First night it couldn't be called fresh but certainly not overripe as these SB PSs can get when they're past peak. With 30 minutes of air it was quite nice. Complex but maybe a tad on the sweet side (grape bubble gum). Agree with prior note, not hot at all, surprisingly.
Second night, nose was still pruney and sweet at first swirl, but with air, sitting in the glass for 20 minutes, did wonders. Dirt and tobacco with a nice complex palate with a mix of black fruit (prunes included but without it being overbearing). Tannins moderate and with medium acid, it all makes for a solid sip.
For next bottle: Drink after giving it at least an hour or more of air. Then make sure the bottle gets drunk within a few hours. If u don't intend on finishing it, then bottle it up quick to keep it good for the next day, when it needs to be finished relatively quickly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour, drank about half the bottle over 2 hours. A little advanced and showing signs that it probably won't age that great from here. Thankfully, no alcohol, but dark raisin fruit and lacking acid or freshness. I was hoping for better but frankly this performed as I thought it would, being from a hot year.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
30 minute decant, could have used a little more time. Higher alcohol shows a bit. Ripe but not quite OTT nose with dark fuits and a touch of chocolate. Ful bodied but good acid to balance the tannins. Plus black fruit, plum and licorice. lead to a long finish. Good showing, solid 91 points
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted to remove sediment, returned to the bottle and consumed from bottle 2 hrs later. Smokin good wine! Heady, Rhône-like nose with barrel, forest floor and charcoal.
Great balance with the once insanely dark fruit tamed / aged against perfectly resolved tannins. Outstanding pairing w boeuf bourgignon.
This is in a great place, certainly within a year or three of peaking if not there today. Kelly always tells me I need to buy more of these, and I have to going forward. If you’re capable of aging wine, this is a great one to lay down.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It is what they said about it: BBB Big,Bold & Beautiful and DDD Dark, Dense and Decadent. That's why and when that varietal can make us so ....cultist.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pitch black in color. 16.8% ABV. Soaring nose of black fruits, licorice and Whitman Sampler box. Big, plush and chewy. Notable balance all things considered. Blackberry, raspberry liqueur, dark chocolate and baking spices on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Awesome wine. Benchmark Petite Sirah. Best over the next 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking very well. Consumed with Big Dave. Remains quite dense and full-bodied. Lots of sediment, benefits from air. Quite pleasant and fresh nose. Rich purple and deep blue fruit. Teeth-staining finish. Not bashful and doesn't taste like it's 13 years old.
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over 2-3 hours.
Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dark chocolate, black pepper, potpourri and dried plum. Chewy flavors of black currants, dried plums and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dense purple (nearly black) color, and heavy stains in the bottle but almost no sediment and beautifully integrated tannins - Bravo!. This wine is a BEAST; it has the darkness of Tannat and the acidity of Touriga mixed with northern Rhone Syrah and Priorat-like Mourvedre. Deep flavors of bacon fat and loaded with spices, plus grandpa's beef stew and blood sausage. Not for wimps nor vegans, but it's a sublime match made in heaven for cigar smokers and palate masochists. Warning - 16.8% alcohol!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Purple to inky black color in the glass, clear as best as I can tell. Nose of roasted meat, currants, dark chocolate and light floral notes. Flavors of golden raisins, plums and black berries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour overlooking the pyramids in Giza. Hotel staff had never seen a cork so black with residual grit that they passed it around the restaurant.
