Boeger Single Barrel Petite Sirah, 2004 El Dorado special purchase

Heringer Estates 2003 Petite Sirah, Clarksburg $28

Special Single Barrel Wine

Silver, Chronicle; Bronze, State Fair; Bronze, San Diego; Double Gold, Finger Lakes

This one took the longest to open, but when it did it was wonderful. The nose was full of blackberries and raspberries with some toasted oak and black pepper and just a bit of earthiness. There was oak and caramel with some great spiciness. The mouth feel was velvety yet chewy.

The wine had great fruit on the nose with blackberry and red raspberry. That was rounded out with a bit of resinous oak, chocolate and just a hint of earthiness and a little bit of tea. The mouth feel was a nice satin consistency. The fruit carried through into the palate with maybe just a hint of citrus.

This had the lowest apparent acid of the three, probably medium amount for a red wine.

This wine did not have a high apparent acid, probably a solid medium level.

The tannins were definitely apparent, but were velvety in texture. This could definitely lay down a few more years.

The tannins were there, but rounded and not at all jarring. This is a wine that is great for drinking now but could lay down a few years.

This wine had great complexity that kept improving as the wine opened up. It had a very nice, lingering finish that was mostly fruit and some oak spice.

This was a nicely complex wine that required the least aeration to open up. The finish was not as long as the other wines, but of significant length all the same. Most of the linger was of fruit, but a bit of the spice was still present near the end.

This was a lovely wine that, although good now, would only improve with a year or two of aging. All tasters felt this was a great overall quality wine. Some people who are sensitive to tannin may want to have this wine with food.

This was a great drinking wine that will probably improve with a little more bottle age, but was ready to drink now for most palates. The wine had good balance and the finish was long and enjoyable.