2014 York Creek Petite Sirah

Deep dark in color with appealing aromas of black pepper, brambly fruit and licorice. Layered blackberry and cassis fruit on the palate with a rich tannic core, cocoa and mint on the finish. JO (7/18)

A Ridge tradition since 1971, these mountain grapes delivered yet again in 2014. We typically pick this vineyard late in the season, but early bud-break and warm weather advanced the harvest. Picked at full ripeness and pumped over once daily for seven days, this fine wine has appealing blackberry fruit, full structure, and balanced acidity. Best appreciated after five years of cellar age, it will develop over a further fifteen.

In 1968, Fritz Maytag purchased the Herbert Hummel ranch on Spring Mountain, west of St. Helena in Napa Valley. This beautiful property rises from 1250′ to over 2000′, and its climate is cooler than that of the valley below. Most of the land is forested and wild—the watershed of its namesake, York Creek. There are several petite sirah blocks on the ranch. Planted in the early years of the last century, the Devil’s Hill vines were the oldest. In 1971, Ridge used their fruit to make its first York Creek Petite Sirah. The story of how this came about starts in 1967, when Fritz and Paul Draper—friends, at Stanford—set up a winery in Chile’s coast range. When Paul returned to California, joining Ridge as winemaker in August of 1969 it made sense for Fritz to send Paul these amazing grapes.

Rainfall: 18″ (below average)
Bloom: Mid-May
Weather: Very dry and cold December, dry January; most of the rain fell in February, March and April. Cool spring followed by an early, warm summer.

Harvest Dates: 12-13 September
Grapes: Average brix 25.3˚
Fermentation: 100% Whole berry, floating cap. 100% Natural primary and secondary fermentation. Drained and pressed at 7 days
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (25% new 20% one year old, 55% two and three years old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested, York Creek Vineyard grapes; destemmed and partially crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally-occurring bacteria; 0.33g/l tartaric, oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush; 135 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Vinous Media (Jul 2016): 94 Points “The 2014 Petite Sirah York Creek, from a famous site on Napa Valley’s Spring Mountain, is all about intensity. Big, firm Petite tannins provide the backdrop as the 2014 shows off its super-distinctive personality. Graphite, game, smoke, licorice and blue/purplish fruits abound. There is no shortage of depth, that much is certain.” – Antonio Galloni

Average Rating: 90.4

No. of Tasting Notes: 58

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