Don & Sons Americano Petite Sirah (6)

Don & Sons Americano Petite Sirah 6-Pack
$74.99 $149.94 50% off List Price
2011 Americano Petite Sirah
CT link above

Winery website

I’m short on funds til Wednesday :frowning: (of course!), so if someone doesn’t want all 6, I’ll take 2 or 3 off your hands.

[winenotes]
Tweeter and the Monkey Man “borrowed” my car last night for a couple of hours, and when it was returned I found they left a mysterious package on the passenger seat. In that box was a bottle of 2011 Americano Petite Sirah.

I opened it and gave it several hours to recover from its journey. When I finally poured some, my stemless glass showed a clear purple-magenta liquid with ruby reflections when lit from behind. It is dark, but not opaque. When I swirled it, there were many legs which flowed rather freely. A deep whiff reveals a moderate nose of spicy blackberry, slightly cooked plums, oak, and tobacco. To me, it smells a bit older than the vintage date would suggest.

My first sip reveals a medium body, initially fruity - blueberries, slightly sour black cherries - then moving quickly over the tongue to soy-infused, mushroomy flavors toward the back of the palate. The tannins are there, but very friendly, not harsh or bitter. I think there is a little less acid than I’d like, which results in a lack of freshness in the finish, which is dry, medium length, smoky, and laced with blackberries. No super-extracted sweetness here.

We had BBQ ribs and a bunch of veggies for dinner, and they played well together, but I think I prefer the wine by itself, because its relatively soft and open. SWMBO thought it was “awesome” and gave it a thumbs up. She doesn’t like tart wine, so the lower acid profile works for her. She really enjoyed the dark berry flavors and easy drinking nature of the wine.

This strikes me as a very modern and mellow Petite Sirah. It wants to be your friend and to be liked, but isn’t too pandering about it. Its not overly powerful like many Napa PS’s can be, but its not just a generic fruit bomb either. It has some individual character and style. Before looking at the woot price, I figured this would be $15-$20 on the street, and worth that price. It’s well worth the woot price if this is the style you’re looking for.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Day. Please remember those who gave all for our freedoms.

So join or create a WW Gathering!

Some nice bottles from Don & Sons.
Thinking of the Wilson Vineyards “Orange” Crusher from a few years back and another Crusher PS in a mixed offer. That Aquinas was tasty as well, along with the UAP that’s made several appearances.

From the site I found the varietal composition of this is:
81% Petite Sirah
17% Cabernet Sauvignon
2% Merlot

Same winemaker here, Greg, as with the '11 Crusher PS, and similar numbers as well but no RS spec to compare to the 3.7g/L of the Crusher.

Thanks for the TN Bill, you pull a cork on the Crusher yet to compare the two?

Thanks for the notes! Another CT also noted lack of acidity. Deal breaker for me as I am very sensitive to any flabbiness in wine. Everything else sounds delicious, though!

pH: 3.55
TA: 6.1 g/L

Seems like reasonable acidity on paper, perhaps the softer tannins noted by merbill lead to the perception of less acid.

Those are reasonable numbers, although I didn’t feel much “zippyness” on the finish. The tannins are definitely soft and round, probably due to the 19% of non-PS varietals blended in. With its easy drinking nature, I’m sure this would disappear quickly at any gathering.

Ron - I have not opened the Crusher yet, and unfortunately I won’t be able to compare the two before the end of the sale. I didn’t know they were the same winemaker, so you got me curious. Could be interesting to do at a SoCal gathering sometime.

Info post:
All tasting notes for this wine have been cross posted into CT under user name wine.woot_taster. User names have been removed to protect the guilty. PM me if you want your tasting note removed or user name added back.

Thanks and back to the wineing.