The “petite” in the name of this grape refers to the size of its berries and not the vine, which is particularly vigorous. The leaves are large, with a bright green upper surface and paler green lower surface. The grape forms tightly packed clusters. The small berries create a high skin to juice ratio, which can produce very tannic wines if the juice goes through an extended maceration period.^[15] In the presence of new oak barrels, the wine can develop an aroma of melted chocolate.^[16]

Petite Sirah produces dark, inky colored wines that are relatively acidic, with firm texture and mouth feel; the bouquet has herbal and black pepper overtones, and typically offers flavors of blue fruit, black fruit, plums, and especially blueberries.^[15] Compared to Syrah, the wine is noticeably more dark and purplish in color, and typically rounder and fuller in the mouth, and offers a brightness that Syrah lacks.^[17] The wines are very tannic, with aging ability that can exceed 20 years in the bottle.^[