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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.7 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 32 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by markcic on 6/2/2023 & rated 92 points: My cousin Charles opened and decanted the bottle upon our arrival. We swirled it around in the decanter for around 20 minutes then started to taste. The nose was dark berries. The palate was blackberry, black cherry, plums, grilled meat and spice. The finish was moderate to long. Drinking very well at 20+ years of age. (507 views) | | | Tasted by heyjon on 9/3/2021 & rated 93 points: Lush, earthy nose of dark fruit, potting soil, cured meat, tree bark, saline, molasses, and black pepper, very well-balanced palate of crushed wild blueberry, plum sauce, and blackberry with notes of dark chocolate, leather, and pepper, with a suggestion of eucalyptus, well-integrated, fairly soft and round tannins finishing long. This continues to be a lovely example despite its 19 years in bottle. (1003 views) | | | Tasted by kabert on 5/11/2021 & rated 97 points: Wow. This was incredible. 15 + years ago I was a Switchback groupie with purple teeth. (Switchback petite was just so freaking concentrated that it was teeth staining.) Well, thanks to this bottle bought at auction, the 2002 Switchback petite sirah still tastes like it did ... 15+years ago. Incredibly delicious. Full bodied. Epic. Will last forever. Seriously - it tastes the same as it did @15+ years ago. Glad I still have another bottle of this timeless nectar! (1037 views) | | | Tasted by heyjon on 1/9/2021 & rated 93 points: Voluptuous, spicy nose of dark fruit, damp forest floor, licorice, and baking spices, perfectly balanced palate of crushed blueberry, plum and blackberry sauce, secondary notes of dark chocolate, black pepper and vanilla, chewy tannins, lengthy finish. Fabulous with Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grapes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Seared Brussel Sprouts. (1169 views) | | | Tasted by zinnut on 7/10/2020 & rated 95 points: What a great example of a mature wine. Huge blackberry, soft tannins, mouth watering, delicious. My last bottle and I would drink this soon (1294 views) | | | Tasted by beezer6 on 10/28/2019 & rated 90 points: I can admit that stylistically this is a very well made Petite Sirah from one of my old school favorite producers. For me, though, it's just way too much of a beast. Black as night. Glycerin mouth feel. Nose of blackberries, coal and lots of alcohol for me.
The palate is still massive and you can practically chew on the tannin. So big and ripe but again many will enjoy this more. (1181 views) | | | Tasted by FourCorks on 6/13/2018 & rated 95 points: Very nice! (1244 views) | | | Tasted by aaronfeigin on 7/16/2016 & rated 93 points: This is a beautiful example of Petite Sirah. Well aged, smooth and soft tannins, great fruit still remaining. Seems like this wine will still be drinking nicely for a few more years. (2698 views) | | | Tasted by aaronfeigin on 5/14/2016 & rated 95 points: This Petite Sirah is the perfect example of how great Petite Sirah can be! Simply amazing, complex with lots of red and black fruit very little tannin left, low alcohol with a very nice medium finish. Amazingly balanced, just delicious. (2883 views) | | | Tasted by PSUSteve on 10/17/2014 & rated 93 points: From a magnum. Decanted and drank over 90 minutes. Certainly showed best with the air. Deep plum layered with red fruit and spice. Has the depth of a Foley wine but does not seem hot in any way. This has a long life in front if it. (3336 views) | | | Tasted by Mr.Overhill on 8/27/2013 & rated 94 points: Very shy wine at first open, nose was afraid to show itself, in the mouth black raspberries, a hint of pepper and some vanilla, but wow, absolutely no tannins. On day two the nose did open up (somewhat) with a provincial spicebox and black cherries. It did develop a few more tertiary characteristics (more spices, some red pepper) but overall it stayed the same. It's still very young for ten plus years, and as with most Foley wines, borderline in over the top fruitiness. Really good pedigree on these grapes, without a doubt. (4351 views) | | | Tasted by Mark H. LeQuire on 6/28/2013 & rated 95 points: Wow, amazing. Our only bottle. Purchased from Margaux Singleton at Enoteca in Calistoga. And, will learn a lot more about Switchback Ridge. No flaws. No sediment. Mild rim variation. Wonderful nose. Dark, dark garnet and dark eggplant colors. Pours with the appearance of a Cabernet. Dark, dark berry nose. Some raspberry, espresso, and dark chocolate. Firm. Tight. Complex. No tannin. Low alcohol. Medium finish. Paired beautifully with smoked salmon and beet salad, with tomato caprese and burrata cheese salad, and mixed silver queen corn with purple hull (pink eye) peas. Just darn exceptional, and, probable deserves a 96. Perfectly drinkable, and, plenty of bottle life left.
