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Press, Website and Customer Reviews

The following are unsolicited comments about the David Fulton Petite Sirah wine that reflect a remarkable year to year consistency.  Comments are separated into three sub-sections:  Press, Website Reviews, Unpublished Reports and Customer Emails & Conversations

Press, Website Reviews

94 points was assigned to the David Fulton 2004 Petite Sirah by the International Wine Review (www.i-winereview.com) by publishers Jay Youmans, MW and Mike Potashnik, PhD in their June 2008 report. 94 was the highest score given by the publication. Only 7 wines out of 185 California and Washington State Rhone style wines reviewed received this high a score. The narrative to the review was as follows: “It will be hard to find many Petite Sirahs as rich and complex as the 204 David Fulton Petite Sirah. Sourced from old vineyards in St. Helena, this superb bottling reveals a deep ruby purple opaque color and offers aromas of ripe blackberry fruit, saddle leather, earth, and toasty oak with a touch of spice. On the attack it reveals a velvety sweet mouth feel with beautifully integrated ripe black cherry fruit, anise, spicy oak and black pepper. It also offers a highly concentrated fruit rich finish.”

“My favorite tasting was the David Fulton [2004] Petite Sirah,” commented Lois Riker in the May 15, 2008 Yountville Sun. In writing her weekly column, she was describing the May 10, 2008 Appellation St. Helena public tasting in which 35 Napa Valley sub-appellation wineries poured over 65 different wines to a crowd of 275 paid attendees. Called the Ultimate Blind Tasting, the event was held at the beautiful hillside Flora Springs Winery.

Piedmont Post, Wednesday, 3/28/07, Wine Corner, "Petite Sirah - undeservedly overlooked" by Pierre du Mont:  "The following are the seven best wines of the event: .2003 David Fulton,  .[this] wine has the typical power of Petite Sirah but also carries an elegance to hone out the rough edges."  Pierre's remarks were in reference to the PS I Love You organization the sponsor of the "Dark & Delicious," tasting in Alameda, California on Feb. 22, 2007.

www.RedCarpetWine.com:  Past TOP 100 Performer tasting in January, 2008 included only eight wines of which the 2004 David Fulton Petite Sirah was one.  The David Fulton 2002 Petite Sirah was Red Carpet's choice for "Wine of the Year" in 2006.   In 2007, Red Carpet listed the 2003 David Fulton Petite Sirah was at the 28^th position for their choice of Top 100.  At the number one spot that year was Dave Phinney's "Orin Swift 2005 The Prisoner" which, incidentally, includes grapes from the David Fulton Estate Petite Sirah vineyard in St. Helena.  Red Carpet orders each year over 3,000 different wines from around the world and from which they make their selection.

www.WineEncyclopedia.com:   In a Feb 10, 2008 posting of a comment made by an observer at a yearly PS I Love You event: "I tasted the David Fulton 2004 Petite Sirah at the recent Dark and Delicious event in San Francisco on Feb. 8th, and it wss [sic] wonderful. I watched another person at this event who marked down his selection of the best 10 wines at the show, and David Fulton was at the top of his list.  Josh W."  In another posting on the same website, David Fulton 2002 Petite Sirah received a Five Start rating.  A few weeks later the wine was featured in the January 2008 Weekly Featured Wine Column.

www.CellarTracker.com:  EMichels, commented on Red Carpet's 10/26/07 Wine Tasting which included a 2004 David Fulton Petite Sirah. He said, "Great stuff (94 pts.)"  On 1/27/08, dwkamin included in the Cellar Tracker Community Tasting Notes remarks about a different winery's Petite Sirah and said, ". For the price I would much prefer a David Fulton style."  rloomis, participating in Community Tasting Notes averaging 90.5 pts. (in 3 notes) and regarding David Fulton 2004 Petite Sirah reported on 3/23/07,  ".not officially released yet.but has the makings of an outstanding wine like the 03."

