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2011 Ridge Petite Sirah Lytton Estate

2011 Ridge Petite Sirah Lytton Estate

Wine Details for 2011 Ridge Petite Sirah Lytton Estate

Type of Wine California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal Petite Syrah : Despite its popularity, Petite Sirah is an exceptionally rare grape with less than 13,000 planted acres worldwide. In fact, a mere 11,000 acres of Petite Sirah are planted in California, 1,000 in Australia and a mere 6 acres (14 hectares) in France. Though it originated in the wine capital of the world, it did not find its niche until arriving to America in the 1880s, where it was embraced as a blending wine.

The United States is the only winegrowing region in the world where the varietal is referred to as Petite Sirah, whereas the rest of the world calls it Durif, after the man who discovered it. In an effort to reduce the effects of powdery mildew on the Syrah grape, French botanist and nurseryman, Dr. Francois Durif propagated the varietal in his nursery in the early 1880’s. DNA research from UC Davis indicates that Petite Sirah (Durif) resulted from a cross between Rhone varietals Syrah and Peloursin.

While the new, resulting vine was more resistant to disease, due to the compact way the fruit grew in bunches, the tightly compacted clusters were susceptible to bunch rot. The French discontinued the potential for the new grape because they believed it produced sub-par wines lacking the same textures or aromatic complexities found in Syrah. It has since been relegated to one appellation, Palette, in Provence.

Upon its arrival to America in 1884, it was misunderstood and unknown to the region, but it was novel and was utilized as a blending agent due to its high tannin and structure, adding to wines lacking in color and depth. It did not take long for Durif (Petite Sirah) to discover a new home in California where more hospitable conditions for growing allowed the grape to prosper in the dry and hot micro-climates. At first there was much confusion on the varietal as it was visually similar to the Syrah grape but smaller berries, hence the name first given, Petite Syrah. In 2002, the name Durif was recognized as a synonym for Petite Sirah, confirming and stamping the official connection between the two names as the same.

For small berries, the variety produces intensely dark and inky colored wines thanks to the high skin to juice ration. The dark-black skinned grape produces large amount of concentrated tannins to create a big wine with plummy and earthy flavors. It became immensely popular in California where it shot to top of hot and beloved for its extraordinary deep color and full-bodied flavors of blueberry, chocolate, plums and black pepper. Perhaps the most notable aspect of Petite Sirah is the floral aroma profile with violets and lavender.

The vines of Petite Sirah are moderately vigorous and relatively weeping, so well-drained soils with moderate vigor potential are preferred for high-quality wines. They have excelled in Lodi and Central Valley, Napa, Sonoma and the coastal ranges in California where vintners are exploiting the qualities of Petite Sirah. The grape has become ever popular over the past few decades and in 2012, the infamous varietal and blending producer, Sine Qua Non, entered into the world of Petite Sirah, with its release of The Writing on the Wall, a blend of Petite Sirah and Viognier. Stag’s Leap Petite Sirah is one of the most searched and purchased examples of this varietal.

Petite Sirah has also migrated to Australia, where it thrives in the Victoria winegrowing appellation. Here, the lack of rainfall during the growing season is favorable for the grape’s thick skins. It is blended with Shiraz (Syrah outside of Australia) in Rutherglen, northeast Victoria. Few varietal examples exist as do sparkling reds, vintage and tawny styles of fortified wines as well.
Country US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented.

Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.

Overview

Producer Ridge

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