2006 Concannon Syrah
Usually when I talk about Livermore’s Concannon Vineyard, I’m talking about Petite Sirah, but not today. As far as I am aware, there is nothing related about the Syrah and the Petite Sirah grapes except for very similar names. While Concannon shines with their Petite Sirahs, this 2006 Syrah from them is not so easy to outright laud, but it’s still an interesting find.
On the nose is very little in the way of fruit notes, all I got here is oak, wood, and smoke. I actually have here in my notes, “fireplace,” and while I don’t think it smelled burned, there’s an appropriateness to that word. Perhaps it should have been simply “fire.” The fruit appears on the palate, in the form of a nice mix of black and red fruit notes (some blackberry and sour cherry), and the oakiness is still there.
Some wine writers have made hay with certain wines about “giving [them] splinters,” and if you have that kind of reaction to really oaky wines, this one’s probably not for you. But there is a warmth and spiciness about this Syrah that I still found myself drawn to. It’d be one hell of a wine at a cookout, that’s for sure.
I think I should point out the QPR here… for $8-$10, this wine hits a pretty nice QPR note overall, but you still have to be down with its oaky smokiness.
Verdict: B-
2006 Concannon Nina’s Cuvee Petite Sirah
Just recently, I reviewed this wine’s brother, the Captain Joe. This is a different spin on Petite Sirah from Concannon Vineyard, and while the Joe is more my speed, others might really prefer this one.
Unlike the Joe, the Nina does not have the influence of 20% Syrah grapes. The blend is, according to the bottle, made “primarily” of the Petite Sirah grapes that grew in “Nina’s Vineyard” (named after Nina Concannon, the current winemaker’s grandmother).
The nose on this wine is pleasant, but for me, didn’t have the big fruit notes I was told to expect. Instead I got earth and wet stone, a pleasant “after a recent rain” smell that was fresh and clean, but also hearty and earthy, and a bit sweet.
Black fruit notes come through on the palate, as do some very nice white pepper and clove. It’s quite different from the Captain Joe, but another very nice example of the variety from the winery that pioneered the making of Petite Sirah wine in America a half-century ago.
Verdict: B
2006 Concannon Captain Joe’s Petite Sirah
I don’t think “Captain Joe” was actually a pirate, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to legitimately title a wine review with “Arrrrrr!” Forgive me.
Concannon Vineyard made the very first Petite Sirah in the United States. They’ve been doing it for 130-ish years now. So, they make a few different PS’s, and they tend to do them well.
The Captain Joe’s is 80% Petite Sirah and 20% Syrah, and this gives it more of an edge and cuts some of the berry that often accompanies Petite Sirah. It still stains the hell out of your teeth, though. (Don’t you love that about PS? I do.)
In the glass it’s a light garnet red with some nice sparkle. You can see through it just a bit, but not like a rose or anything. On the nose are some nice earthy notes, like mushroom and soil. It mixes with a pleasant espresso/coffee note: just a bit of a bitter burn smell, but very faint, and actually very pleasant, not at all “bad”-smelling.
The fruit of the Petite Sirah comes through on the palate in a big way. Sour cherry mixes with a light raspberry note and it all comes through with a medium body that coats the mouth just enough to announce its presence, without feeling heavy or overwhelming.
All in all, very pleasant, and perhaps the best of Concannon’s Petite Sirahs that I’ve enjoyed.
Verdict: B+
2006 Concannon Captain Joe's Petite Sirah