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: 2013 Retro Cellars (Dunn) "Elevation" Howell Mountain Petite Sirah

2013 Retro Cellars (Dunn) "Elevation" Howell Mountain Petite Sirah (Elsewhere $50+)

SKU #1517499 94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Deep garnet-purple, the 2013 Petite Sirah Elevation is a little closed to begin, giving way to beautifully expressive sandalwood, Indian spices and dried roses notes over a core of preserved plums, blueberry pie and Black Forest cake with a waft of licorice. Medium to full-bodied, it has a taut yet immediately accessible structure of firm tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. (LPB) 94+ Inner quote mark (6/2018)

94 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2013 Petite Sirah (Howell Mountain) is another gorgeous wine from Mike and Kara Dunn. There is plenty of Howell Mountain density, plushness and structure, while the hefty Petite tannins have been somewhat domesticated. A host of game, smoke, tobacco and licorice overtones are woven throughout this super-expressive, intriguing Petite. (AG) Inner quote mark (3/2018)

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2013 Retro Cellars (Dunn) "Elevation" Howell Mountain Petite Sirah

Price: Hidden

RP: 94

VN: 94

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Product Reviews:

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email

We don't do many Petite Sirah offers but this one is a doozy! A tiny production wine from Mike and Kara Dunn (yes that Dunn) sourced from century old vines high on Howell Mountain. Retro Cellars is the Dunn family's label for non-Cabernet based wines and shares the same pedigree, power, ageability and unique mountain expression as the iconic sister label. Luckily for us Petite Sirah doesn't command the same high price point as Howell Mountain Cabernet so we can get our hands on this beast of a wine for under $40! Yep, 2013, perfectly aged, straight from the library, and packed with brambly, briary, dark-fruit, and crushed rock. This bold and brooding Petite Sirah hails from the historic Park Muscatine Vineyard planted in the 1890s at 2000ft elevation on the top of Howell Mountain. Whilst still rich and full bodied, the grape's notoriously big tannins have mellowed beautifully with 8 years in bottle and some very attractive cedary, tobacco notes have started to develop. This wine is drinking perfectly right now but still has a proven core of structure to age another 10-15 years in the cellar, maybe more. This is a stunning bottle of wine, from a great vintage and an absolute steal at our special Insider's Advantage price!

Drink from 2022 to 2040

By: Michael Benoit | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/1/2022 | Send Email

This beautiful Petite Sirah from Mike and Kara Dunn (of Dunn Vineyards fame) is incredibly beguiling from start to finish. Its beautiful nose, rich with brambly dark berries, menthol, and exotic spices drew me in immediately. On the palate the wine is rich and lush, with deep plum flavors accented with notes of cracked pepper and game. Nearly nine years after harvest this wine is showing beautifully, and would make an outstanding pairing with grilled lamb chops. This is a great opportunity to take home a perfectly aged Howell Mountain Petite Sirah at a killer price point.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Petite Sirah

- Once thought to be related to the Rhône's Syrah, it ends up that Petite Sirah is more closely related to the Southern French varietal Durif, which is virtually extinct in France. On the other hand, Petite Sirah thrives in California, where it is prized for its ink-dark color, rich, peppery, black-fruited tannic wine and ability to age. There is even a group passionately devoted to the varietal called PS I Love You. While often bottled varietally, Petite Sirah is also frequently blended with Zinfandel to give that wine structure, and is usually among the varietals planted in the old vine field blends of Northern California. The grape is also grown with some success is South America - Brazil and Argentina, in particular - and in Mexico.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Napa Valley

- America's most famous wine region, which encompasses a varied geographical territory running about 20 miles long from the San Francisco Bay northward to the foot of Mount St. Helena. Napa's great diversity, both in terms of climate and terroir, has led to the creation of a number of smaller AVAs like Stags Leap District, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Oakville and Mount Veeder, among others. Cabernet and chardonnay still reign supreme, but just about everything under the sun is grown in Napa Valley, in quality levels ranging from $2 jug wine to $500 a bottle California cab.