WTN: 1996 Markham Petite Sirah (Napa)

1996 Markham Petite Sirah (Napa)

Markham, now there is a brand you don't read much about these days. I drank a bit of their Cabs from the mid-90's that offered very good QPR. So when I spied this in the cellar I decided it was time to revisit an old friend.

This ain't no dainty little wine. It is big and brawny and screams for a big hunk of grilled cows vs. the wimpy grilled chicken we had for dinner. Inky black color with no telltale signs this is 12 years old. Black fruit profile with touch of oak and chocolate notes...but the oak is not intrusive at all, being balanced by the fruit, firm tannins and lifting acidity. Lingering spiced up finish. Also, some mint/floral aspects added to the complexity although I was a bit surprised to find these elements in a PS. Not a wine I'd want to drink everyday or week, but it was nevertheless enjoyable on this day.

I suspect this is just about at peak, but I think there is no particular rush to drink up well stored bottles.

BTW, this threw about 37.56 lbs of sediment, so decanting is the way to go.

[Jenise]

1996 Markham Petite Sirah (Napa)

Markham, now there is a brand you don't read much about these days. I drank a bit of their Cabs from the mid-90's that offered very good QPR. So when I spied this in the cellar I decided it was time to revisit an old friend.

This ain't no dainty little wine. It is big and brawny and screams for a big hunk of grilled cows vs. the wimpy grilled chicken we had for dinner. Inky black color with no telltale signs this is 12 years old. Black fruit profile with touch of oak and chocolate notes...but the oak is not intrusive at all, being balanced by the fruit, firm tannins and lifting acidity. Lingering spiced up finish. Also, some mint/floral aspects added to the complexity although I was a bit surprised to find these elements in a PS. Not a wine I'd want to drink everyday or week, but it was nevertheless enjoyable on this day.

I suspect this is just about at peak, but I think there is no particular rush to drink up well stored bottles.

BTW, this threw about 37.56 lbs of sediment, so decanting is the way to go.

You're right, Markham's a name we don't see much anymore. Great QPR across the board at first, and then the winery sold to one of The Big Companies and we all lost track of it. So did the quality change, or did we?

...and then the winery sold to one of The Big Companies and we all lost track of it. So did the quality change, or did we?

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize the sale to one of the "Big Companies". Now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing much of their product on the shelves here in recent years but I've been accused of not paying attention before.
BP

Youthful at 12 yrs old and a ton of sediment, sounds great. Sounds like they didn't filter the heck out of it. Seems surprising for a corporate wine. Do you think it can still be found in stores? Petite Sirah doesn't seem to have gotten that much more popular.