Miro Petite Sirah 2006

This is another wine that was generously provided by a PS I Love You winemaker - Miro Cellars from Geyserville, CA. Miro Tcholakov is the wine maker who also made the La Storia 2004 Petite Sirah for Trentadue Winery that I previously posted (Petite Sirah Day 2). The grapes for this 100% Petite Sirah were harvested from the Dry Creek Valley and then were barrel aged for 17 months in 40% new European oak barrels. 2006 was a relatively rainy winter with a cooler summer than the 2005 vintage. As a result, the grapes were harvested at a later date, thus producing greater depth and structure. The 2006 harvest was also lower in yield resulting in more intense flavor and concentration. This very dark purple wine started off with intense blackberry and blueberry aromas along with some toasted oak and herbal notes. On the palate, the black fruits dominated but there was a sour cherry flavor on the mid palate that was not very pleasing. On the back end was some nice earthiness along with some spice rack flavors that unfortuantely got covered by the sour cherries. Overall, the wine was well structured with nice acidity and relatively mild tannins, but had missed the mark with the cherries. This big and bold wine would pair well with grilled meats, strong blue cheses and spicy sauces. Be sure to decant this wine for at least a half-hour before serving. The Miro Petite Sirah received a 90 point rating from the Wine Enthusiast. Based on our first bottle, we would be in the 86-88 point range. However, I will taste a second bottle and update this posting following that tasting. This wine retails for about $20.