HandCraft Petite Sirah 2010

By Chris and Sherry Hardie
In the earlier days of the California wine industry, single varietal vintages were not the norm. Instead, winemakers would use
what they harvested fromtheir vineyards and mix them together in what was called a field blend.
That’s the inspiration for this new label from Cheryl Indelicato, a third-generation California winemaker.
The main grape variety is petite sirah (82 percent), but there is a blend of petit verdot, sangiovese, syrah and zinfandel to round out the field. The wine is oak-aged  to sixmonths.
The result is a big, bold, enticing wine with spice and fruit bouquet and full-bodied fruit flavors. It’s dark and chewy, with a long finish.
Sherry: “Medium-dry, fruity black cherry with a touch of leather.” 3-1/2 stars
Chris: “Wisps of leather and smoke, cherry, plum and blueberry.” 3-1/2 stars
Available locally for about $10.
Coming next week: Kendall Jackson Reserve Chardonnay

Red Rock Reserve Winemakers Blend

By Chris and Sherry Hardie
Red Rock Winery features a label with stacked rocks – one of them red – a symbol of its belief that great wine is about finding balance.
That certainly describes this red California blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah, which embodies the notion of a fruit-forward wine.
Displaying dark purple color in the glass thanks to the petite sirah, this wine shows lots of jam characteristics and is quite sweet considering its varietals. It’s very smooth with a full mouth of berry and soft spice flavors, a reflection of the wine’s malolactic fermentation.
Sherry: “Big and bold with fruity black cherry, raspberry and light touch of rose on the finish.” 3-1/2 stars
Chris: “A sweeter blend of raspberry, plum, cherry and raisins.” 3 stars
Available locally for about $10.
Coming next week: Middle Sister Sweet and Sassy Moscato