La Sirena

Country of Origin: USA
Location: Napa Valley
People: Heidi Peterson Barrett

Items

La Sirena 2021 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Login — In Stock
La Sirena 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Login WA 95 JS 93 JD 92 In Stock

La Sirena was founded by winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett in 1994, and was born out of chance opportunity - a custom crush wine for a client that fell through. The client had hired her to make Sangiovese during the 1994 vintage for a new brand, but ran into a conflict of interest situation with their family, who had other winery ties. The wine winery was already made and quite delicious, but the client had to abandon the project. They were going to put the wine on the bulk market and she thought, 'Here's my chance to start my own winery, maybe I could buy it!' Once the decision was made, she needed to come up with a winery name, design a label and get approval and permits within a 30 day time period. The wine was ready to bottle, so time was of the essence.

Heidi and her husband Bo found the name while looking through the playing cards of the Mexican card game called Loteria. As avid scuba divers and ocean lovers, the La Sirena card stuck out to them: here was a beautiful symbol of something magical, like wine, and a way for her to combine two great passions. Designer and friend Michele LeBlanc came up with a fun and fanciful mermaid label based on Heidi's own likeness, and with that, La Sirena began in earnest in 1994 with 200 cases of Sangiovese. The flagship wine, La Sirena Cabernet Sauvignon, was first produced in 1996, and that vintage also brought a fresh, elegant new label which is still in uses today.

Today, La Sirena makes around 2,500 cases annually. All wines are small production lots made with great care and the highest quality in mind. Based in Heidi's hometown of Calistoga, these wines are near and dear to her heart. Heidi loves having her own brand because she gets to make whatever she wants - creating, experimenting, and being free to play, while also giving her fans the delicious (and fun!) wines they have come to expect from her.

Reviews

  • La Sirena 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
    The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 95 (3/31/2023)

    Never the biggest, most bombastic wines, Heidi Peterson Barrett's creations seem to always steer toward balance and elegance. Her La Sirena 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon features harmonious scents of dark loam, black cherries and five-spice powder. Vanilla and cedar are present but as accents, not centerpieces. The wine is medium to full-bodied and velvety in feel, with a lush texture and a lingering, harmonious finish.

  • La Sirena 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
    James Suckling
    Rating: 93 (9/19/2023)
    Ripe blackberries, cassis, hazelnuts, sweet spices and hints of undergrowth. Full-bodied, juicy and succulent with a plush dark berry character and ripe, velvety tannins. Textured and even on the palate with a lengthy finish.
  • La Sirena 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
    Jeb Dunnuck
    Rating: 92 (12/26/2023)
    Blackcurrants, cherries, iron, leafy herbs, and underbrush notes all emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium to full-bodied 2019 with a supple, layered mouthfeel, light tannins, and a good finish. It's one of those charming, elegant Cabernet Sauvignons that grows on you with time in the glass. It should have 10-15 years of overall longevity.