Consistency is the overriding characteristic of the 9 vintages we have produced from Palisades Vineyard. Blueberries and blackberries, violets and crushed black pepper, rich, round and sweet tannins, voluptuous mouth-feel, majestic purple color and a long, dreamy finish.

Latest off the Line: 2005 Vintage

This lovely wine will be available starting in the end of March, 2008. Bottled in August of 2007, this wine came through one of the wettest growing seasons in memory. 25 inches of rain in the spring of that harvest year was almost 300% of normal, which led to happy dry-farmed vines in early Fall when the 15 foot deep roots were still finding moisture to help them ripen the fruit. Following are Robert Parker’s tasting notes of the 05 barrell sample:

”From the northeastern corner of the Napa Valley, this (Carver Sutro) Petite Sirah specialist turns out pedal to the metal, powerful, intense wines from this underrated varietal. “Revealing an opaque purple hue as well as a full-bodied, dense personality, the 2005 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard offers up scents of blueberries, black raspberries, camphor, graphite, and spring flowers. It reveals huge tannins, good acidity and 25 years of aging potential.”
Score: 91-93

2004 Vintage: Sold Out

One of our favorites. A mild summer gave way to a hellacious couple of weeks just before harvest. Several 100-plus degree days and 3 days of nonstop, hot Santa Ana winds severely dried our fruit. Yield was down 35%, but the shriveled fruit emerged into a wonderful, rich vintage. Again, Robert Parker’s tasting notes: “The 2004 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard possesses a blue/black color as well as exceptional perfume of acacia flowers, cruched rocks, blueberries, blackberries, and incense. Tannic and powerful, full-bodied and long, it should be cellared for 4/5 years, and consumed over the next 20-25+. Score: 93+ Time has flown for us. We are in our 10th anniversary year. It has been a splendid ride – a challenging and rewarding experience, now complete with a very loyal customer base, wonderful restaurant placements mostly in NYC and northern California, and widely glowing critical reviews.