Two nice Petite Sirahs

[Bucko]

1999 Granite Springs, Petite Sirah, El Dorado, California, $20, 533 cases. A youthful deep purple color, this is a big boy. Intense black fruit and smoked meat aromas repeat on the palate, with an invigorating blast of cracked black pepper. Substantial tannins become obvious on the lengthy finish. Nice effort. 89/90.

1999 Nevada City, Petite Sirah, Sierra Foothills, California, $?, 230 cases. This deep ruby beauty is approachable now and will be better with bottle aging. It is loaded with black cherry, blackberry and spice aromas. Very elegant for a Petite Sirah, the wine offers a host of flavors ranging from blackberries to chocolate to spicy sweet vanilla. Tannins are very manageable even at this point. 89/?.