Rhône-like notes on he nose and throughout and EXTREMELY well-balanced. After 2 cross-country moves this is in a near/perfect place, but its sweetness let’s the curtain down on its age and longevity. I’ve got 3 more bottles which I’ll drink in the coming 2-3 years. Went well with Indian food tonight and is approachable enough to even work with fish today. Would see with braised beef or chicken as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Spectacular wine! This is a "big boy, robust wine (16.8% ABV). It was filled with black berry flavors, a hint of chocolate and cassis, and some lovely spice on the back palate. It was great from the first pour and opened up nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From magnum...cork broke on me and had to strain...crowd-pleasing for sure...dark in color, but more red than purple...nose was somewhat muted, but good presence of dark fruit in the mouth with a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First of three bottles, tasted blind (with ten other wines). Deep, dark purple, with a lovely nose of black fruit, a touch of mocha, and some spice/mint? The problem was the acid - uniformly noted by all tasters, with some saying it was flawed (overly acidified). No mention of this in other notes, so hopefully my other two bottles will be better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have very limited experience with Petite Sirah. I enjoyed this as a beverage to drink with a spicy pizza. The flavors were very dark fruit with perhaps too little acidity. I was apprehensive that the high alcohol level would be unpleasant but that was not the case.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hard to say what was wrong with this bottle. There was no depth of flavor. Very muted nose, and almost no finish. Disappointing. I suspect this is a flawed bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I love SBR Petites and have had great luck with them. They are generally extracted, high octane monsters that are still fun to drink and experiment with in terms of hedonistic pleasure and downright palate coating intensity.
That said, this 2007 PS seemed to fall off the edge almost immediately. Too much extraction; too much alcohol. Kind of a plum-ridden, wonky mess throughout consumption. This collapsed into a stewy, muddled concoction that I just couldn't get past. Showed fleeting moments of having spine and focus, but then would instantly be catapulted into a wonky sweet vanilla sidewinder after it worked its way through the mid-palate and on to the back end.
Some overly ripe black cherry and blackberry liqueur flavors, with sweet chocolate and chewy fudge notes. Some crockpot, slow-cooker lamb loin flavors that threw this thing all out of whack. Kinda felt like gumming through a syrupy, sweet, melted chocolate-cherry truffle that had been dipped in vodka and thrown in mulch. It had that old confection sugar texture about it.
Not a fan. 84-86 points. This is worlds apart from the 2010 SBR Petite (which I really had become fond of in the past).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Whoa...this is absolutely stunning! I don't often drink P.S. but this is a winner. Intense and thick blackberry, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit with wonderful licorice and black pepper notes. This has what I will call 'mouth-coating brilliance' and a teeth-staining syrup feel to it. And, at 16.8% alcohol, definitely not for the faint at heart....well done!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a great wine! Nose gives mushroom at first, which lead way to big blue and black fruit, and licorice. Big body, which is thick and syrupy, but not sweet. Everything as integrated so well while this wine remain so well balanced. Blueberry and blackberry pie with a great finish. I've never seen so much sediment, and even after being filtered, this wine coats the glass but yet feel like silk on the mouth. I'm disappointed it's my last bottle. Good thing I have an 08 and 12 to look forward to down the road.
At home with Valerie and Eileen, it's been a few years since I visited this one. Needed something to stand up in a pairing with my pork shoulder and green chile verde stew...
Decanted for about an hour prior, which benefited the wine. More open than it was in its youth. From prior notes: "Color is a deep/inky purple. Off the charts in richness as well as a full bodied style. Dark fruits, blackberry, licorice, meats, coffee, pepper, sweet spices, vanilla oak (mid palate)...."
At this point the tannins have started to integrate, the wine seems to be hitting stride. The big mouth coating texture is still there, but starting to integrate and evolve. A massive wine to be sure...pairs really well with grilled or smoked meats, did very well with my medium spiced green chili dish...Still drinks and looks young, should continue to evolve for the foreseeable future, this probably has 20 years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
BIG and DARK wine. Blackberries, ground pepper (exactly like the "mélange noir" spice mix - sells at Globus Gourmessa), espresso, camphor and incense. Petite Syrah, 16.4% pow... Close - very close - to too much, but it stays in the "right side of the line". Cheers!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautifully balanced! Almost black in color, this wine hits the right spots with deep black cherry and blackberry. Somehow, switchback managed to hide the heat from the 16.8% abv, and it drinks so smoothly, the alcohol can sneak up on you! its not as thick as I was expecting, in a good way. Great 30 second finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Three Big Boys (Switchback, Carver Sutro, Mollydooker) (Home): Had a bottle five years or so ago that was "unpleasant". This was the opposite. Wow. This was fantastic. Purple in color. The nose is exuberant with black raspberries, licorice, slight vanilla and plums. Just gorgeous texture. Mouth coating yet supple. Delicious. Lots of fruit but enough acidity to be balance. Plums, black raspberries and slight burnt earthy notes. Long finish. The kind of wine that makes you keep taking sip after sip as its so delicious, but you want to slow down and contemplate it. Probably five to ten years from full maturity but at a great stage right now.
