Deep and brooding, this Petite Sirah is brimming with aromas of blackberry, plum, and black currant. The intense, jammy fruit provides the drama while subtle notes of mocha and hazelnut bring finesse. Stokes’ Ghost is full-bodied with balanced tannins and a finish that lingers on the palate. This rich, lush wine is just what the doctor ordered.
Winemaking
The Petite Sirah grapes in this wine were harvested at night in the southernmost reaches of the Monterey appellation, an ideal location for growing this dramatic, heart-stopping variety. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were crushed and fermented in small lots to extract the full flavors and tannin structure for which Petite Sirah is so well known. The wine was then pressed and racked at dryness for oak aging.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Appellation: Monterey
Aging: Aged in American, French, and Hungarian oak for 12 months
In 1833, British sailor James Stokes jumped ship in Monterey with a booty of stolen medicine. He opened a downtown pharmacy and launched a thriving medical practice as “Dr. Stokes”. Despite a knack for killing his patients, he landed a commission as the personal physician to California Governor Jose Figueroa. Within a year, the governor was dead.
The phony physician was astonishingly successful for someone so poor at his job. He grew wealthy, married the widow of one of his patients, and served as mayor of Monterey. Eventually the gig was up. According to legend, Stokes’ sons confronted him of his devious deeds and he ingested poison, falling lifeless at their feet. His former home still stands and to this day, is haunted by the ghostly figure of a man dressed in 1800s garb. This is the legend of Stokes’ Ghost.
2020 Stokes’ Ghost Petite Sirah Monterey
Scheid Family Wines
TLDR: General impression: This is a young wine, and though it’s quite pleasant to drink right now, I suspect it will improve with age. Petite Sirah lovers should find it quite acceptable.
Full flavored, as a good Petite Sirah should be, with characteristic P.S. flavor. It tastes of dark fruits-- blackberry, mulberry, plum. It’s intense, dry, and fills the mouth, without being jammy. The long, pleasant finish invites sipping. After a minute or two, some more cherry-like flavors show up as the dark fruit fades. There is definitely some tannin, which leaves the teeth feeling clean. Tried with some cheeses, all crumbly: an aged gouda, a two-year-old Cougar Gold (white cheddar), and some Bleu d’Auvergne. It went well with all three. Most would say that this is a wine that calls for red meat, and I suspect it would go well with a steak. (My wife and I have lost our taste for beef and lamb in our later years.)
I have some of the 2019 version from last year’s October 2nd offering (same URL, except without the -1 on the end), so I opened a bottle for comparison. The two are similar in appearance, although the 2020 is less transparent. (It’s clear, just more dense.) Flavors are similar, although I thought I detected a bit of wood on the first taste of the 2019-- something I haven’t noted in the 2020.
Day 2: Left the corked bottle on the table overnight. No significant difference. It still goes well with the rich blue cheese.
I received this wine on Friday, and tasted it on Friday and Saturday. Since I had a few more days to compare some other recent CaseMates selections with my memories of the Stokes’ Ghost, I did so. The first was another with a fun name and label, the 2020 “Son of a Butcher”. It’s a little better for current consumption and at a case price of $12.08/bottle a little less expensive, but both are good bottles. Then I tried a 2014 Sterling Petite Sirah. Like the Stokes’ Ghost, it’s a wine with good varietal character, and is a little smoother, but more expensive at $20/bottle. Given the difference in price, the Stokes’ Ghost is my clear preference.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2020 Stokes’ Ghost Petite Sirah - $80 = 33.32%
Here comes the slacker! I was enjoying the beaches of the Mediterranean when I got a notification of a package I need to sign for. I assumed it was for my Durigutti Argentinian Viognier order, and I was right, it was! But UPS also had another box waiting for me, quite sneaky! Even more sneaky was I didn’t know when this would be posted for sale. Yesterday, yesterday is when it will go live!
To start off with, I’m a huge fan of Petite Sirahs. My dinner was originally going to be salmon, but I decided to switch it up to a steak with blue cheese. I opened the bottle and poured a small glass. The color was a vibrant plum, if such a color exists. The aroma I could smell a mile away as I was pouring the wine; a rich plum. After letting the wine sit for a minute I got what I would describe as a mineral scent with some fruit. No smell of alcohol. It has legs a mile long! I don’t know the last time I had a wine that coated a glass like this.
The first taste was a bit of plum and blueberry with dryness. I was actually a bit surprised how dry it was (not in a bad way). It holds up amazingly well with food. The last sip with dinner was as good as the first.
The last glass went down with some dark chocolate, which led to me ordering a case!
