"I will pay you for whatever you do for me.""Then I'm your huckleberry. Who are you and what do you want to know?"
Edward Stratemeyer, True to Himself (1900)
I always wondered where the phrase "I'm your huckleberry" came from. I started wondering again when I drank my first glass of the oh-so-huckleberry 2008 The Crusher Petite Sirah, made by Don Sebastiani & Sons ($12.99, suggested retail; available in market for $12-$16)
Turns out, in early 20th-century slang, a "huckleberry" was the perfect person for a given job. If you're looking for a wine that delivers great fruit, nice acidity, and excellent complexity at an affordable price, then this wine will do the job perfectly--with excellent QPR.
The wine had a deep, rich purple color with enticing aromas of sweet huckleberry pie, herbs, and eucalyptus. Flavors of deep, smoky huckleberry and blackberry, with high notes of blueberry, make this wine juicy and fruit forward without being cloying or jammy. The spices on the finish reminded me of allspice, and the relatively low alcohol for Petite Sirah (13.5%) made this a wine that you could drink throughout dinner without regretting it the next day. All in all, a stunningly good example of the variety, especially for the price.
Pair this wine with anything you'd have with Syrah--like macaroni and cheese, pulled pork, barbecued chicken, or ribs--and drink it over the next year or so to enjoy its fresh, fruity flavors.
Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.
3 comments:
I've been waiting for this to hit your blog ever since you posted your tasting note to cellartracker a few weeks ago.
As I said on my blog, I largely agree with your assessment, ESPECIALLY on the QPR front -- this wine is an absolutely killer deal.
This IS a really good one! We had this at a tasting recently with the most incredible beef tips.
Come to think of it, the wine made the beef tips so incredible.
Sounds fabulous! Is this reasonably easy to find? I'm going to look in the Maryland wine stores.
Post a Comment