Here's a challenge: For those of you not rating this wine 95 or greater, think about it! (4039 views) | | | Tasted by Border Boss on 6/1/2013 & rated 94 points: From magnum. My first experience with a Petite Sirah of this age and hopefully not the last. Dark and shiny purple in color, not unlike a young Cru Beaujolais. Big fruit flavors of blackberry and perhaps cassis, with plenty of tannins and acid. There's a bit of alcohol heat here as well, so the 14.8% on the label might be a bit understated. In this format there's at least 10 years of life left in the wine. Excellent! (3030 views) | | | Tasted by krick on 5/7/2013 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 1hr. Beautiful PS. Opulent but balanced w/good structure -has really evolved nicely over the years. Black fruit (boysenberry?)/chocolate/pepper. Enough tannins, acid and structure to age for at least for a few more years. (2961 views) | | | Tasted by Johann Von Mastiff on 10/1/2011 & rated 92 points: Sure this is not Chinon or Volnay, but this is fun stuff. Big and inky. Have not had this wine in long time and I like it. (3398 views) | | | Tasted by jmprtt06 on 8/21/2011: YMMMM, a fabulous wine just coming into its own. (2534 views) | | | Tasted by Frank Murray III on 6/26/2011: Big. This ain't Chambolle but as much as I have grown to appreciate and respect Burgundy, I still love to hit the throttle and stain the glass. This drank fresh yet large, dark with plum, fresh dark berry, chocolate. Subtlety is not the word here: think berry and color. Has some structure too, moreso than the bottle in 2009. Really, no rush here but why wait? Put some chill on this, pull the cork and pair against big flavors or even a carrot cake! There is space in my cellar for Switchback and I will keep adding it. Reminds me that wine can express power. (2700 views) | | | Tasted by Screameagle on 9/23/2010 & rated 90 points: After a couple hours of decanting this wine still needed some time in the glass to be approachable. Definitely needs some food to soften the petite. I love the SBR petites and this is no exception. A very nice wine. (3042 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 11/24/2009: Spoofilation personified! A gloopy, syrupy undrinkable wine. My father-in-law loved it. Serve cold I say! (3171 views) | | | Tasted by Frank Murray III on 11/23/2009: We opened this, included a short breather in the decanter and then enjoyed about 90 mins later. I then returned the last couple ounces to bottle and used it for this TN. Dark, very dark, almost black. My impression last night was some heat but tasting the wine now, giving it a real strong swirl, there may be a hint there but not much (listed on bottle @ 14.8%) . A molten quality to the nose, iron. The palate, oh boy, dense, plush and ripe. Probably akin to what might be called syrupy but it comes off as more sexy and smooth. The molten quality carries through on the palate. If one could liquify rocks, infuse it with black fruit and then bottle it, here it is. As for 'age v. drink', I think it is fine now. Some acidity here but it's baked into the texture so let 'er rip. Got one left, will drink over the next 1-2 years. PS--I can see how this wine will turn off the old world styled drinker, those who prefer more elegance and subtlety. That is not this wine. (2940 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 12/11/2008 & rated 91 points: Big, a bit fun, but a one glass wine for me. Others will score much higher. (3157 views) | | | Tasted by bubbachumps on 7/28/2008 & rated 91 points: I was very interested to try this since I recently made the list and got my first offering with the ’05 release. On pop and pour a strong whiff of cedar. The wine was as dark as night, really beautiful. In the mouth, a large scaled wine - big, chunky and lush blackberry without the unappealing fatness. (3200 views) | | | Tasted by LoireFan on 1/26/2008 & rated 89 points: Massive. Other's would score this higher. Not my style. (3387 views) | | | Tasted by PatLee on 10/10/2006: A Powerhouse Petite Sirah Tasting (Cafe Esin, San Ramon, CA): Huge, extracted nose with menthol and dark fruit. Amazing fruit, well integrated. Nice mouthfeel and finish. "Killer". My number 1 and consensus group number 1 of the flight. Likely the wine of the night. (4650 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Switchback Ridge Producer website
Switchback Ridge Wines are sourced exclusively from the Peterson Family Vineyard in Calistoga. The property has been in the Peterson family since 1914 and encompasses nearly 100 acres located at the mouth of Dutch Henry Canyon. For over 75 years the property was primarily maintained as a farm and plum orchard, with vines intermingled amongst the trees. In 1990, the orchards were replanted to vineyard, where there are currently 18 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah vines, in addition to a three acre 50+ year old Petite Sirah block that John Peterson helped plant as a child.Petite Sirah Varietal character (Appellation America) | P.S. I Love You: A Petite Sirah Advocacy Organization
Petite Sirah is a variety of red wine grape grown in France, California, Israel and Australia. Recently, wineries located in Washington State's Yakima Valley, Maryland, Arizona, West Virginia, Mexico, Chile's Colchagua Valley and Maipo Valley, and Ontario's Niagara Peninsula have also produced wines from Petite Sirah grapes. Though developed in France, it is nearly extinct there as of 2002, hanging on in limited plantings in the Isère and Ardêche regions of the Rhône Valley and in Palette, a tiny appellation in Provence. It is the main grape known in the US and Israel as Petite Sirah with over 90% of the California plantings labeled "Petite Sirah" being Durif grapes; the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms recognizes "Durif" and "Petite Sirah" as interchangeable synonyms referring to the same grape. The grape originated as a cross of Syrah pollen germinating a Peloursin plant. On some occasions, Peloursin and Syrah vines may be called Petite Sirah, usually because the varieties are extremely difficult to distinguish in old age.
The 'petite' in the name of this grape refers to the size of its berries and not the vine, which is particularly vigorous. The leaves are large with a bright green upper surface and paler green lower surface. The grape forms tightly packed clusters that can be susceptible to rotting in rainy environments. The small berries creates a high skin to juice ratio which can produce very tannic wines if the juice goes through an extended maceration period. In the presence of new oak barrels the wine can develop an aroma of melted chocolate.
Petite Sirah produces dark, inky colored wines that are relatively acidic with firm texture and mouth feel. The bouquet has herbal and black pepper overtones, with plum and blackberry flavors on the palate. Compared to Syrah, the wine is noticeably more dark and purplish in color. The wines are very tannic with aging ability that can eclipse 20 years in the bottle.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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