Moshin Vineyards Petite Sirah 2015

WSET-Style Notes

Medium Garnet in appearance.

Medium intensity on aroma. Blueberry, cassis, cooked red plum, black pepper, light cedar, smoke, leather, hay, barnyard, game, mushroom, wet leaves.

Medium plus intensity on palate. Dry, medium acid, medium minus tannin, high alcohol, full body. Medium plus finish. Savory meat, cassis, cedar, earth. After some time in the glass, more black cherry, black plum, and medicinal notes came out.

The wine is developed. It should be drunk now, not suitable for much further aging. I conclude that this is a very good wine.

Experiential Notes

Moshin Vineyards Petite Sirah comes from the Foppiano Vineyards located in the Russian River Valley. You might expect a Petite Sirah to be on the astringent side, with signature high tannins, but the bottle aging has softened it out. Gamey, meaty aromas greet you on first impression. The wine is ripe and hot. But over the course of a half hour, all the aggression of the wine is gone, and the fruit is revealed. Black cherry, plum, cassis slowly come forth, and the overall package of the wine comes together. This Petite Sirah has excellent balance and benefits from time in a decanter and/or your wineglass. I purchased this bottle for around $35 and found it to be an excellent value for this level of quality.

This is a wine I would recommend for drinkers who like a bit of funk, game, and age on their wines. Meats and cheeses that have similar flavor profiles would pair well. If you prefer fruit forward drinking, you’ll likely pass on this wine.

If my memory serves me correctly here, Moshin might not release a Petite Sirah every year. Although the 2015 is sold out, 2017 is currently available on their website. If you should purchase a bottle it’s best to drink it during 2022-2023.