2009 Sera~Sera - David Coffaro

First wine post. I opened a bottle of the 2009 Sera~Sera from David Coffaro Vineyard & Winery. Sera~Sera is a 50/50 blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah.

Prologue
Descriptions of wines ultimately don't matter. They should be used only as A) taster/drinker's opinion, B) confirming winemaker's intent C) marketing tool. There are a lot of common descriptors that are accepted by the wine industry, as you'll see on a wine wheel below. Other descriptors can be very personal. An aroma that you remember from a distinct experience, e.g. stinky shoes. If you throw out a descriptor that you smell (not making up) and someone reacts in a disagreeing way, give that person a finger and walk away.

source: http://www.santarosafinewine.com/images/winetastingwheel.jpg

The wine itself - straight description
The wine is very dark, which makes sense, and the wine is still very purple, which also makes sense because it's a young wine (more on this below). It's very dark berry-ish on the nose, with a hint of spice. Mouthfeel is solid, very bright fruit, good acid, and plenty of tannins that prolong the finish.

Analysis breakdown
Ok, so you read my description above, and you're thinking "ok, mister wine snob"... Sort of true, but let me explain to you that the description I gave is very typical, and I'm only confirming the varietals in the wine, regional style, and the Winemaker's style.

• "wine is dark" - Syrahs tend to have solid color to them. Petite Sirahs are so dark it will stain your teeth with your first glass. Of course it's going to be dark.
• "wine is still very purple" - Wine color goes through a progression of colors based on age. Young wines are purple. A few more years and they turn reddish. 10 years and you'll see light brown or orange.
• "dark berry" - common descriptors for syrah and petite syrah includes: inky, tannins, jammy, spice, clove, black fruit, pepper... I'm only calling out two typical descriptors
• "Mouthfeel..." - again, typical descriptors on this

So why do I bother describing the wine if it fits the typical description of the varietals in the wine?

1. Confirmation that the grower and the winemaker are not messing with the varietal. It's a compliment when I say the grower and winemaker captured and highlighted the expected characteristics of the varietal and region.
2. Confirmation that the winemaker achieved his/her stylistic intent. 
3. If I see, smell, taste something I don't expect from the wine, that will also be documented.

There's much more to write on this wine and wine in general, but I'll post again later.