Winemaker/Proprietress, Mermaid & Swashbuckler Heidi Peterson Barrett’s Notes:

Pirate TreasuRed returns for its 9th swashbuckling vintage, 2017. There’s no reason you can’t have a bit of fun with high-quality wine and, trust me, we do! I make wine from a number of different varieties each year to be able to have more blending options. (It’s a bit like adding more colors to your palette if you are an artist.) The first year I worked on this wine (2007) the result was not what I expected, but something even better.

The blend I came up with was so delicious that an entirely new wine was born. Because the original blend used seven varietals, the ‘treasure of the seven seas’ idea was a natural and so was the Pirate name. Each year the blend changes slightly. As you can imagine, it’s a big, dark, raucous blend, completely mouth filling and bold, yet made with finesse.

The 2017 Pirate is a dense garnet colored wine with layered, complex aromas of both black and red fruit, accented with spice notes and hints of leather, fragrant cedar wood, and sweet tobacco. A complex blend with interesting layers playing off of each other – each component playing its part in the symphony. A silky rich explosion across the palate, with medium tannins that are well-integrated, and a lingering finish that will make you want to come back for more. This intriguing blend is truly yummy and fun to drink, perfect for pairing with a variety of full-flavored food or bringing a swashbuckling spirit to any party or gathering.

This vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah.

Pirate TreasuRed arrives properly in a six bottle wine case printed to look like a treasure chest. The glass bottles resemble rum bottles. We used an old map of Napa Valley for the treasure map label, but on our map Napa Valley floats like an island. Where X marks the spot is my house in Calistoga. Mermaid cove is marked with our La Sirena mermaid. I won’t give all the fun of the back label away but, it’s in “Pirate speak” and begins with, “Avast ye salty bilge rats!” You will undoubtedly love reading it aloud in your best pirate accent. And, when you toast with your friends the appropriate toast is “ARRRRGH!” I hope you enjoy drinking this wine as much as we enjoy making it.

Our production at La Sirena is always small, focusing on fine wines of purity and excellence, the best that can be made. Wishing you all the best!