NOTE: This is an edited transcript of my blog entry for this wine at The PSychos' Path (http://psychospath.blogspot.com/).
Early in my adventures into the wonderful world of all things PS, I came across (courtesy of Loweeel) what I believe to be a fairly unique PS-centric blend, the 2004 Parducci Petite Sirah True Grit. Unique because I have yet to find a blend of PS (89%), Syrah (8%) & Viognier (3%) elsewhere. I have been dying to find out what that was like. I secured a couple of bottles a month or so ago, waiting patiently for the right occasion to sample this wine, and so, after four hours or so of decanting earlier today, here we are…
If I could see through it, I just know that the True Grit would be clear as day (and I hope that makes sense to someone other than me), but it is the deepest velvet purple, bordering on black, incredibly dark & highly extracted, with thin but prominent candle wax drip legs that its relatively high (14.5%) alcohol content demands.
The nose is surprisingly moderated, but not muted, dominated by blackberry & black cherry, with a hint of black pepper & dark chocolate (or is it burnt caramel?), a totally unexpected element of leather & moss, and (of course) elusive & uber-faint floral accents deep in the background (amazing what a dollop of Viognier can do).
The mouth exhibits moderate acidity; tannins that make their presence felt; a nano-drop of sweetness that is a nano-drop too much for me; a medium body that is a bit leaner than I expect in PS (but, then again, I remind myself that this isn’t 100% PS); and a flavor profile to largely match that of its aromas, with the exception that the earthen qualities of the nose have been replaced with a permeating but mild trace of quinine or (if this makes more sense to others) tonic water. This actually works for me in this wine, and I love it, but I would strongly caution that this is not for the faint of heart.
The finish goes on for a glorious 20+ seconds. Hmmm...
The True Grit is a relatively well balanced wine of moderate complexity & very good to excellent quality that packs a flavor punch that comes somewhat from left field. It is very approachable now but would likely benefit from a couple of years of cellaring, although I would guess that this a 10-year wine & not your typical 15- to 25-year PS. Check in with me when I open my remaining bottle after 2010.
I really liked it. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But only to those who have tread the PSycho Path for some time.
