2019 Bismark Petite Sirah 750ml
New Release
Vineyard: Our Bismark Mountain Ranch is in the Moon Mountain District Sonoma County appellation, high above the city of Sonoma and San Pablo Bay. We began planting in 1991 and continue to fine tune our mix of cultivars to this day. This is steep ground; shared with Creosote bush, Grey pine, coyote, and mountain lion. Topographically it is like the Douro. Windy, sun drenched yet moderate in temperature, Bismark grudgingly produces grapes with an intense, deeply concentrated flavor. Bismark’s volcanic terroir is unmistakably captured in its wines.
Petite Sirah: this small block of 746 vines was grafted in 2000 with budwood collected from the Eagle Point Ranch near Ukiah.
Bismark Vintage 2019: Winter was mild and very wet, (50 plus inches of rain) delaying bud break and setting the stage for a low irrigation year on the mountain. Degree-days tracked a bit higher than 2018, with ideal weather and no temperature spikes until we had two hot days in mid-August and late September-which alleviated any worries about our bit of mid-September rain. 2019 was an extremely long harvest with moderate weather continuing into early November.
Winemaking: We picked the Petite Sirah at 38 brix on 11-4 and decided to have some fun. The grapes were conveyed directly to a C02 filled tank for Carbonic Maceration followed by pressing and inoculating a week later. We fermented it cold to retain freshness. It was briefly aged in neutral barrels before bottling in March 2020. Carbonic maceration is a completely natural technique that produces succulent wines for early enjoyment.
Tasting Notes: A purple more pastel than saturated hints at our 2019 Petite Sirah’s carbonic origin. On decanting, it erupts with aromas of rhubarb galette, alpine strawberry, pomegranate, cardamom, and cinnamon oil. A cool rush of flavors follows, evocative of candied red apple, brioche and walnut paleta. The ice cream metaphor works for the wine’s mouthfeel as well; smooth and creamy with a touch of Bismark’s juicy verve. ( Tasted 12-3-20)
Variety
100% Petit Sirah
Vineyard Location
Bismark Mountain block 9A Moon Mountain District Sonoma County
Age of Vines
19 years (planted 1993, grafted 2000)
Alcohol: 14.6%
pH: 3.81
Titratable Acidity (TA): 0.60 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar: 0.0%
Harvest Date:
November 4, 2019
Length/Type of Aging
Primarily stainless steel. Aged one month in neutral barrels.
Bottling Date
March 25, 2020
Number of Cases
114