This bottle of the Karoly’s Selection Petite Sirah surprised me, as I didn’t realize when pulling the cork on this bad boy that it was completing a flight I had started several years ago. If you haven’t been paying attention (guilty here), Notes has actually hit on the 2015 vintage, the 2014, and the 2013 (my lord…tasted and noted but never pushed ‘live’ to the website) as well. That makes at least four of these in my book, people.

2016 Karoly’s Selection Petite Sirah, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma County, California, USA.

I’m more than a little wistful that I have tasted these vintages over the years instead of having the discipline to save and savor the wines all at once. On the other hand, I’m grateful to have occasion and means to come back to the Karoly’s Selection year over year to drink in this goodness.

Like previous vintages, the 2016 is an experience. It is a crazy purple in your glass, and its notes are pretty heavenly. Whiff and you’ll smell dark berry flavors. It has a subtle edge to it, a blueberry(?) or blackberry scent that grabs your attention right off the pour. The 2016 Karoly’s Selection is aged 15 months in 100% French, American, and Hungarian oak, 15% new oak according to our friends at Buena Vista.

Here’s how the Buena Vista team described the vintage: “Big round tannins with a richly textured mouthfeel, this wine showcases flavors of raspberry and dark cocoa with a touch of strawberry.” I’m usually in lock step with the BV team but did not get much strawberry in this sampling. That said, for many reasons, I have been coming back to Buena Vista for an extended period–I’m never disappointed and hope you find similar enjoyment in their wines.