petite syrah

[barnesy]

Is petite syrah a slighly less exciting clone of syrah? Like pinot blanc is of pinot gris?

Barnesy

[cpurvis]

Two part answer B: 1)Syrah figures in the genetic history of p. syrah, but 2)P.Syrah is certainly no "less exciting" than syrah when well made. Given the choice, I'd reach for p. syrah.

The history & importance of p. syrah & the historic interplay between the two varietals is thoroughly explained in an article by Dennis Fife, of Fife Vineyards. You can read the online version at: http://www.aboutwines.com/home/reference/ask/guest/fife_petitesirah.html?

Regarding the "less exciting" part of your question, here's an excerpt from the article:

"We typically have blind tastings of California's top Syrahs and Petite Sirahs every few months. Our guests are all quite knowledgeable, all in the wine business, and about half are syrah winemakers. We have yet to have a tasting where it was possible to separate the Syrahs from Petite Sirahs with any confidence. And often no one identifies them all correctly. (Our experience is that low quality Syrah tends to be light, out of balance, and with little character and low quality Petite Sirah tends to be rough and tannic. Thus they are fairly easy to separate. But great wines of these two varieties are separated mostly by winemaking style and the terroir. Petite Sirah tends to be pretty dense, but so are many top Syrahs - and so are many of our favorite wines from the Cote Rôtie)."

cp

BTW, if ya' like big flavor & haven't tried Fife reds (incl. p.syrah & zin), then put 'em on yer list.

[This message has been edited by cpurvis (edited 04-04-2001).]

[Innkeeper]

CP is right on Barnsey. Though different from syrah/shiraz, and though confused with it for several decades, at its best petite sirah can be a dynamite wine. We have one by Stags Leap in a dark place for a long time to come. For a thread to end all treads on the subject, check out: http://www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum22/HTML/000036.html

[mrdutton]

Okay, IK! On the ball as usual. When I read the first post in this thread, I immediately thought of some of the previous, detailed discussions on this board over the very same subject!

[winoweenie]

Before SS I just had a bottle of the 98 Foppiano Petite Sirah and will attest this is one DY-NO-MITE bottle of juice. Under 15 potaoes and worth ebber peony ub it. WW
(SS-stupidsabbatical) As far as the two grapes, it's my understanding that Petite is thought to be some clone from one of the slavic countries. A 1st or 2nd cousin, but no twin.

[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 04-05-2001).]