We pulled into the Austin Hope winery because of its awe inspiring vineyard. It was a lovely sunny day and we thought life couldn’t get any better.

Then, we tried the wine. One whiff of Austin Hope’s lagrein petite sirah blend made this wine aficionado go “WOW.” Now, we knew petite sirah to have characteristics of blueberry, plum, and chocolate with a deep purple hue but could typically be too tannic. So, blending with an Italian known for its acidity and likewise purple fruit flavors was brilliant.

When you stick your nose into this wine, you smell fresh blueberry and cherry with a little vanilla. Initially, we tasted big blue fruit. Deep dark plum and tart blueberry were just the beginning. It continued on the palate with a long leggy finish full of an array of licorice, spice, and smoke. All the layers felt luxurious.

More about this winery.

More appellation adventures from this region.