Via Coravin. Loads of blackberry and figs. Tannins certainly softening from 3 years ago. The heat is not too significant, but I think if you had a couple of glasses you might feel it. Quite a bit of sediment. Definitely better as a dessert wine, as it might be too big for accompanying food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great example of wonderful 07 fruit. Although decanted about 90 minutes, the graphite/pencil lead that I'm not a big fan of took about 24 hours to dissipate - and left a wine with complex integrated fruit and minimal tannins that was quite enjoyable. Very pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Jamie Kutch Visits The OC For Dinner (Luciana's In Dana Point (South OC)): Is it wrong to drink Switchback at 11AM? It simply cannot be! While not my norm to drink at 11AM, I did open this in advance of a dinner later this evening where it will be the closing wine with a chocolate dessert. Having been open now about 30 mins, I don't smell any heat or prune yet, although it does a bloody note on the aromatic. The palate? Lots of cocoa, dark chocolate, some chalk and dark berry, with some acid lingering in the finish underneath the fruit markers. With 8 hours to slow ox, we'll see how this does tonight but I offer this intro note for those who may have a bottle they need to open in a pinch and pour...it's fairly closed, restrained with this little amount of air....then at dinner, while I love this producer and consistently buy the wines, this vintage is too big for me. Listed on the bottle at 16.8% and even with some chill, it shows, especially when the wine warms up. Has the dark fruit and petite core I enjoy but the wine's alcohol was too prominent aromatically for me last night. I only had about 1.5 ozs, given we had to spread the pours and this was about as much as I wanted. I don't have any more of the 2007 and that's ok.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Chez Walker avec Lauren/Colin/Wendy/Simon/Andrea/Dave/Isobel/Jeroen: This was the main event for the evening - needed something to pair with a cassoulet with a mix of sausages and spice. Still early on this wine (per Parker) but thought it was up to the task...Foley wines age very well but also (in my experience) can be accessible young
Decanted 3 bottles for 3+ hours - definitely recommend - was tight out of the bottle, needs some air time to really show.
Color is a deep/inky purple. Off the charts in richness as well as a full bodied style. Dark fruits, blackberry, licorice, meats, coffee, pepper, sweet spices, vanilla oak (mid palate). Tannins sweet and integrated(ing).
Concentrated, mouth coating texture - a real "purple teeth" effect from this wine. This is still very young but drink beautifully right now. A great pairing in Fall/Winter for any grilled meats, stews or braised meats. WOTN for this crew
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big bold CA wine. Wife a big fan. Decanted about an hour. Ruby hues with massive amounts of dark berry fruit. Tannins integrated but could go several more years. Very nice wine if big and bold is your style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Easily the darkest wine I’ve seen (pitch black). Reminds me of a solid Aussie Shiraz. Loads of oak, menthol, vanilla, anise, black fruit, and a little to much prune. The alcohol is definitely noticeable. Not my style for the price.
See more detail at http://maximumsatisfaction.tumblr.com/post/38823953131
Enjoyed at the end of our annual party, with dessert that was an apple crumble or something decadent like that. Putting the dark fruit and intense flavor with that dessert, it works great. This vintage is dark, it's big and there is heat in the aromatic. Hell, it's labeled at 16.8% so it's not like we have to have an argument about subtlety. With this vintage, you open, you stain your glass, you enjoy it!!
