Petite Sirah

[Randy Caparoso]

Okay, my turn:

First, it is a total mistake to even mention Petite Sirah alongside Syrah. As our amateur ampelographers have pointed out, the two grapes aren't even related. It would be like comparing Chardonnay with Viognier. No relation whatsoever except for similarity in name.

That being said, the fairest thing to do is always to judge Petite Sirah as Petite Sirah. Never as Syrah. Petite Sirah tends to be rougher, coarser, and less refined than Syrah; with aggressive, blackpeppery fruit aromas, but none of the the floral, violet-like and red fruit perfumes found in Syrah. All the better producers cited -- such as Guenoc, Ridge, Foppiano, and Stag's Leap Vintners -- tend to lavish quite a bit of sweet, pungent oak (usually dill-like American oak) to add complexity to the otherwise simple fruit qualities of Petite Sirah. But judge Petite Sirah for what it is: something big, round, thick and bouncy on the palate. A simple but fun wine.

What of Shiraz vs. Syrah? As previously pointed out, the Australians use clones of Syrah originally brought over from France in the mid to late 19th century. These are good clones -- somewhat blacker fruited, meatier (like roasting meats and grilled spiced/fenneled sausages) and rounder in texture than the clones currently used in France. The beauty of French Syrahs -- sold by their appellation names such as Cotes Rotie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and St. Joseph -- is their more focused, floral-violet and smoky,, almost incense-like perfumes, and more dramatic, often velvety layers of flavor. Both French and Aussie clones of Syrah, of course, feature blackpeppery spice as a nuance, rather than a predominant feature (one of the major differences between Syrah and Petite Sirah). Interestingly, a number of Central Coast producers -- such as Justin, Alban and Tablas Creek -- do very specific work with various clones. For those of you who are very serious about the subject and are visiting the Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo regions, it would behoove you to drop in (with appointments, of course) and ask to taste the various clones from barrel (that is, before they are blended together into cuvees). It is highly enlightening!

[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 03-20-2000).]