2020 Old Kraft Petite Sirah
Silky Elegance
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A never-ending void of darkness in its appearance in the glass from the core to the rim, where it just shows a touch of garnet. Aromatically this wine really pulls you into the glass. Blackberry, black currants, freshly cracked white peppercorns, and just a hint of vanilla. Full bodied and very giving, and really showcasing the silky elegance one finds from the terroir for St. Helena and the complexity that only old vines can provide. This is a wine that wants for bistro-style foods.
106 cases produced. In the Cohn Zone: drink now - 2040.
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Ratings
I have known Bob Biale since 1993. In fact, as a student at Fresno State he donated fruit to me to make a 30-gallon barrel of Aldo Zinfandel. A friend and I picked all of that fruit. It was great lesson in picking very old vine Zinfandel. Bob and I have remained close friends ever since.
My knowledge of this vineyard goes back to the days of a wine called Blockheadia Ringnosii that was made from this vineyard in the mid-1990’s. Then, of course, I know the Zinfandel that Robert Biale Vineyards produces very well. So, when he called to offer some Petite Sirah from the Old Kraft Vineyard, I knew I had to jump on it.
As always, a vineyard needs to speak to me and this one certainly does. The vines are incredibly old and well cared for. It is located in St. Helena and produces a wine that not only shows the intensity of what great Petite Sirah can be, but also the finesse and complexity that these soils bring to the mostly Bordeaux varietials grown around them.
The Old Kraft Petite Sirah all the incredible aromatics that only the best of the best ones have, but on the palate, it has a really round rich texture with just enough minerality and tannin structure to keep it in balance. To be able to work with this vineyard is a amazing experience.
I started Jeff Cohn Cellars with the help of my mother, Iris. One adorns the label as a tribute to her.
Appellation: St. Helena, Napa Valley
Vineyard: Old Kraft Vineyard
A heritage St. Helena vineyard. Franz “Frank” Kraft was an early winemaking pioneer who this vineyard in 1871 and was likely replanted between 1895 and 1905.
Four acres of head-trained vines - 79% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 3% various are located on the west side of St. Helena.
Vinification: 100% Petite Sirah
The fruit is hand-picked then cold-soaked. I gently foot-stomp the fruit of which 15% is whole cluster, the rest is whole berry and de-stemmed. None is crushed. The wine goes through open-top, then 100% Malolactic fermentation and aged 18 months in 60% new French oak, 40% neutral French oak barrels.
FedEx Ground:
$.01 12+ 750 mL bottles
$15 1 - 11 750 mL bottles
$15 per magnum
📦 Shipping Alert: We're watching the weather. If below 30° or above 70°, we won't ground ship your wine. We recommend FedEx Priority Overnight® to protect it from extreme temperatures.
85 Audrey Frick — The 2020 Petite Sirah Old Kraft Vineyard would benefit from some air on opening, as it is quite reductive out of the gate, but those off-putting aromas quickly blow off. The nose offers candied black fruit, lavender oil, and scorched earth, while the palate is full and savory, with rather coarse, gritty tannins. Drink this over the next couple of years.
