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Notes from the Winemaker:

Winemaker Matt Ortman has long been a fan of Paso Robles Petite Sirah, and he jumped at the chance to make it when fruit from Wittstrom Vineyard became available. This vineyard occupies an ideal site for Petite Sirah, yielding a wine that is big yet elegant with lusciously intense flavors. The 2007 vintage is our second release from Wittstrom Vineyard, and Petite Sirah now occupies a firm place in our small family of wines.

Vineyard
Wittstrom Vineyard is located just west of Highway 101 halfway between Paso Robles and San Miguel, a perfect location for achieving optimal ripeness for Petite Sirah. Planted with progressive high-density vine spacing, Wittstrom Vineyard boasts low-yielding vines that consistently produce concentrated flavors. The vineyard rows run west to east to capture the benefits of the prevailing coastal breezes, bringing added depth and complexity to the fruit.


Winemaking
The 2007 growing season brought a banner vintage for Petite Sirah, with low yields and exquisitely balanced, intensely flavored fruit. The grapes were hand harvested and destemmed directly into a 1.5-ton fermenter. The must was cold soaked for three days prior to fermentation. At the conclusion of fermentation, extended maceration was employed to soften the tannin profile. The wine was pressed directly to French oak barrels (60 percent new oak), where it aged for 24 months. Production was limited to five barrels.

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