Peirano Estate Wines: 2 out of 3 Ain't Bad

When we first tasted the 2003 Peirano Estate Petite Syrah at work a month or two ago, I immediately loved it! It was velvety and jammy yet structured and definitely not a wussy wine. It reminded me a lot of zinfandel. And it's from Lodi, one of my favorite appelations in CA. They're not overpriced like Napa or Sonoma, and as it's further north, I find the wines that come out of Lodi to be somewhat more supple and refined. I'm not sure of the retail price on this, but the restaurant price is about $8.75/glass.

So, I was excited to find a 2001 Peirano Estate Cabernet Sauvignon while browsing the other day! 2001 was a great year for California Cabs. Even more exciting was the price: $9.99!!! I was a bit skeptical (how could it be good and be so cheap?), but when I got home and drank a bit, I was thrilled: it's a great value. Probably the best cab i've had at that price point, in fact. And good enough to break out when you have friends over, or any time.

I've also had their Viognier, which I was not so thrilled with; it was one of the only viogniers I've had that was oak aged, and the oak just leapt out of the glass. I found it to be unbalanced; viognier is such a floral and usually rather heavy-bodied grape, that i think oak-aging it is overkill: it drowns out the subtleties of the taste and weighs it down. But that may just be me; if you know me or have read this blog before, you know i am not a fan of oakey wines. So, if you like chardonnays, you might give this a try for something different.


All in all, I think Peirano Estate Vineyards are producing excellent wines, and you should check them out!