2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley
Tasting Notes
Our 2017 Petite Sirah possesses an extraordinary deep color and offers up full-bodied flavors rich in plums and dark berried fruit. The wine is a very deep purple with flavors of blueberry, plum, a dash of black pepper, and a hint of chocolate.
A relatively mild summer with a cool (for us) second half of August allowed us to leave the fruit to ripen fully. We harvested on September 25th at a Brix of 24. It was aged for 30 months in Neutral American Oak barrels.
Petite Sirah is one of the deepest red wines and tends to have a high level of antioxidants.
It pairs well with Roasted and barbecued meats and rich stews. It also works well with melted cheese and of course chocolate!
Ready to drink now it will hold for at least 2-3 more years.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Petite Sirah
Alcohol: 14.3%
What’s Included
4-bottles:
4x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley
Case:
12x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley
It’s taken us a few years, but we are happy to announce our first public wine offerings. We produced our first red wine, a blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah 2013. It was a nice wine and well-received at weddings, graduations, local charity events, and family dinners, but we didn’t feel it was ready for prime time. It took several years of a pretty steep learning curve to get to the right combination of cultivation practices and harvesting decisions for us to feel that we are legitimate contenders for your wine dollars.
Wine grapes grown in the Capay Valley Appellation share many characteristics with those grown in the Southern Rhone Valley of France. The Capay Valley has a similar climate, with warm days and mild nights. A moderate amount of cool air comes from the mountains in the evenings, and the open-ended valley also feels some cooling breezes from the Sacramento Delta in the south.
Our vineyards are located on the well-drained, sloping valley floor next to Cache Creek, which provides some additional night cooling.
Heather Creek Ranch produces in small batches, dropping about 40% of the fruit, and selecting for uniform ripeness, getting the best possible flavors for each varietal. The varietals were chosen because they shine in our Capay Valley climate.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
We dove into this bottle of Petite Sirah a few nights ago on its own. We don’t drink much Petite Sirah, but we were struck by the clear bottle, which had the effect of showing off the sediment as you worked your way down the bottle.
First Whiff: Very fruit forward with berry & cherry aromas. No signs of alcohol.
First Sip: Low tannins, smooth mouthfeel, jammy flavors with a hint of cherry, some tartness, and a little pepper on the finish. We did enjoy it more as some time passed but felt like it was lacking complexity.
Summary: We enjoyed the wine the first night, and would use it as a weekday sipper that could be enjoyed alone or paired with pizza. The price is in line with our casemates expectations but our cellar is full, so we’ll be passing this time.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah - $55 = 33.32%
Bought a 4-bottle bundle of this one, as Petite Sirah is my all time favorite varietal and I’m always on the lookout for new offerings of it.
Interestingly, unlike @GraysonM, my bottles aren’t clear, but green-tinted:
The wine itself is a solid first release for a relatively new winery. Though it’s very distinct from most other California Petite Sirahs. The only other I’ve ever had that I can compare it to is a Redwood Valley/Mendocino County Petite from Volante, which isn’t far from Capay Valley, so I’m assuming this is something imparted from the terroir of this area.
The wine is lighter in color, far less tannic than most Petites, with surprising acidity. The fruit leans toward the red rather than the black spectrum: strawberry, raspberry, and pomegranate, with sour cherry on the finish. This one is for tart wine lovers only!
A unique Petite for sure. I’ll definitely keep my eye on where Heather Creek Ranch goes from here.
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$184.00/Case for 12x 2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah, Capay Valley at Heather Creek Ranch
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 16 - Wednesday, May 18
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
This was a casemates offer July 2020. Rats & comments:
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/heather-creek-ranch-petite-sirah-and-syrah
Also specs mention aged 22 months in neutral American oak.
We dove into this bottle of Petite Sirah a few nights ago on its own. We don’t drink much Petite Sirah, but we were struck by the clear bottle, which had the effect of showing off the sediment as you worked your way down the bottle.
First Whiff: Very fruit forward with berry & cherry aromas. No signs of alcohol.
First Sip: Low tannins, smooth mouthfeel, jammy flavors with a hint of cherry, some tartness, and a little pepper on the finish. We did enjoy it more as some time passed but felt like it was lacking complexity.
Summary: We enjoyed the wine the first night, and would use it as a weekday sipper that could be enjoyed alone or paired with pizza. The price is in line with our casemates expectations but our cellar is full, so we’ll be passing this time.
@GraysonM thanks for the report. don’t think I’ve ever seen a clear bottled red.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2017 Heather Creek Ranch Petite Sirah - $55 = 33.32%
Bought a 4-bottle bundle of this one, as Petite Sirah is my all time favorite varietal and I’m always on the lookout for new offerings of it.
Interestingly, unlike @GraysonM, my bottles aren’t clear, but green-tinted:
The wine itself is a solid first release for a relatively new winery. Though it’s very distinct from most other California Petite Sirahs. The only other I’ve ever had that I can compare it to is a Redwood Valley/Mendocino County Petite from Volante, which isn’t far from Capay Valley, so I’m assuming this is something imparted from the terroir of this area.
The wine is lighter in color, far less tannic than most Petites, with surprising acidity. The fruit leans toward the red rather than the black spectrum: strawberry, raspberry, and pomegranate, with sour cherry on the finish. This one is for tart wine lovers only!
A unique Petite for sure. I’ll definitely keep my eye on where Heather Creek Ranch goes from here.
@davebaxter42 Great review, thanks. Nice Pungo in the background!