A recent invitation by Paul Frankel, winemaker at Sculpterra Winery, led me down the rabbit hole of Petite Sirah.

Paul wanted me to taste some samples of Petite Sirah from the 2021 vintage from a selection of barrels, which I was more than happy to do. I wrote a post back in 2020 exploring the fascinating world of barrel-ageing, which you’re welcome to check out.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked while pouring wine is “What’s the difference between Syrah and Petite Sirah?” so this seemed like a good time to attempt to answer that while adding to my knowledge on the variety. Before I get to the tasting notes of the wines I tried, here’s what I’ve found out about big, bold, not-so-petite Petite Sirah.

A history lesson

Dr. François Durif was a botanist living in the commune of Tullins, east of the northern Rhone valley, France, in the 1860s. He grew a number of grape varieties including Syrah and the lesser-known Peloursin.

At some point, Syrah pollen germinated a Peloursin plant, resulting in the creation of Petite Sirah. It’s not known for sure if this was a deliberate crossing.
It was first identified in 1868 and originally named Plant Du Rif, before later being coined Durif.

It wasn’t until the 1880s when Durif vines were imported to the United States that it started to be called Petite Sirah. Charles Clark McIver, the founder of Linda Vista Winery near Mission San Jose, brought the vines to California in 1884, and the Petite Sirah name started to appear in the following years.

The ‘Petite’ name appears to relate to the vines having small berries, however, the vines here at Sculpterra produce medium-sized grapes. Information on the differences between clones is limited, however, I did find a reference to another grower using the same clone as us, who also ended up with larger grapes than expected. Currently, UC Davis has 10 clones of Durif listed.

Either way, these days, Petite Sirah / Durif is recognized by the Rhone Rangers as a ‘Rhone Varietal’, however, it’s not one of the sanctioned grapes of the Cote du Rhone AOC in France. There are references to a separate, ‘Petite Syrah’ grape (spelt with a Y), but there doesn’t seem to be any scientific evidence of its existence that I can find.

Petite Sirah grapes have super-thick skins and lots of pigment, along with tight bunches of fruit. This means it needs a long, dry growing season to ripen fully, and makes it susceptible to bunch rot in the event of rain or excess humidity before harvest. This can be a problem in France but makes the variety perfectly suited to drier areas.
California, along with Australia and Israel now leads the way when it comes to Petite Sirah’s inky wines.

Petite Sirah ripening on the vine at Sculpterra

The clone we have at Sculpterra is currently registered with UC Davis as ‘Durif Clone 03’, but was first listed as Petite Syrah (yes, with a Y) in the 1960s at Kunde Winery in Sonoma before the name was changed. We started planting it here in 2005 in the clay-loam soils of the valley floor.

For the 2021 harvest, we also bought some Petite Sirah fruit from Rafael Jimenez of San Miguel Vineyards. His young vines get plenty of heat to ripen the fruit, while strong evening winds protect against mildew and pests. The grapes we got from Rafael were small, with a great balance of sugars and acidity.

After all that, I need a drink. Let’s do some tasting!

Typically, Sculpterra Petite Sirah is a beautiful opaque purple colour with rich plum and molasses aromas in a lightly floral frame. Oak barrels add in notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, and baking spice. It’s always a bold wine suitable for cellaring. Let’s explore the subtle difference between barrel samples of the 2021 vintage.

Sample #1 Cornerstone Cooperage 265L Pennsylvania Oak. Fruit from San Miguel Vineyards.

Candied plum and rose petal. Huge, tannic mouthfeel. This will make up part of the Bentley Ironworks and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

Sample #2 Demptos Cooperage 265L Hungarian Oak. Fruit from San Miguel Vineyards.

Noticeably more oak on the nose. More dark chocolate and cherry aromas. Super-long finish with smoother tannins. Making its way into the varietal wine.

Sample #3 AP John 225L French Oak. Fruit from San Miguel Vineyards.

Definite small-berry taste, with distinct blackberry and blackcurrant aromas. Lasting, chocolaty finish. Part of the varietal wine for extra depth.

Sample #4 Seguin Moreau Cooperage 500L American Oak. Estate Sculpterra fruit.

Earthy, more subtle nose, with liquorice and mushroom. Fine tannic structure. This will be used in the Statuesque and Bentley Ironworks wines.

Sample #5 AP John Cooperage 475L American Oak. Estate Sculpterra fruit.

Paul’s favourite barrels for Petite Sirah. These ‘Epic’ barrels are coopered in Australia using American oak. The dry air in Australia means that once the oak is seasoned and cut there is much less chance of shrinkage and leaking.
Sweet strawberry and raspberry aromas alongside the usual plum. Great mouthfeel and balance and a super-long finish. This will be used in the Petite Sirah varietal wine.

So what did we learn?

This thick-skinned grape is unpopular in France, but in the heat of California’s central coast makes for a bold, unmistakeable wine that can add colour and structure to other grapes, plus hold up by itself rather well. It can be tannic and even overpowering when young, but with time or the right barbeque, little else comes close to the powerhouse that is Petite Sirah / Petite Syrah /Durif / Plant du Rif.

Who makes the best Petite Sirah?

Personally, I’ve yet to find a Petite Sirah I prefer over Paul Frankel’s at Sculpterra Winery, and that’s my honest opinion, not just because I’m on the clock as I write this.
Don’t take my word for it though. At the recent Central Coast Wine Competition with entries from 95 wineries, the 2019 vintage won ‘Best Petite Sirah‘. 
Call the tasting room at 805-226-8881 or check the Sculpterra website to see if we still have this wine available.

The 2019 vintage of Sculpterra Petite Sirah.

Cheers from me and Paul, Sculpterra’s awesome winemaker.

If you read all that nerdy, in-depth stuff, well done. You deserve a drink. Raise your glass to the growers, workers, and winemakers worldwide that make it possible!

Darren Brown.
PS. Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve written anything here. Feel free to check out some of my earlier posts here.