Nice color, still lively ruby and clear with pink edges. Jammy and sweet, with some oxidation, VA and some fruit-fly situation in the nose common with home wine. Cleanliness is clearly an issue. But it’s Petite Sirah: able to shrug off a multitude of sins with its plummy countenance. Deeply concentrated, extraction was clearly a goal–another trademark of home-wine. Fairly one-dimensional in aroma, it exudes mostly syrupy sweetness and flabby blackberry.
In the mouth, things brighten up a bit. There’s a nice chalky dryness to it, although I would be surprised if it were below .6 or .8. Again, it’s hard to tell, as PS–like Zinfandel–can portray a *perceived sweetness* in larger wines. The burn of alcohol enters early, and while there’s no indication of ABV on label, I’m going to peg it near-15. Briar and spice play a nominal part of the mouth-feel: mostly it is just massive concentration and bitter burn. A charming effort, reeking of amateur and probably a fair gold-medal winner. Hefty tannin consolidate the finish, and the thick berry stew offer some pleasant juxtaposition. Sanitizing equipment and topping barrels religiously would solve a number of ills here and to be perfectly honest: this could be any number of Herman Story, Saxby, or Orin Swift wines quite easily.
2014 RED CLAW Petite Sirah Paso Robles
Stephen McConnell 