2017 ¿Como No? Stag's Leap District Petite Sirah (Previously $75)

Jampacked on the nose, with pretty aromas of blackberry, acai, black plums, bramble, black pepper, violet, clove, espresso, a touch of sassafras, a hint of bacon fat. Similar flavors on the palate, expansive, juicy, ample acidity maintains it's freshness, and a long juicy finish. A delicious, versatile, Petite Syrah, from Napa's Stags' Leap District, created by a legendary vigneron/winemaker Carl Doumani (Quixote Winery/Stags' Leap Winery). This is a no brainer especially at this price range! If you were to ask me if you should add this to your Thanksgiving/Holiday rotation, my answer would be "¿Como No?!", which loosely translates to "Why Not?" or "Ofcourse!".

If you want the short version, this is just an absolutely delicious Petite Sirah from an incredible vineyard high in the hills of Stag's Leap. We're selling it for a ludicrously low price given the critical acclaim and fantastic quality. That should be more than enough info to pique your interest…But the full story is much more interesting. Como No is the culmination of a long and storied career for iconic restaurateur / vigneron Carl Doumani. Now 90-years of age, Doumani is well known in Napa Valley. In 1971 while looking for a home with 5-10 acres of land in the valley he ended up buying 400-acres in Stags Leap! The following year he founded Stags' Leap Winery and ran it for over 25 years. One of his first ever clients to buy fruit from him in his very first year was a young Robert Mondavi! After Doumani sold Stags' Leap Winery to Beringer Vineyards (now Treasury Wine Estates) in 1997, he kept some adjacent land and started Quixote winery with 27-acres of hillside vines. After building up a cult following for the Quixote wines, he again sold his business in 2014 keeping just a few acres on a high, rocky, steep slope directly beneath the Stags Leap Palisades (the towering cliffs from which the region takes its name). So, it is from this tiny 2-acres of Petite Sirah that Como No is produced. A guy who had his pick of 400 hundred acres of prime Stags Leap vineyards, over the course of 50-years growing grapes, narrowed it down to this radical mountain side parcel and his lifelong favorite grape variety, Petite Sirah. It is this true dedication and passion that led Robert Parker to write that Carl's Como No wines are "as terrific as Petite Sirah can be." This tiny estate is farmed by legendary viticulturist Mike Wolf. The wine is made by cult winemaker Aaron Pott. That’s some unbelievable pedigree and excellence for a wine that we're offering at such a low price! Alright, enough storytelling, what about the wine itself - well, it's a wonderfully powerful yet focused and refined version of this varietal. Petite Sirah can sometimes be overly brawny and unwieldy, but this is sheer class. As soon as you pour the wine you notice the deep inky black / purple color in the glass. Aromas of wild berries, mulberry compote, dark chocolate coated cherry, dried mountain chaparral, crushed rock, thyme, and brambles burst forth. It's rich, powerful and palate coating, but also has a wonderful core of crushed rock mineral and savory dried herb components that compliment the bold fruit. A nice tannic grip gives definition to the fruit but without feeling aggressive. It's drinking beautifully right now, you can pop and pour, but I'm certain it will continue to slowly develop for another 8-10 years, maybe more. The wine reminds me a lot of some of the great Ridge Petite Sirahs from York Creek Vineyard on Spring Mountain and those wines aged for decades! Such a fascinating and extraordinary wine that over delivers and then some at our rock bottom price!