Just-Grapes.BlogSpot,com: December 12, 2007 favorable comment: "I got into Petite Sirah [on] a trip to Napa last summer [and] discovered many small wineries producing an inky, powerful, and yet amazingly structured wine.  [Among them was] the grand daddy of them all--David Fulton."

www.ChowHound.com:  "What are you Drinking Right Now?"  Responding to this question on 8/14/07, wineGuy7 answered with, "2002 David Fulton Petite Sirah."  In reply to that Ibstatguy on 8/14/07 said, "Have had several bottles of the Fulton and enjoyed them all."  Later on in a different forum prompting responses to a devil's advocate statement about fierce tannins of Petite Sirah, Ibstatguy, on 9/14/07, retorted, "I've liked fulton's petite sirah."

www.MerchantCircle.com: 1/15/08:  "What other rating would you expect from the owner but the very best?  Giving a simple call to the winery main number, 707-967-0719, and stating the date and time you wish to visit will give you an invitation-only ticket to an historical landscape, delicious tasting and wonderful conversation with the direct descendants of the oldest continuously owned and operated family vineyards in the state of California.  You won't believe the effort and care this humble but dedicated family puts into the making of their mainstay variety, Petite Sirah.  With the tannin curtains pulled back, each vintage is full of rich lush flavors and textures ready to experience upon release.  Enjoy!

www.Sallys-Place.com: comment by Monty & Sara Preiser: " We wouldn't turn our backs on [this one], 2003 David Fulton Petite Sirah, with nice fruit that seems to improve with each vintage."

www.whwc.com:  Woodland Hills Wine Co., Kaj Stromer commented in the websites Staff Picks column, "David Fulton's bottling is an example of the heights Petite Sirah can reach."

sg.answers.yahoo.com by "J", Fall of 2007:  In the website's section devoted to wines priced between $25 and $50, he wrote: "[You] can get some very nice wines [here].    By the time wineries price their wines at this price, they know they are asking the drinkers to put some good money into their products, so they are confident that their wines are good."  David Fulton 2004 Petite Sirah was one of ten different varietals "J" listed as examples.

www.3WineGuys.com:  In the website's wine review Guest Book, was a comment by a person named David, ".I appreciate what you are trying to do. I am a huge Petite Sirah fan and thought I might recommend a GREAT ONE for you to try. David Fulton 2002 PS. It is off the hook HUGE and wonderful. Advanced stuff but you should try it, $40 available directly from the winery only.  I know this is a little out of your target being not generally available everywhere and not cheap but it is really a "must try" if you are a PS fan."  Note that this was the only Petite Sirah comment on this edition of the website.

www.StagsLeapWinery.com: featured a March 2003 Los Angeles Times article in which Rod Smith stated, ".Another striking '99 Napa Valley Petite comes from David Fulton. Its combination of minerality and piercing floral perfume evoke a rose garden planted in gravel."

www.LiveJournal.com/community: Brian Storm on 5/10/07 listed six Petite Sirah brands on the website that included David Fulton as among his favorites ".because it ages so well I keep a good number of them in my cellar."

www.AlaWine.com: February 2007 comment, ".Last night, my wife Cori and I enjoyed a very nice Valentine's Day dinner at [a prominent restaurant] in Yountville.  .The final wine of the meal was a robust David Fulton Petite Syrah 2001, which was our favorite. It paired well with the Kobe Tri-Tip  [posted by Ken and Cori W]

Unpublished Reports

A Winery north of St. Helena on Hwy 29 held a tasting each year for two years in which the 2001 and 2002 David Fulton vintages were included among ten Napa Valley Petite Sirah brands.  It was a blind tasting which included from eight to ten persons, mostly wineries staff with one or two outsiders invited.  The David Fulton wines came in at first place one year and second the next, and, in each case, it was selected ahead of their wine by their own staff.

Another winery south of Yountville on the Silverado Trail conducted a similar blind tasting with approximately the same number but different Petite Sirah wines, the same number of reviewers, the same appellation but an overlapping two year time period.  The David Fulton vintages came in third the first year and second the next.  This was the case for the winery to the north, staff from the one to the south selected David Fulton over their own.

An Historic St. Helena Historic Winery conducted a 2002 Petite Sirah tasting on 4/4/07 which included seven top level Petite Sirah brands.  David Fulton placed 2^nd in this grouping.

A Howell Mountain winery website in 2007 reprinted comments made by a staff member of a well-known wine shop and restaurant in Walnut Creek, California.   The article listed David Fulton (along with five other wineries) as being among ".a new wave of [Petite Sirah] producers who have recently made some successful, longer-macerated, marginally softer versions that have encouraged me about the variety's commercial future."

