1999 Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah

Happy Saturday!  Well, it's the first Saturday of November which means it's time to raid the stash for something a bit more mature to celebrate "Cellar Saturday"!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I bought a little while ago that I've really been looking forward to, the 1999 Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah.  I love Petite Sirah, because it's neither petite nor syrah, so I'm anxious to taste this one.  I'm also fascinated by the history of this winery, founded by Frank Teldeschi who emigrated to California from Italy, like so many other great California wine makers.  Frank's 70 acres in the Dry Creek Valley were planted primarily with Zinfandel (another favorite) and through that connection, he had a hand in helping Ravenswood (another favorite winery) establish itself as a premier Zin producer back in the 1980s.  But enough history, let's get to the wine!

I opened the bottle carefully (cork and age can be fickle friends) and then decanted it for about an hour.  The wine is a rich, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, plum and kisch, that just reminds me of many of the wonderful local Italian places in New York.  The wine is an explosion of rich fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that exhibits a bit of sweetness, only to transition nicely to some mocha and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully integrated, leading to a wonderfully smooth and long dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a great example of the varietal and it was a terrific value from Wines Til Sold Out at just $18!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a last gasp of summer before the time change tonight, with a rare grilled prime porterhouse, baked potato and grilled Brussels sprouts.  The fruit in this wine is a perfect foil for a nice grilled steak.  Salute!