Definitely a Foley wine, heavily extracted, grape syrup, fruit bomb. A nice wine but I'm definitely not as big of fan of this or petie sirah as in years past. I am preferring old world rhone wines right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At 16.8% alcohol, it was borderline port. I felt the alcohol more than tasted it, so the delivery was right. Syrupy and grainy in texture it offered a huge mouth-feel of dark ripe fruit. At first there was menthol / mint on the nose and then it faded to smoky meat. Long finish with jumpy tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Teeth numbing. Dark and syrupy. Blackberry tart. Very, very concentrated after four years and needs another five years probably to loosen up just a little. Wonder if my cellar has room to hold these big boys that long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big and flavorful as others have mentioned. Serious structure with a tremendous amount of fruit. Tannins can be felt streaming through this motor oil of a wine. Delicious, but not for everyone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner and Wine (My House): Big and flavorful. I got the tannin on this wine finally but it's not nearly as large and structured as the 2006. Dark like motor oil and a glass stainer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Huge huge wine up front with loads of charcoal, black roasted fruits and sweet spices. Needs air, air air. The palate is as huge as one might expect with a heavy feel and a bit of a grainy texture. Tannic finish (duh!) that ends chalky. Needs a ton of time as expected, but really good for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pretty amazing that someone could get the Petit Sirah that ripe without any harsh tannins. A nice ooze monster if you are into that sort of thing, but lacking any real complexity. It was a flashy wine with its fruit and ripeness. Tannins were ripe and integrated. While the wine wasn't hot at all, the alcohol sure hit me hard later on in the night. If you are a carnivore looking to wash down a hunk of meat, this is a wine for you.
Opened and poured at the request of my SIL for something big. I said aged or baby petite--he said baby. Out came the cork. Into the glasses, giving up nothing but some cocoa powder. Into the decanter, back to the cellar for a KB Garys' pinot. We'll head back to the SR after dinner--it needdddddddddds a decant..........at 2 hours in the decanter, into the glass. Big wine, as big as the 2005, maybe more so but smooth and dark, a glass stainer. A molten quality to the wine, molten charcoal, chocolate and dark berry, all liquified with a pure decadent finish. It won't make it until tomorrow but be sure, this is neither restrained nor delicate--pure, big and long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I knew this was too young, but I wanted to try it anyway. It was unpleasant on opening. Raw, rough, alcoholic and overly tannic. I decanted it for a while and then back in the bottle for Day 2. Much more reasonable on day 2. A nice combination of black fruits, this is quite a muscular brute. It showed glimpses of complexity and had a velvety texture that was light enough on its feet to not get bogged down. I will certainly wait on my other bottles, but this was instructive to try this young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/12/2024 - redz wrote: 92 Points
A little tired on the nose initially, but ended up being enjoyable. Drink soon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2024 - Stufonhead wrote: 93 Points
First night it couldn't be called fresh but certainly not overripe as these SB PSs can get when they're past peak. With 30 minutes of air it was quite nice. Complex but maybe a tad on the sweet side (grape bubble gum). Agree with prior note, not hot at all, surprisingly.
Second night, nose was still pruney and sweet at first swirl, but with air, sitting in the glass for 20 minutes, did wonders. Dirt and tobacco with a nice complex palate with a mix of black fruit (prunes included but without it being overbearing). Tannins moderate and with medium acid, it all makes for a solid sip.
For next bottle: Drink after giving it at least an hour or more of air. Then make sure the bottle gets drunk within a few hours. If u don't intend on finishing it, then bottle it up quick to keep it good for the next day, when it needs to be finished relatively quickly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2023 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour, drank about half the bottle over 2 hours. A little advanced and showing signs that it probably won't age that great from here. Thankfully, no alcohol, but dark raisin fruit and lacking acid or freshness. I was hoping for better but frankly this performed as I thought it would, being from a hot year.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2022 - redz wrote: 91 Points
Good, but not great. Smooth and ready to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2022 - sastewart wrote: 91 Points
30 minute decant, could have used a little more time. Higher alcohol shows a bit. Ripe but not quite OTT nose with dark fuits and a touch of chocolate. Ful bodied but good acid to balance the tannins. Plus black fruit, plum and licorice. lead to a long finish. Good showing, solid 91 points
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2022 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted to remove sediment, returned to the bottle and consumed from bottle 2 hrs later. Smokin good wine! Heady, Rhône-like nose with barrel, forest floor and charcoal.
Great balance with the once insanely dark fruit tamed / aged against perfectly resolved tannins. Outstanding pairing w boeuf bourgignon.
