Every now and then, you just need to cut loose, and try an amazing bottle of wine.  While the world is increasingly working 24/7, it doesn’t mean that you can’t take the time to slow down on your day off and try something new.  For me, and here at First Pour Wine, that means indulging a little on the weekends, and as such, we relax a little from the $10 policy on Saturdays and Sundays.

Last year, I got the opportunity to visit Napa, a place that I’m convinced you’d have to be dead to not be happy in.  As such, I figured I’d take in some of the wine, and on the recommendation of one of the charming tasting room folks,  visit Vincent Arroyo Winery. The winery specializes in Petite Sirah, a less common, but dense varietal that packs significant tannins, has a prized inky black color, and a tendency to make jammy flavors.  Which of course is delicious, if not widely grown.

The gentlemen in Vincent Arroyo’s tasting room who showed me around was charming, and offered me to sample some of the wine straight from the barrel (a chance to buy pre-bottling). If you ever get a chance to do this, it’s a ton of fun, and I highly recommend it.  The picture below shows how dark it can be in the barrel storage rooms, and what it’s like trying to shoot someone pulling out of the bung.The wines are not quite as smooth and refined at this point in life, and may be slightly tight (requiring a little more time to breathe).    Nevertheless, the wine I had was good enough to buy a future bottle of, and in late October, 2011 Vincent Arroyo Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah showed up at my place.

After another year in bottle, and to celebrate the start of fall with some friend, we decided to open it, and was it ever worth it.

Sight:  2011 Vincent Arroyo Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah pours a deep purple with magenta edges.

Smell:  Deeply concentrated fruit pops out immediately, expressing blackberry jam, spices, and raspberry all jump out.  There are pops of stewed cherries, and baked earth that join to crescendo.  The nose almost extends to boysenberry and figs.  A slight volatility extends a hint of balsamic vinegar.

Sip:  2011 Vincent Arroyo Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah’s initial pop of acidity is exciting, and gives way to a smooth and weighty body. A big pop of blackberries, tobacco, cigar box, and boysenberries says hello as a greeting.  The wine is tight, and needs time to unwind, but as it opens, the flavors expand toward jammy raspberries and cherries, and the initial dark fruits play back up.  The flavor is complex, and multilayered, teasing the palate with each sip.

Savor:  Much like any small grape, with plenty of skin, there is plenty of tannins at the end.  The flavors come through though, adding a subtle smokiness mixed with blueberries, blackberries, and a cigar box.  The finish lingers extensively, continuing to deliver pops of jammy fruit and beautiful spicy earthiness.

While 2011 Vincent Arroyo Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah’s nose lights up the room, and the taste on the tongue works like a spotlight, it’s the finish shines like the sun.  Dark, long, complex, it slides around tongue like a silky envelop of concentrated fruit and earth flavors.  The staying power is nothing short of incredible, easily hanging around for over 10 minutes.  While not cheap, 2011 Vincent Arroyo Winemaker’s Reserve Petite Sirah’s value is on point for this level of complexity.

Verdict:  Cigar Box, Jammy Berries, Smooth Body, Complex
Price: $50
Napa, California