2006 Stag's Leap Napa Valley Petite Syrah

This goes for about forty bucks and came with strong recommendations when I snagged it a while back, though my memory is sketchy with from where or who.

Raspberry licorice and cola on the nose with some mint - for the first hour or so green spice dominates but blows off.

Black cherry and plum dominate, with mere hints of mint, cedar, eucalyptus...don't let that give you the wrong idea though, this is a big, fruity, juicy wine.

More of that raspberry licorice thing on the finish.

Good...quite good....beyond that?

Score: 87

2007 Bogle Petite Sirah

This review is us giving the people what they want. The senseless slaughter of the gutter slime that litters this nation for cash and prizes? No sir. A review of the Bogle Petite Sirah – a quick look at the hits shows our review of the 2006 is one of our most searched reviews, so here's the 2007. Nine bucks at Costco.

A very nice nose – blackberry, chocolate, plums – big, yet well integrated.

Supoib – blueberry, anise, chocolate, cherry, along with with the definition of sweet oak. Tannins are very light, if present at all. This is a light bodied, potently acidic wine – food friendly to an extreme. A reviewer on cellartracker threw out 'marion berry” which I thought was a hilarious set up for a 'bitch set me up' joke at the expense of wine snobs. Alas, it's a type of blackberry. Maybe bitch did set me up after all? Bless you, Marion.

A bit of cherry, a bit of earth, and a bit of funk all come through on the finish.

Nine bucks? I'm sold. This is perfect for the holidays, it's red so you get some good body, but it's light enough that even the white drinkers should be able to throw a glass down. I'm not as thrilled as I was last year because I think there's a bit less depth, but at the price, this is a wine even a bitch that may or may not set one up would enjoy.

Wine: 7
Value: Yep

2005 Girard Petite Sirah

I've been sitting on this a while, at the $25 pricetag I figured I'd save it for a special day – like New Year's Eve.

A bit of licorice – both cherry and black – on the nose with some cinnamon notes.

I don't normally comment on color, but this wine is ridiculously dark – purple/black – do yourself a favor and don't spill this one. Bold but not over the top – a nice balance overall. Black fruit – blackberry, black plums, dark black cherries – dominate. Some nice vanilla notes plus some interesting herbal qualities. The tannins are present and give some nice depth but are very well integrated. As the bottle opens I seem to think blueberry takes over.

Blueberry and some spices stick around on the finish – a bit of clove and perhaps some tobacco.

A solid wine – I rated this higher but the more I drink it and think about it, the more I think it's just a tad simple – if a big, bold, yet smooth wine sounds like your thing, this is certainly worth it.

Wine: 8
Value: Yes

2006 Bogle Petite Sirah

I was ga ga over this wine some time ago but for some reason haven't purchased it recently, so I snagged a bottle for eight bones at Costco.

This is a nose – Fran opened the bottle, poured a glass for me, and set it on the coffee table and I could smell it from the couch. Rich, dark chocolate, black fruit – blackberry, ripe black plums – it's a big, powerful nose, but not over the top.

More blackness on the palate – plum, blackberry, chocolate, ultra, dark blueberries – but I'm also getting some interesting nectarine notes along with vanilla and some herbal qualities – excellent acidic backbone yet the tannins are very mild.

Some anise notes linger on the finish as well as more chocolate, with some leather and tobacco.

For under ten bucks, you probably won't do much better. This is a solid offering of a somewhat unusual varietal, so it's a great way to expand your wine horizons.

Wine: 8
Value: Excellent value

2005 Big House Wine Company Prodigal Son Petite Sirah

This one ran about $14 at World Market, if memory serves.

A tight and funky nose at first but it opens to reveal barnyard, anise, leather, earth, and oak.

Funky barnyard with big fruit – ripe plum, blackberry – a fair amount of vegetal qualities...green pepper and onion....and plenty of cedar and cigar box.

Leather and tobacco present themselves on the finish.

It's interesting but I'm not sure all the funk is working for me.

2001 Markham Petite Sirah

This was $13 – marked down from $25. Even though it's a bit old, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try.

Licorice and earth on the nose.

Smooth tannins but bold and fruity - plum, ripe blackberry, licorice, and some sweet oak on the palate. Lots of dark fruit all around but very nicely balanced.

Cherry and black licorice on the finish which lingers for a solid amount of time – over a minute.

No arguments here for $13, but I don't know about the $25 retail price. By all means, it's a good bottle of wine, but there's not much of a wow factor.

2003 Girard Petite Sirah

This has been sitting on the ol’ rack for some time. We tried this at a tasting and didn’t hesitate with a $20 pricetag. I gave this one about three hours in the decanter. The very bottom of the bottle did begin to throw sediment so be careful with this one.

A bit of oak and plenty of earth on the nose along with some deep, ripe raspberry.

The palate is big–lots of black fruit, lots of oak, big chewy tannins. Blackberry, plums, and some spice as well–mint, cinnamon, and black pepper. Everything it big, but it’s all nicely balanced...you’re assaulted equally by everything.

The finish fades with lingering earth, black pepper, anise, oak, and vanilla....not much in terms of fruit....and it lasts for quite some time with the black pepper lasting for close to a minute.

At hour seven, this wine really began to change a bit...new fruit began coming through—strawberry and cherry, the tannins are still firm but much smoother. Personally, I think it’s better now than it was earlier, so either drink this one over a long evening or open it as early as possible.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a Petite Sirah and I have to admit I was hesitant to open this bottle since I felt strongly about it at the tasting and feared it wouldn’t hold up–well, it has. This is an excellent wine and one that I’d recommend if you don’t mind having your teeth stained purple.