The inky/purple-colored 2007 Petite Sirah Wine Creek Ranch reveals a more primary, intense nose of blue and black fruits, and forest floor. Dense and rich with sweet tannin, it is still very primary, but is loaded with potential. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 10-15 years. These are two attractive offerings from this bio-dynamically run vineyard.Tel. (707) 431-8333; Fax (707) 431-1664

Shows a certain rustic simplicity now, with youthfully jammy flavors of blackberries, cherries and currants, sprinkled with cocoa and pepper and wrapped into dusty tannins. Might develop some bottle complexity down the road, but not a longterm ager. Now–2013.——S.H.(12/31/2009)—— 87

Quivira is assemblng quite a track record with this bottling, which takes Petite Sirah’s irrepressible quality and pounds it into elegance and finesse. Dry and balanced, their ’06 shows ripe berry, chocolate and spice flavors wrapped into firm, fine tannins. Now through 2012.——S.H.(12/31/2008)—— 92

No matter how hard you try to tame Petite Sirah and make it civilized, it retains its feral, rustic nature, which is what makes it such an interesting wine in the right hands. Quivira has “claretized” this wine, yoking the intense cassis, currant, cocoa, gamy leather and pepper flavors to finely ground tannins and a modest alcohol level. But it’s still a quintessentially wild Petite Sirah. Drink now through 2017.——S.H.(3/1/2008)—— 91