Good wine is amazing. Good friends are priceless. When good friends give you good wine, life is just about a good as it can get! Good friend Sharon and I worked together a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. Astute readers might infer where we worked. Many years later, we have remained in touch and she recently sent me a gift of wine out of the blue. How great is that?
Somehow Sharon remembered that I have a soft spot in my heart for Petite Sirah. I don’t know how she remembered, but I opened a UPS box from Sharon to discover a 2012 Staten Family Reserve Petite Sirah from Field Stone Winery. Some quick research told me that this wine was made from 120 year-old vines in Alexander Valley. Field Stone is a new name for me, and I resolved to lay this down to wait for some future momentous occasional. What is that phrase about good intentions?
So, you probably guessed it. Before we even started dinner that night I had this bottle photographed, opened and breathing. It seemed that a bit of breathing time was indicated to allow some recovery from the scary ride around Northern California in the back of a UPS truck.
After a respectful wait, we poured glasses for Judi and I. The inky dark wine foreshadowed the rich, deep experience to come. A quick swirl and then the nose. We both flashed to a favorite library, full of leather and parchment aromas. I remembered one with an amazing stained-glass ceiling.
Finally, it was time for the sip we couldn’t wait for (literally). Warm and earthy, with notes of plums and currants, a great blend of spice and fruit. It gave us a long balanced finish that left us ready for the next sip., Bold, but not too tannic (the tasting notes credited a splash of estate Viognier for that magic). This would be great with beef or spicy pork, but pairing will have to wait because this particular bottle will not see sunrise, let alone our next BBQ.
Good friends are priceless, even when you can’t see them as often as you would like. An unbelievably thoughtful gift like this reinforces just how special good friends can be.
Cheers, Sharon, all the best to you!
About the Author: John grills a mean steak and is always in the market for another wine fridge. Believes that if a winery has more than 10 employees, it's probably too big. Buys wine faster than he drinks it, but who cares?
