Showing posts with label Lake Cou. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lake Cou. Show all posts

Thursday, October 19, 2017

High Valley Vineyards High Valley Petit Sirah 2014

High Valley Vineyards High Valley Lake County Petit Sirah 2014

Traveling to a valued client site, I planned to grab dinner and go back to the hotel to watch the NLCS. I ordered a pizza and went to Friar Tuck's to select an accompanying wine. I found this Petit Sirah from High Valley Vineyards from the High Valley Appellation up in Lake County which is over the hill north and east of Napa Valley. 

The High Valley sits at an elevation that ranges from 1,600 to 3,000 ft. and is one of the coolest appellations in Lake County due to cool breezes that blow across and off the oldest lake in North America. The terroir of the appellation consists of red, rocky volcanic soils that produce intensely flavored grapes.

The High Valley brand is the collection of single vineyard designated wines of producer Shannon Ridge. They are sourced from the 75 acre Betsy Vineyard on North Slope of their Home Ranch in the High Valley AVA, named for the mother of owner/producer Clay Shannon.  

The first indication this wine might exceed my expectations was its dark inky black color that looked more like coffee than red wine. It was rich, full bodied, intense, concentrated yet nicely balanced with wild berry bold fruit flavors of blue and black berry and black cherry with notes of vanilla and hints of clove spice with full well rounded tannins and a long tongue coating elegant finish.

I enjoyed this so much with my pizza I went back the next day and picked up a couple more bottles, and I plan to pick up several more my first opportunity. This provides some great QPR - Quality Price Ratio, and I look forward to trying some of the other labels from this brand.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2813951

https://www.shannonridge.com/