TONIGHT'S WINE: THE 2006 BOGLE PHANTOM
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J: Right off the bat: peppered plum on the nose.
K: Smells like Christmas. Gingerbread and sugarplums. That is, when the alcohol blows off in the glass.
FIRST SIP
J: Wow, after the smell, I was expecting something a bit more strong, but WOW, and let me say WOW again...velvety smooth! The blend of the Sirah must be what is taming it down. At 14.5% alc., this is definitely a bit of a conflicted wine.
K: This wine is a blend of Petite Sirah, old vine Zin and old vine Mourvedre--and I agree, the Petite Sirah is shutting down the finish on it. I love it, it's another one of those textural wines of which we're huge fans. But it's not as thick and intense as the nose purports. What are the flavors you are picking up on?
J: I can pick up the jam flavor, but having a hard time getting the berry. I almost want to say it's like strawberry jam. I know Petite Sirahs mimic blueberry (and I can taste the blueberry), but for some reason, strawberry highlights the finish. Which, by the way, has a short finish. But that's okay. This is still a winner in my book. In fact, it might make it on my staff picks shelf! No, nevermind that...I don't want us to sell out of it. K, will you tell our readers a bit more about the petite sirah and why there is a petite sYrah and a petite sIrah? What's the difference?
K: Petite Sirah is an interesting grape to add to our list of intriguing grapes. I'm sure you've heard of Syrah. To state it in the most basic way--when you make "petite" a prefix to said grape--you can deduce that it's a smaller version of a Syrah grape. Which is the easy answer, but not the whole answer. "Petite Syrah" is technically the minature relative of the Petite Sirah that is grown in the Rhone region of France. Domestically speaking, anything labeled "Petite Syrah" is a misspelling.
J: A little bit confusing, but when you think about it, it will make sense. The petite sirah is a small grape that packs a good punch of grapes...in other words...it makes a lot of juice.
K: There is a savory quality to it; a bit herbal. Jammy too, I agree--but the short finish keeps tormenting me. I want it to stick around.
J: I suppose that gives you an excuse to just drink more of it. It's a flirt, a tease.
K: The label does say "mysterious and hauntingly seductive". It is a good bottle to split. It's a pretty sexy wine.
J: If you're a Zin drinker, this is a good alternate. It could be great with quite a variety of foods. Pizza. Spaghetti.
K: Yes. Rich, warm, winter foods. Chili. Beef stew. Fudge brownies. Football party foods! Meatballs, beefy, cheesy, nachos.
