Drinks: Ravenswood Vintners Blend California Petite Sirah 2006

Ravenswood's Vintners Blend petite sirah is a blend of wines from winemakers scattered across California wine country.

On its own, each wine might well be less than drinkable, this one lacking bouquet but sporting nice tannins, that one notable for the ripeness of fruit on display.

A gifted taster/blender, called a negociant in the French wine trade, detects in each wine a strength that will contribute just the right note to the final product, yielding a wine that is, in fact, the sum of its parts.

The petite sirah lives up admirably to the label's goal of offering "upfront, fruit-forward and immediately enjoyable" wines of character.

Ripe dark berries dominate on the tongue, with subtle overtones of anise and chocolate.

The nose is all fruit and the finish moderately short but satisfying.