SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:

Do you love Petite Sirah? Do not, do not, do not miss out on today’s delicious, complex and concentrated delight, from our dear friends at Miro Cellars.

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Mission Codename: Who’s the fairest of them all

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Re-infiltrate Miro Cellars and acquire the newest vintage of their always-delicious Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Miro Cellars

Wine Subject: 2010 Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah – Piccetti Vineyard

Winemaker: Miro Tcholakov

Backgrounder: We first met Miro Tcholakov (who we affectionately call “Agent KGB”) nearly five years ago. We always love his wines, but it is definitely his Petite Sirah that captivates us the most. For today’s wine, we return to Miro and capture an ample allotment of his newest Petite, for our thirsty Operatives.

Petite Sirah’s California roots dates back to when it was believed to be a close relative of the Syrah grape. Later it would be found to be genetically identical to the Durif, named for its after French discoverer François Durif who found that the varietal was a Syrah grape pollinated with Peloursin flowers. Its smaller berries with higher skin to pulp ratio leads to more intense flavors. Another benefit of the smaller berries are tighter clusters that are more resistant to mildew. Currently Petite Sirah is less popular in France and increasingly popular in the United States.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark and foreboding, with the darkest magenta hues I have ever seen in a wine. When swirled and held to the light, the color looks positively iridescent. After the wine settles, tall, skinny legs descend slowly down the glass.

Smell – Giant blackberry, blueberry, cherry and raspberry leap out of the glass. These are followed, closely, by dark plum, toasty oak, bramble, spice and a hint of black pepper.

Feel – Instantly mouth-filling and rich. After a moment a dark and soft, mineral-laden dryness spreads slowly around the palate. Balanced acidity and plush tannins combine to give the wine a wonderful complexity.

Taste – Dark and juicy, with overripe blackberry, blueberry, plum and black cherry. As the wine opens, it also reveals toasty vanilla, bramble, dried violets and black pepper.

Finish – Ultra long and packed with juicy dark fruit flavors. Eventually, dark fruit yields to earthen components, spice, minerals and pepper.

Conclusion – Once again, Miro impresses us with another fantastic Petite Sirah! His 2010 Miro Cellars Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah, which hails from the Piccetti Vineyard, is his best yet. Rich, delicious and packed with dark flavors, this wine balances sweet flavors against savory, juicy aromatics against plush. On the palate, this wine is rich and plush, giving it a complex and intriguing feel. Overall, we are simply crazy about this wine. Though it is young, and though it will continue to improve over the next several years, we declare this great wine to be ready to drink. Enjoy it with a juicy prime rib, or a spicy pasta dish.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Miro Cellars can be seen in this satellite photo.