Foppiano Petite Sirah Russian River Estate Bottled 2010

Petite Sirah used to be known (and still is in much of the world) as Durif, and is now mainly planted in the USA and Australia. While often used to beef up otherwise too-light wines (like cheap Pinot Noir or underweight Cabs), Petite Sirah is pretty good on its own terms. Petite Sirah wines are usually quite dark, full-bodied, and have good tannic and acidic structure to go with their herbal, spicy character. They can age very well too, and can handle oak aging well. Even though the name is similar, Petite Sirah is quite different from Syrah.