2005 Lake County Petite Sirah
The 2005 August Briggs Lake County Petite Sirah is our sixth vintage from this beautiful Lake County vineyard. This full bodied wine was produced from Black Rock vineyard located in the Red Hills between Lakeport and the city of Lower Lake off the southern shore of Clear Lake. The vineyard is quite unique, being planted on a bed of broken obsidian and dark red soil. The vines are head trained in the old style, thus yielding two to three tons per acre.
Petite Sirah is known for its deep color and powerful flavors, and this offering fits the bill. It has a deep, dark, ruby red color. A solid blueberry fruit core is framed by dark chocolate/espresso flavors, a rustic spiciness and plenty of tannin. 100% Petite Sirah! Pair this wine with intensely flavored cheese or a rich beef stew.
The grapes were harvested at 25.0 brix with a total acid of 0.47 g/100ml & a pH of 3.77. They were destemmed into a small open-topped fermenter and punched down twice daily by hand. After completion of fermentation the wine was drained, pressed and inoculated with a malo-lactic culture. Completion of malo-lactic fermentation was allowed while aging in 35% new Demptos American oak barrels and 65% two and three year old French barrels. Barrel aging lasted 16 months prior to bottling. 502 cases produced. $35.00 per 750ml bottle.
For questions about our wines and their availability please call or fax:
Phone: 707-942-4912 * Fax: 707-942-5854
or visit us on the web at: www.augustbriggswines.com
Tech info
Vintage Description
2005 August Briggs Lake County Petite Sirah
Blend composition if applicable n/a
Vinification (oak, aging, etc.) 16 months in 35% new American oak & 65% 2-3 yr French oak
Alcohol% 15.3
T.A. .47g/100ml
pH 3.77
Free SO2 (ppm) 25
Total SO2 ( ppm) 80
V.A. 0.60
R.S. 0.05
Winemaker tasting notes Previous page
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2005 Petite Sirah
Family Vineyards
Dry Creek Valley
Family Vineyard Sources
This richly flavored grape, long known for its intense characteristics, has been grown side by side with Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley for over 140 years. Petite Sirah has been planted on our vineyard since the early 1900s and used in our Zinfandel production as an important part of the blend. The “Family Vineyard” connection is with Carol Bushnell who is John and Jim Pedroncelli’s niece; this vineyard has been a source of fruit since the 1940s. Since the inaugural vintage of 1997, John blended this lot with the fruit from their vineyard. Petite Sirah has been grown on this vineyard for over 60 years.
Winemaking
Harvested the second week of October, the grapes were brought in with good ripeness and acidity. The fruit was crushed into stainless steel tanks where frequent pumping-over of the juice during fermentation allowed the young wine a substantial increase in flavor. The color extracted from the skins turns the wine a very deep purple color. The wine was aged for twenty three months in American oak barrels, one quarter new oak balanced with seasoned barrels.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Composition: 85% Petite Sirah; 15% Zinfandel
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Barrel Aging: 23 months in American oak
Alcohol: 14.4% pH: 3.56 Total acidity: .615g/100ml
Bottled: November 2007 Limited production.
Tasting notes: “Opaque purple in the glass. Rich with ripe blackberry, black pepper and chocolate flavors. Very deep and complex, this wine should be opened and decanted if enjoyed before 2010. Expect this wine to take on complexities for the next 8-12 years. This wine will age well for at least 15 years–it has the structure to evolve nicely.”
1220 Canyon Road Geyserville CA 95441 707-857-3531 www.pedroncelli.com
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MOUNTS FAMILY WINERY
Mailing Address: 5545 W. Dry Creek Road – Winery Site: 3901 Wine Creek Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: 707 707-292 292-8148 – Fax: 707 707-433 433-4102
www.mountswinery.com
Mounts Vineyards
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Vineyard: A combination of 3 – 15 year old cordon cordon-trained spur spur-pruned vines.
Harvest Date: September 17, 2006
Brix: 26.5 average
Cases Produced: 265 cases
Retail: $32
Crush Notes:
Whole berry destemming, five day cold soak, twenty day total skin contact. Fermented
in one ton open open-top fermenters. Punchdowns three to four times per day during
maceration.
Cooperage:
Sixteen months in 50% new French, tight grain oak, remainder in one year old and
neutral barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Our Petite Sirah is a brooding gem with a dense inky black/purple color that will cling
to your glass. Exotic aromas of blueberry, cola and vanilla will intoxicate your senses.
Complex and intense flavors of dark wild berry and sweet tobacco will coat your palate.
Mounts Family Petite Sirah leaves a lasting impression.
