ross specializes in. That night I bought a bottle of his Pinot Noir and, just for the heck of it, a bottle of his Petite Sirah. I quickly drank the Pinot Noir, while the Petite Sirah languished in the back of my wine cooler, that is until last night.

2001 Stephen Ross Petite Sirah

Price: $30 (at the time)
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Region: United States > California > Napa Valley > Thomann Station

Note: Petite Sirah is a completely different grape varietal than Syrah or Shiraz.

This wine was a gorgeous, very dense purple, almost black in color, and when swirled, produced narrow uniform legs. A very thick, full-bodied wine; I was initially overwhelmed by its overpowering nose of alcohol. But after allowing the wine to sit and breathe, it opened up and I detected aromas of ripe fruit like black raspberry and blueberry, with hints of black pepper and mint. It became a much more balanced wine, with a more mellow finish. I was able to appreciate it for its soft tannins and its thick, rich flavors of blackberry and black raspberry fruit, with just a hint of leather.

This Petite Sirah isn’t for everyone. Its high alcohol content, tannins and smokiness, will not be appreciated by those just starting to discover wine or those preferring white wines. But for those of us that enjoy the intense, thick flavors that can only come from full-bodied red wines, this one is worth a try.

Tad’s Rating: Liked It

Stephen Ross is a small wine producer. Their wines can be ordered through their web site, and while not inexpensive, I highly recommend their Pinot Noir.