The 2016 William Knuttel Petite Sirah “D. Rafanelli Vineyard Rex & Amarica Blocks” (Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, CA) received the following professional review information:
Professional rating
- Wine Enthusiast: 91 points (Excellent / Highly Recommended)
- Reviewer: Virginie Boone
- Tasting note summary: A complex, structured Petite Sirah with a leathery, savory, herbal character, showing black pepper, blueberry, gamy meat notes, significant tannin, and noticeable oak influence.
Wine profile
- Producer: William Knuttel
- Vineyard: D. Rafanelli Vineyard — Rex & Amarica Blocks
- Region: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
- Variety: Petite Sirah (Durif)
- Vintage: 2016
- Alcohol: about 14.9% ABV
Style assessment
This is a classic Sonoma Dry Creek Petite Sirah style:
- Body: Full-bodied, dense, powerful
- Color: Very deep, opaque purple/ink-like appearance
- Fruit: Blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, ripe pomegranate
- Secondary notes: Black pepper, licorice, savory meat, leather, toast/oak
- Structure: Firm tannins with aging potential
Drinking window
At roughly 10 years from vintage, this bottle is likely entering a very attractive phase: tannins should be softening while the dark fruit, spice, and savory complexity develop further. A 30–60 minute decant would likely benefit the wine if opened now.
Overall value impression
A 91-point professional score places it among the stronger examples of California Petite Sirah. It is best suited for drinkers who enjoy big, structured reds rather than lighter, fruit-forward wines. It pairs well with grilled steak, lamb, braised meats, and aged cheeses.
Bottom line: ★★★★☆
A serious, age-worthy Sonoma Petite Sirah with excellent structure and complexity; a good bottle for fans of bold California reds.
Nestled above Doug Rafanelli’s blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon in the west hills above Dry Creek Valley, two small Petite Sirah vineyards named for Doug’s children lie on separate hilltops of barely an acre each. These head-trained vines cling to steep hillsides, and struggle to support only about 15-20 tiny clusters per vine—but the struggle is well worth it! The vines are warm at first light and bathe in sunshine right up until sunset, as the high hilltops avoid the shadows from Dry Creek Valley’s western hills. The thin soil warms early as it barely holds enough moisture to facilitate vine nourishment; this is dry farming to an extreme.
The Rex and Amarica blocks of Petite Sirah were both hand-harvested on September 6 after a warm, dry summer—but yields were miniscule at barely a ton per acre! The grapes were sorted and then crushed directly to small fermenters. After four days of cold soak, the musts were inoculated with a Rhone strain. The cap was punched down three times daily through fermentation, and then pressed off immediately. The free run portion was racked to French oak for 23 months of aging, at which time 6 barrels (three new and three 2-year-old) were selected for this single vineyard bottling. The wine was bottled unfined in September 2018.