@salcorn I love the October-themed giphys. This is what I felt like when I just got a message that UPS has 2 deliveries from Wine Country Connect coming today and I have no idea what they are.
2020 Stokes’ Ghost Petite Sirah
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $540/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 24 - Tuesday, Oct 25
2020 Stokes’ Ghost Petite Sirah
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Stokes’ Ghost Petite Sirah Monterey
Scheid Family Wines
TLDR: General impression: This is a young wine, and though it’s quite pleasant to drink right now, I suspect it will improve with age. Petite Sirah lovers should find it quite acceptable.
Full flavored, as a good Petite Sirah should be, with characteristic P.S. flavor. It tastes of dark fruits-- blackberry, mulberry, plum. It’s intense, dry, and fills the mouth, without being jammy. The long, pleasant finish invites sipping. After a minute or two, some more cherry-like flavors show up as the dark fruit fades. There is definitely some tannin, which leaves the teeth feeling clean. Tried with some cheeses, all crumbly: an aged gouda, a two-year-old Cougar Gold (white cheddar), and some Bleu d’Auvergne. It went well with all three. Most would say that this is a wine that calls for red meat, and I suspect it would go well with a steak. (My wife and I have lost our taste for beef and lamb in our later years.)
I have some of the 2019 version from last year’s October 2nd offering (same URL, except without the -1 on the end), so I opened a bottle for comparison. The two are similar in appearance, although the 2020 is less transparent. (It’s clear, just more dense.) Flavors are similar, although I thought I detected a bit of wood on the first taste of the 2019-- something I haven’t noted in the 2020.
Day 2: Left the corked bottle on the table overnight. No significant difference. It still goes well with the rich blue cheese.
I received this wine on Friday, and tasted it on Friday and Saturday. Since I had a few more days to compare some other recent CaseMates selections with my memories of the Stokes’ Ghost, I did so. The first was another with a fun name and label, the 2020 “Son of a Butcher”. It’s a little better for current consumption and at a case price of $12.08/bottle a little less expensive, but both are good bottles. Then I tried a 2014 Sterling Petite Sirah. Like the Stokes’ Ghost, it’s a wine with good varietal character, and is a little smoother, but more expensive at $20/bottle. Given the difference in price, the Stokes’ Ghost is my clear preference.
I’m in for a case.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2020 Stokes’ Ghost Petite Sirah - $80 = 33.32%
Bought a case (NYC, Brooklyn near Prospect Park). If anyone wants a few from it, let me know!
We grabbed a case last year and really enjoyed it. Well worth the price.
Perfect Halloween wine…but us Indiana folks lose out again.
black-repellent-bloodsucker
Seems appropriate for Stokes’ Ghost.
Shipping to Alabama?
/giphy gelatinous-smelly-screamer
Here comes the slacker! I was enjoying the beaches of the Mediterranean when I got a notification of a package I need to sign for. I assumed it was for my Durigutti Argentinian Viognier order, and I was right, it was! But UPS also had another box waiting for me, quite sneaky! Even more sneaky was I didn’t know when this would be posted for sale. Yesterday, yesterday is when it will go live!
To start off with, I’m a huge fan of Petite Sirahs. My dinner was originally going to be salmon, but I decided to switch it up to a steak with blue cheese. I opened the bottle and poured a small glass. The color was a vibrant plum, if such a color exists. The aroma I could smell a mile away as I was pouring the wine; a rich plum. After letting the wine sit for a minute I got what I would describe as a mineral scent with some fruit. No smell of alcohol. It has legs a mile long! I don’t know the last time I had a wine that coated a glass like this.
The first taste was a bit of plum and blueberry with dryness. I was actually a bit surprised how dry it was (not in a bad way). It holds up amazingly well with food. The last sip with dinner was as good as the first.
The last glass went down with some dark chocolate, which led to me ordering a case!
/giphy grim-dingy-promqueen
Liked it last year!
/giphy fiery-perished-lich
@salcorn I love the October-themed giphys. This is what I felt like when I just got a message that UPS has 2 deliveries from Wine Country Connect coming today and I have no idea what they are.
In for a half case!
/giphy wanton-screeching-goosebumps
No love for VA this time around, but if anyone in DC or MD (near the beltway) wants to split a case let me know.
@dkrupps I’ll split a case with ya. I’ll be going to a bike race (or 2) in VA this fall (30 OCT and 4 DEC), and we can exchange one of those dates.
@dkrupps
Mournful-Violent-Robes
@kls_in_MD
anyone in South NH or North MA want to split ?
/giphy mortal-bodiless-phantasm
