Californian wines have picked up a strong following here in New Zealand in recent years with drinkers embracing the bold styles that ooze with ripeness and easy drinkability. Petite Sirah (known as Durif in Australia) really suits the warm Californian climate and this rendition from McManis is packed full of big dark fruits with notes of chocolate and a good old dollop of oak.
Winery notes (2024 Vintage)
"Our Petite Sirah is full-bodied with a rich purple colour. A delicious wine from front to back, leading with aromas and flavours of chocolate, caramel, to ee, and rich black fruit. The mid-palate is driven by mocha notes that carry through to the long, luxurious finish.
The majority of our Petite Sirah came from Lodi from sustainable vineyards. The grapes for our Petite Sirah were harvested between October 3rd and October 12th with an average Brix of 25.2. After 6-9 days of fermentation on the skins, the must was pressed and the resulting wine finished fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine was then aged on new and used French and American Oak for 7 months."
Reviews for the 2023 vintage below…
5 Stars & 93/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, July 2025 (2023 Vintage)
"Richly expressed and instantly appealing, the wine shows black and blueberry, baking spice, game, and toasty oak aromas on the nose. The palate is weighty and bold with fleshy texture and polished tannins, making it brooding and flavoursome with a long, delectable finish. At its best: now to 2031."









