Opolo 2023 Petite Sirah, Paso Robles

Opolo’s 2023 Petite Sirah doesn’t tap you on the shoulder—it grabs your attention by midnight. The nose hits with blueberry preserves and baked cherries, stirred with mint, fennel, and a pinch of cardamom—warm-climate character with a twist.

On the palate, it’s a rhythm of power and poise. Plush red currant and mulberry weave through rich spice, held in check by tannins that feel brushed with cocoa powder. Yet there’s clarity—despite the wine’s heft, it keeps energy, not weight.

This is a wine born of place. Opolo, founded in 1999 by two neighbors turned winemakers, farms across east and west Paso Robles—including Willow Creek and Westside hills. Family roots and this region’s heat shape Petite Sirah into something layered, not stompy. 

What makes it stay with you is how it holds shape. It doesn’t roll forward—heft without heaviness. It pairs as easily with slow-smoked ribs as it does with bathed-in-red conversation. Layers that promise attention, not demand it.

Petite Sirah doesn’t always whisper. But when it speaks, let it be with this kind of presence—bold, rooted, and framed with clarity.