Wine Fit for the Dulcinea

2002 Quixote, Petite Syrah
Stags' Leap Ranch, Napa
$60.00
Jen’s Notes

Our first brush with the power of this grape occurred at the Rhone Rangers tasting in March of 2005 when we tasted Stags' Leap Winery’s (not to be confused with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars) Petite Syrah. We were interested in the Quixote wines because of their connection to Stags’ Leap. The former owner of Stags’ Leap, the irascible, iconoclastic Carl Doumani, left in the 90’s and founded Quixote.

This wine exhibited a deep, inky black-purple color. The nose is huge, redolent of jammy, sweet berries.

The palate is very interesting with bold tannins, peppery spices, cola, and luscious blackberry underneath with the barest hint of warm vanillin This isn’t your snooty, elegant varietal like Pinot Noir. This is a brawny, briary, mouth-filling, powerhouse with massive, shifting flavors that feel as if they have leaped out of your mouth and bitch-slapped you.