Customer Email & Conversations

March 1, 2008 email:  A neighbor of the David Fulton Winery invited eight knowledgeable wine drinkers to the recent dinner party.  Four wines were poured, all from winemakers located on Fulton Lane, St. Helena, California.  The neighbor wrote, "Short rib of beef was served as the main course.  All I can say is that each wine showed brilliantly. The reviews across the board were glowing. People kept going back and forth among the wines after they had their first tastes. What fun it was to show off our neighbor's wines!"  An additional comment about the David Fulton Petite Sirah came from one of the wine industry guests who was particularly impressed, "It was the perfect example of a perfect Petite Sirah." The neighbor went on to say about our 2001 PS, "I couldn't agree more."

February 20, 2008 email from wine writer, Priscilla:  "Last Saturday, I had a couple of guys over for drinks.  They were visiting from Tampa and are big wine aficionados.  I opened a Sauvignon Blanc first from one of our members who will remain nameless.  It was less than stellar.  Knowing how much they like red wines, I opened your 2001 Petite Sirah.  It was magnificent!  I couldn't believe how black it was, packed with layers of flavor, very chewy.  We just loved it."

December 2007 tasting at Wades Wines, Westlake Village, California, in a response to a question about their most popular Zinfandel, the wine steward said their biggest was the Charter Oak, Napa.  He was surprised to learn the Petite Sirah contained is from the David Fulton Vineyard.

June 3, 2007 email:  A South Beach, Florida restaurant and hotel head sommelier stated, "[On] my recent visit to California I was able to taste your Petite Sirah...amazing!  to say the least.  I would love to include your beautiful wine on my list.  I wouldfeel honored."

Wine steward, Corti Bros, Sacramento telephoned "We placed a label on the shelf in front of your Petite Sirah that read 'A Winemaker's Dream', and we wrote a feature article in our newsletter. It was our top seller this year. There were more return customers for your wine than any other we had at that price range."

St. Helena Dean & DeLuca Newsletter:  "David Fulton 1999 was among our top 20 wines sold this [2002] year."

Quote from Napa Valley Vineyard Manager Ed B, August 1999, after hearing how well our 1999 Petite Sirah was doing, "It's a small wonder [given the location]. You've got Ernie's vineyard on the west, rated the top out of 17 vineyards going to Silver Oak, Joe's to the south going to Mondavi's reserve Cabernet, and mine to the east giving Markham 90 plus ratings four of the last five years."

Completely Anonymous: "OK. I should have known it was the grapes. But I did get a gold medal at the California State Fair the first year I made Petite Sirah, or even home wine for that matter.." An anonymous person having difficulty fessing up to letting his ego get in the way of realizing it wasn't his fancy-dancy wine making skills that got him the awards -- it's the vineyard.

"R" from California in a phone conversation, "I love your wine.  I'll work the harvest, wash lug boxes, you name it.  I just want to get on your mailing [list]."

Email from Bennett S of Los Angeles, "Love your wine!!  Red Carpet poured me your 2000 Petite.  I immediately fell in love and snagged their last few bottles. The wine has layers and layers of fruit, amazing intensity and concentration, but also real structure and balance, a beautiful wine. It's built to age, but I find it really, really difficult to resist popping corks right now. The wine is just superb, especially considering the unevenness of 2000.  Who are you guys anyway???  And what have you got up your sleeves for 2001??!" 

Phone conversation, Adrian, Los Angeles, "For fun I brought in your '99 Petite Sirah to the bi-weekly blind tasting I hold at my home, and your wine blew out the competition.  I'm talking about some major league wines here including you know who, T______.  It was the last of ten wines I poured that evening, and if you could have seen the surprised looks on their faces when they tasted it."  

Remarks during a visit by Ralph and Debra from Phoenix, ".Best wine we've ever tasted of any variety.  .Our problem is trying not to drink up all we have right away as we know it's only going to get better with time."  

Suzanne, San Diego said, "I would like to be on your mailing list if you have one.  ...I tried your Petite Sirah and would like to be able to get some more. Please let me know if you have any available or when the next vintage will be released."

Jeff from Los Gatos remarked, "I have had a bottle of your Sirah and loved it.  Do you have a mailing list and can you put me on it?  If not how can I buy some more of your wines?"

John of Pasadena wrote, "I had this wine recently and really enjoyed it. [Where] can I buy a case?" In a follow up email, he wrote, "I was able to get a case from Daryl Corti and a few bottles from Red Carpet in Glendale, where I have had an account for about 20 years. I proceeded to give many bottle away to friends, we have all enjoyed it tremendously, thank you."

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