Unlike almost every St. Patrick’s Day, I picked wine to match with my Irish stew. Instead of the normal pint or two of Guinness, I opened one the samples sent by Concannon, their Petite Sirah from 2004. While Guinness was still involved as an ingredient to the stew, it was great to match one of my favorite varietals with the meal. Here’s my tasting note:
Concannon Vineyard, Petite Sirah, Central Coast, “Limited Releaseâ€Â? 2004 ($15/sample) – Dark purple/black in color with aromas of blueberry and black cherry; Bright blueberry fruit flavors with some vanilla and silky tannins. A rich mouthfeel completes the package nicely. Drink now to fully enjoy the exuberant fruit. Score: 8.5/10
The wine matched well with the earthiness of the stew, bringing pure fruit as a counterpoint while not overpowering it. I think the Heritage Pet, while a better wine overall, would not have matched as well here.
Great job Tim!
Although I have been a big fan since you started podcasting, I once lived in the Livermore Valley and so found this show exceptionally interesting. Concannon, along with Wente, were some of the first vintners in the area and they took clonal selections from some of the best European vineyards.
I look forward to the second part of this interview.