As longtime readers know, one of California’s longest-lived, best value wines is Petite Sirah, which is also known as Durif. Massena’s 2005 Durif Howling Dog, cropped at a ridiculously low .7 tons of fruit per acre, and aged 18 months in old French oak, can easily compete with some of the great Petite Sirahs from Ridge or Turley Vineyards. Its inky/blue/purple hue is accompanied by scents of blueberry liqueur, crushed rocks, and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, powerful, and rich, with surprisingly supple, but extravagant levels of tannin, it is not yet ready for prime time drinking. Purchasers should forget it for 4-5 years, then watch it unfold over the next two decades. Importer: Ben Hammerschlag, Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 923-1376

This could easily stand alongside the best Petite Sirahs from California. It’s perfumed and floral on the nose, then adds palate-staining blueberries and hints of cedar, licorice and chocolate. The silky tannins on the finish are firm enough to suggest cellaring through 2010, and optimum drinking through 2020, possibly longer.——J.C.(11/1/2007)—— 93