This is in a great place, certainly within a year or three of peaking if not there today. Kelly always tells me I need to buy more of these, and I have to going forward. If you’re capable of aging wine, this is a great one to lay down.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2021 - christianderivel Likes this wine: 95 Points
It is what they said about it: BBB Big,Bold & Beautiful and DDD Dark, Dense and Decadent. That's why and when that varietal can make us so ....cultist.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2021 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big, intense,blackberry and dark cherry on the palate. Decanted one hour; still fresh and fruit forward. Smooth tannins and not yet at peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2021 - UMRich Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big but wears it well. Balanced and the high alcohol is well hidden. Great wine with BBQ
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2020 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big, bold and beautiful. Decanted for about an hour and it was delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2020 - tomlee wrote: 95 Points
Pitch black in color. 16.8% ABV. Soaring nose of black fruits, licorice and Whitman Sampler box. Big, plush and chewy. Notable balance all things considered. Blackberry, raspberry liqueur, dark chocolate and baking spices on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Awesome wine. Benchmark Petite Sirah. Best over the next 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2020 - UMRich Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still some tannin, but very drinkable. Dark, dense and rich.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well. Consumed with Big Dave. Remains quite dense and full-bodied. Lots of sediment, benefits from air. Quite pleasant and fresh nose. Rich purple and deep blue fruit. Teeth-staining finish. Not bashful and doesn't taste like it's 13 years old.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
8/20/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over 2-3 hours.
Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dark chocolate, black pepper, potpourri and dried plum. Chewy flavors of black currants, dried plums and black cherries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2020 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dense purple (nearly black) color, and heavy stains in the bottle but almost no sediment and beautifully integrated tannins - Bravo!. This wine is a BEAST; it has the darkness of Tannat and the acidity of Touriga mixed with northern Rhone Syrah and Priorat-like Mourvedre. Deep flavors of bacon fat and loaded with spices, plus grandpa's beef stew and blood sausage. Not for wimps nor vegans, but it's a sublime match made in heaven for cigar smokers and palate masochists. Warning - 16.8% alcohol!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Purple to inky black color in the glass, clear as best as I can tell. Nose of roasted meat, currants, dark chocolate and light floral notes. Flavors of golden raisins, plums and black berries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour overlooking the pyramids in Giza. Hotel staff had never seen a cork so black with residual grit that they passed it around the restaurant.
Rhône-like notes on he nose and throughout and EXTREMELY well-balanced. After 2 cross-country moves this is in a near/perfect place, but its sweetness let’s the curtain down on its age and longevity. I’ve got 3 more bottles which I’ll drink in the coming 2-3 years. Went well with Indian food tonight and is approachable enough to even work with fish today. Would see with braised beef or chicken as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2019 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit. Explosive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2018 - Tetherton Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spectacular wine! This is a "big boy, robust wine (16.8% ABV). It was filled with black berry flavors, a hint of chocolate and cassis, and some lovely spice on the back palate. It was great from the first pour and opened up nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2018 - hanasowner wrote:
From magnum...cork broke on me and had to strain...crowd-pleasing for sure...dark in color, but more red than purple...nose was somewhat muted, but good presence of dark fruit in the mouth with a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2017 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was rich and flavorful. It was not big as I was expecting and party goers drank it down quickly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2017 - Cow Town Does not like this wine:
First of three bottles, tasted blind (with ten other wines). Deep, dark purple, with a lovely nose of black fruit, a touch of mocha, and some spice/mint? The problem was the acid - uniformly noted by all tasters, with some saying it was flawed (overly acidified). No mention of this in other notes, so hopefully my other two bottles will be better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2017 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really big and inky. Not a big fan
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2017 - budman Likes this wine: 91 Points
That's more like it. Still not as bold as I remember, but good fruit!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2017 - gondrik Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have very limited experience with Petite Sirah. I enjoyed this as a beverage to drink with a spicy pizza. The flavors were very dark fruit with perhaps too little acidity. I was apprehensive that the high alcohol level would be unpleasant but that was not the case.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2017 - budman wrote: flawed
Hard to say what was wrong with this bottle. There was no depth of flavor. Very muted nose, and almost no finish. Disappointing. I suspect this is a flawed bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2017 - csimm wrote: 86 Points
I love SBR Petites and have had great luck with them. They are generally extracted, high octane monsters that are still fun to drink and experiment with in terms of hedonistic pleasure and downright palate coating intensity.
