Gehricke 2023 Petite Sirah Sonoma Valley 750ml

Gehricke takes its name from a genuinely personal source — August Sebastiani, a fourth-generation member of one of California's oldest wine families and president of 3 Badge Beverage Corporation, named the brand after a real, forgotten road from his own Sonoma childhood, one of the dusty routes that led to overlooked vineyards and properties he remembers exploring as a kid. Winemaker Alex Beloz, born and raised in the Chicago area, has spent two decades rooted in Sonoma wine, and crafts this Petite Sirah with real attention to the variety's naturally bold, structured character.

Petite Sirah — genuinely a French-origin grape (also known as Durif) that found its true home in warmer, drier growing regions like California — is prized for small, intensely colored berries that produce deeply hued, highly tannic, highly acidic wine, with classic blackberry fruit and a real kick of cracked black pepper. This 2023 vintage ages 13 months in a combination of Hungarian and American oak, bottled at a robust 15% ABV.

The wine has earned genuine, consistent critical praise. The Tasting Panel scored it 92 Points, describing it as "savory, dark, and concentrated," offering "mouth-filling notes of black cherry, lavender, and bacon fat," bolstered by "melting dark chocolate" in "this generous" wine. Allendale Wine Shoppe's tasting confirms "a deep purple Petite Sirah," with "rich aromas of ripe plums and black currants" interlaced "with lively hints of a cigar, black pepper, and bittersweet chocolate," the palate "well-balanced" with "abundant flavors of black fruits" accentuated "by mouthwatering acidity," closing with "grippy tannins and a kiss of fine oak" leading "to a long finish." This is genuinely well-reviewed, structured Sonoma Petite Sirah — real depth and personal history behind a wine built for serious, bold red drinkers.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Gehricke 2023 Petite Sirah Sonoma Valley is produced by Gehricke, part of 3 Badge Beverage Corporation, led by fourth-generation Sonoma winemaking family member August Sebastiani. The brand is named for a real, forgotten road from Sebastiani's own childhood in Sonoma. The wine is crafted by winemaker Alex Beloz, made entirely from Petite Sirah grown in Sonoma Valley, aged 13 months in a combination of Hungarian and American oak. Bottled at 15% ABV, 750ml.

Critics Reviews

The Tasting Panel — 92 Points (July 10, 2025):
"Aged 13 months in Hungarian and American oak, this savory, dark, and concentrated red offers up mouth-filling notes of black cherry, lavender, and bacon fat. Bolstered by melting dark chocolate, this generous..."

Allendale Wine Shoppe (extended tasting note):
"Once poured, the thrills of this deep purple Petite Sirah begin on the nose, where rich aromas of ripe plums and black currants are interlaced with lively hints of a cigar, black pepper, and bittersweet chocolate. On the well-balanced palate, abundant flavors of black fruits are accentuated by mouthwatering acidity. Grippy tannins and a kiss of fine oak lead to a long finish."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Deep purple in color. Ripe plum and black currant lead, joined by black cherry and lavender, alongside cigar, black pepper, and bittersweet chocolate.

Palate
Savory, dark, and concentrated, with black fruit carrying real intensity, developing melting dark chocolate and bacon fat, balanced by mouthwatering acidity and grippy tannin.

Finish
Long, closing with a kiss of fine oak — genuinely bold and generous.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Lamb
• Grilled or roasted red meat
• Aged, hard cheeses
• Rich, savory braises