David Bruce Santa Barbara Petite Sirah
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Santa Barbara County is one of the most exceptional and deviated American Viticultural Areas (AVA) of California. While most of the mountain ranges in California run in a north/south direction and parallel to the ocean, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties’ Transverse Range is exactly the opposite: crosswise, or perpendicular, to the Pacific and running west to east.
- The Santa Barbara Petite Sirah comes from Los Alamos AVA which is characterized by cool nights and moderate to warm days. This weather combination along with hilly topography and sandy soils of the vineyard creates grapes with intense color and high fruit concentration.
- Petite Sirah or Durifs is a dark and expressive varietal and unlike the name, there is nothing Petite about either the grapes or the wines.
Varietal Composition: 100% Petite Sirah
Elaboration: The grapes were hand-picked into ½ ton bins, destemmed as whole berries into 4-ton jacketed SS open top fermenters with 24 to 72 hrs. cold soak and fermented at very cool temperature for 10 days. Free run juice was removed by gravity and must was transferred to Pneumatic press without using any pump. The Must was pressed with a gentle cycle into smaller tanks based on clones and other criteria. To keep the fruit forward character of this Petite Sirah, it was barrel aged for 14 months in a combination of 15 % new American and Hungarian oak.
Tasting Notes: The nose is dark plums, black mulberries, cassis and crushed white peppers, The palate has flavors of blueberries, black mulberries, dark tea and a hint of toasted walnuts. It has vibrant acidity with firm yet sweet and food friendly tannins.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
David Bruce Winery is a California winery located in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA above Silicon Valley in Northern California. It was established by dermatologist David Bruce, M.D. in 1964. David Bruce Winery has earned an international reputation throughout more than four decades for its dedication to producing the greatest Pinot Noir in the world. 2024 marks their 60th Anniversary.
David Bruce Winery was one of 12 California wineries to participate in the now famous 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” in which California Cabernets and Chardonnays outscored French Bordeaux and Burgundies in a blind tasting in France. Since then, David Bruce wines have consistently taken top honors in competitive tastings.
Today, wines are produced from the winery’s 45-acre estate vineyard featuring plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Syrah, as well as from fruit sourced from over 30 of the best growers in Northern and Central California and representing 6 appellations.