That said, this 2007 PS seemed to fall off the edge almost immediately. Too much extraction; too much alcohol. Kind of a plum-ridden, wonky mess throughout consumption. This collapsed into a stewy, muddled concoction that I just couldn't get past. Showed fleeting moments of having spine and focus, but then would instantly be catapulted into a wonky sweet vanilla sidewinder after it worked its way through the mid-palate and on to the back end.
Some overly ripe black cherry and blackberry liqueur flavors, with sweet chocolate and chewy fudge notes. Some crockpot, slow-cooker lamb loin flavors that threw this thing all out of whack. Kinda felt like gumming through a syrupy, sweet, melted chocolate-cherry truffle that had been dipped in vodka and thrown in mulch. It had that old confection sugar texture about it.
Not a fan. 84-86 points. This is worlds apart from the 2010 SBR Petite (which I really had become fond of in the past).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2017 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Whoa...this is absolutely stunning! I don't often drink P.S. but this is a winner. Intense and thick blackberry, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit with wonderful licorice and black pepper notes. This has what I will call 'mouth-coating brilliance' and a teeth-staining syrup feel to it. And, at 16.8% alcohol, definitely not for the faint at heart....well done!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2017 - bplant13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a great wine! Nose gives mushroom at first, which lead way to big blue and black fruit, and licorice. Big body, which is thick and syrupy, but not sweet. Everything as integrated so well while this wine remain so well balanced. Blueberry and blackberry pie with a great finish. I've never seen so much sediment, and even after being filtered, this wine coats the glass but yet feel like silk on the mouth. I'm disappointed it's my last bottle. Good thing I have an 08 and 12 to look forward to down the road.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
12/26/2016 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted two hours. Big and bold. A bit under the weather so really didn't appreciate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2016 - 2loyal Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Still rich and tannic, suggesting like remaining, but not terribly well balanced (and too green) for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
At home with Valerie and Eileen, it's been a few years since I visited this one. Needed something to stand up in a pairing with my pork shoulder and green chile verde stew...
Decanted for about an hour prior, which benefited the wine. More open than it was in its youth. From prior notes: "Color is a deep/inky purple. Off the charts in richness as well as a full bodied style. Dark fruits, blackberry, licorice, meats, coffee, pepper, sweet spices, vanilla oak (mid palate)...."
At this point the tannins have started to integrate, the wine seems to be hitting stride. The big mouth coating texture is still there, but starting to integrate and evolve. A massive wine to be sure...pairs really well with grilled or smoked meats, did very well with my medium spiced green chili dish...Still drinks and looks young, should continue to evolve for the foreseeable future, this probably has 20 years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2016 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A rock star. Inky purple. Excellent black and blue fruit. Complex, integrated, long pleasant finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2016 - DerSchonWieder wrote: 92 Points
BIG and DARK wine. Blackberries, ground pepper (exactly like the "mélange noir" spice mix - sells at Globus Gourmessa), espresso, camphor and incense. Petite Syrah, 16.4% pow... Close - very close - to too much, but it stays in the "right side of the line". Cheers!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2016 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Opened bottle accessed twice previously been Coravin. Seemed to be missing some of the intensity, but certainly more approachable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2016 - bplant13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautifully balanced! Almost black in color, this wine hits the right spots with deep black cherry and blackberry. Somehow, switchback managed to hide the heat from the 16.8% abv, and it drinks so smoothly, the alcohol can sneak up on you! its not as thick as I was expecting, in a good way. Great 30 second finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Three Big Boys (Switchback, Carver Sutro, Mollydooker) (Home): Had a bottle five years or so ago that was "unpleasant". This was the opposite. Wow. This was fantastic. Purple in color. The nose is exuberant with black raspberries, licorice, slight vanilla and plums. Just gorgeous texture. Mouth coating yet supple. Delicious. Lots of fruit but enough acidity to be balance. Plums, black raspberries and slight burnt earthy notes. Long finish. The kind of wine that makes you keep taking sip after sip as its so delicious, but you want to slow down and contemplate it. Probably five to ten years from full maturity but at a great stage right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/6/2015 - ravbik wrote: 93 Points
