Dark clear ruby, nearly impenetrable but bright with a thin purple rim. Dusky floral so deep, it teeters dangerously near roasted, but the funky baseline of barnyard keeps the solid-gold berry alive for the count. A nice greenbriar pops out, lending a certain liveliness to an otherwise ridiculously concentrated nose.

Powerfully done, it flows like syrup over the tongue, both the denseness of the PS and the playfulness of the Zin doing their complimentary yin-yang tug on the extracted, black goodness. It tastes ridiculously young, and checking the label has this thing sitting at a solid 5. It is showing no signs of growing old–not even of teen-age wisdom, and certainly no calming tertiary of the wizened. Cram-packed full of spirit, tannin on 11, it is both black and bright, dense and delicate, not-so-shyly exposing layers of interest all the way through. Incredible blackberry inside a mush of cherry solids and 20 years worth of tannin, shocking acid and a bit of heat.

As a many-decades-fan of Petite Sirah, THIS is how they are supposed to be done. Barely approachable, years to go, thick and juicy, RIDICULOUSLY concentrated, this wine reminds me of wine’s I’ve had from McPrice-Myers: larger than life, extracted beyond BELIEF, so overweight with fruit, balance seems a near-impossibility, and yet, here it is. Perfectly done. A big big bruiser, but nicely done.

2015 BRAINCHILD PS/Zin 70/30 Napa Valley 14.2

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