Still big ripe and juicy. Highly concentrated loads of black fruits and full bodied. Will wait another three years to see any changes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2014 - MJTed wrote:
Extracted, concentrated and rich. Still a baby but looking forward to how this might evolve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2014 - Venturifan wrote:
Received as a gift. Just not my style of wine. I'm sure that people that like this kind of overly extracted, high alcohol oak bomb would like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2014 - maitredgreg2 wrote: 98 Points
98+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted over an hour. Deep inky hues. Good black and blue fruit. Decent finish. Very nice but didn't match up to a Montafi Ranch Carlisle zin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2014 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Via Coravin. Loads of blackberry and figs. Tannins certainly softening from 3 years ago. The heat is not too significant, but I think if you had a couple of glasses you might feel it. Quite a bit of sediment. Definitely better as a dessert wine, as it might be too big for accompanying food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great example of wonderful 07 fruit. Although decanted about 90 minutes, the graphite/pencil lead that I'm not a big fan of took about 24 hours to dissipate - and left a wine with complex integrated fruit and minimal tannins that was quite enjoyable. Very pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2014 - Billiken Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just love this wine!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Jamie Kutch Visits The OC For Dinner (Luciana's In Dana Point (South OC)): Is it wrong to drink Switchback at 11AM? It simply cannot be! While not my norm to drink at 11AM, I did open this in advance of a dinner later this evening where it will be the closing wine with a chocolate dessert. Having been open now about 30 mins, I don't smell any heat or prune yet, although it does a bloody note on the aromatic. The palate? Lots of cocoa, dark chocolate, some chalk and dark berry, with some acid lingering in the finish underneath the fruit markers. With 8 hours to slow ox, we'll see how this does tonight but I offer this intro note for those who may have a bottle they need to open in a pinch and pour...it's fairly closed, restrained with this little amount of air....then at dinner, while I love this producer and consistently buy the wines, this vintage is too big for me. Listed on the bottle at 16.8% and even with some chill, it shows, especially when the wine warms up. Has the dark fruit and petite core I enjoy but the wine's alcohol was too prominent aromatically for me last night. I only had about 1.5 ozs, given we had to spread the pours and this was about as much as I wanted. I don't have any more of the 2007 and that's ok.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
Dinner at Chez Walker avec Lauren/Colin/Wendy/Simon/Andrea/Dave/Isobel/Jeroen: This was the main event for the evening - needed something to pair with a cassoulet with a mix of sausages and spice. Still early on this wine (per Parker) but thought it was up to the task...Foley wines age very well but also (in my experience) can be accessible young
Decanted 3 bottles for 3+ hours - definitely recommend - was tight out of the bottle, needs some air time to really show.
Color is a deep/inky purple. Off the charts in richness as well as a full bodied style. Dark fruits, blackberry, licorice, meats, coffee, pepper, sweet spices, vanilla oak (mid palate). Tannins sweet and integrated(ing).
Concentrated, mouth coating texture - a real "purple teeth" effect from this wine. This is still very young but drink beautifully right now. A great pairing in Fall/Winter for any grilled meats, stews or braised meats. WOTN for this crew
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2013 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big bold CA wine. Wife a big fan. Decanted about an hour. Ruby hues with massive amounts of dark berry fruit. Tannins integrated but could go several more years. Very nice wine if big and bold is your style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2013 - Billiken Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is an outstanding wine, but needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2013 - themki wrote: 98 Points
Fig, blackberry, coconut, and oak blend magnificently in this hedonistic blockbuster. Sumptuous and unforgettable. Drinking beautifully now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2012 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 91 Points
Easily the darkest wine I’ve seen (pitch black). Reminds me of a solid Aussie Shiraz. Loads of oak, menthol, vanilla, anise, black fruit, and a little to much prune. The alcohol is definitely noticeable. Not my style for the price.
See more detail at
http://maximumsatisfaction.tumblr.com/post/38823953131
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/18/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Enjoyed at the end of our annual party, with dessert that was an apple crumble or something decadent like that. Putting the dark fruit and intense flavor with that dessert, it works great. This vintage is dark, it's big and there is heat in the aromatic. Hell, it's labeled at 16.8% so it's not like we have to have an argument about subtlety. With this vintage, you open, you stain your glass, you enjoy it!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/20/2012 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consumed a few years back, I remember it being dark as night and insanely tannic. Give it a while to rest
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2012 - Lord Rodney wrote: 87 Points
I had a hard time drinking this. Not because of the 16,7% vol but more that it was simply too pruney which is an element I simply detest in wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2012 - cabwiz wrote: 92 Points
Definitely a Foley wine, heavily extracted, grape syrup, fruit bomb. A nice wine but I'm definitely not as big of fan of this or petie sirah as in years past. I am preferring old world rhone wines right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2012 - Drankthewholebottle wrote: 93 Points
At 16.8% alcohol, it was borderline port. I felt the alcohol more than tasted it, so the delivery was right. Syrupy and grainy in texture it offered a huge mouth-feel of dark ripe fruit. At first there was menthol / mint on the nose and then it faded to smoky meat. Long finish with jumpy tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2011 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Teeth numbing. Dark and syrupy. Blackberry tart. Very, very concentrated after four years and needs another five years probably to loosen up just a little. Wonder if my cellar has room to hold these big boys that long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2011 - MayValley wrote:
Black blockbuster. Some sweetness, ripe but be aware af the alkohol.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/31/2011 - ravbik wrote: 95 Points
Big, bold,lots of depth, thick black fruits, berries, some sweet tones, nice tannins to finish, mild oakiness
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2010 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Big and flavorful as others have mentioned. Serious structure with a tremendous amount of fruit. Tannins can be felt streaming through this motor oil of a wine. Delicious, but not for everyone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Dinner and Wine (My House): Big and flavorful. I got the tannin on this wine finally but it's not nearly as large and structured as the 2006. Dark like motor oil and a glass stainer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:
Huge huge wine up front with loads of charcoal, black roasted fruits and sweet spices. Needs air, air air. The palate is as huge as one might expect with a heavy feel and a bit of a grainy texture. Tannic finish (duh!) that ends chalky. Needs a ton of time as expected, but really good for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2010 - Jay A wrote: 90 Points
Pretty amazing that someone could get the Petit Sirah that ripe without any harsh tannins. A nice ooze monster if you are into that sort of thing, but lacking any real complexity. It was a flashy wine with its fruit and ripeness. Tannins were ripe and integrated. While the wine wasn't hot at all, the alcohol sure hit me hard later on in the night. If you are a carnivore looking to wash down a hunk of meat, this is a wine for you.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/9/2010 - Mike V wrote: 92 Points
Yea you will have to like the style. It is what it is , black sweet tannic and oaky. Works on Friday night after a long week with steak burritos.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened and poured at the request of my SIL for something big. I said aged or baby petite--he said baby. Out came the cork. Into the glasses, giving up nothing but some cocoa powder. Into the decanter, back to the cellar for a KB Garys' pinot. We'll head back to the SR after dinner--it needdddddddddds a decant..........at 2 hours in the decanter, into the glass. Big wine, as big as the 2005, maybe more so but smooth and dark, a glass stainer. A molten quality to the wine, molten charcoal, chocolate and dark berry, all liquified with a pure decadent finish. It won't make it until tomorrow but be sure, this is neither restrained nor delicate--pure, big and long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote:
I knew this was too young, but I wanted to try it anyway. It was unpleasant on opening. Raw, rough, alcoholic and overly tannic. I decanted it for a while and then back in the bottle for Day 2. Much more reasonable on day 2. A nice combination of black fruits, this is quite a muscular brute. It showed glimpses of complexity and had a velvety texture that was light enough on its feet to not get bogged down. I will certainly wait on my other bottles, but this was instructive to try this young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 90 Points
Pretty, aromatic PS nose. Tannic on the palate, primary. Needs time. 90+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment