This one’s a real Cali classic. Think bright clothes, brightly coloured smoothies and no-holds-barred good fun. But first, let’s get into the background of this unapologetically massive wine.

Bogle Petite Sirah hails from the town of Clarksburg in Northern California. There isn’t a great deal going on there – its population is less than 500. Yet this sleepy hamlet, sat on the Sacramento River Delta, is home to the Bogle family. They’ve been doing a roaring trade in approachable Petite Sirah – also known as Durif – since the 1970s.

It’s a varietal that sees little interest from European consumers, all told. The Old World of France, Italy and Spain don’t make so much use of this upstart grape (in fact, barely any at all). But Bogle shows why Petite Sirah, with its near-indigo, almost ominous colour, might stand as an alternative to your usual ‘Big European Wines’.

When it comes to this wine, imagine a party. This is the guy who trots in, helps himself to whatever is in the fridge, puts his feet up on the table and changes the music without asking.

But… you have to love him. He’s such a character.

The first thing to note with this one is the nose – massive, fruity and uncompromising. Imagine a party: this is the guy who trots in, helps himself to whatever is in the fridge, puts his feet up on the table and changes the music without asking. But, despite his relative lack of finesse and restraint compared to some of the Old World partygoers, you have to love him. He’s such a character.

Just like that raucous guest, this wine has a gigantically busy palette. With a full-bodied attack of black fruit, vanilla and pepper, it continues where it left off, as the jam, cocoa and capsicum on the nose is complimented by a core of blackcurrant and spice (and a hint of something floral – think violets without the ‘parma’). That’s rounded off with smoky, dusty tannins, and hangs around with a black pepper and vanilla bean finish. This wine is by no means subtle, but its execution is grand.

However, there’s one main thing to consider: value for money relative to the Euro big boys. At just shy of £20, and with Petite Sirah not a common one in the supermarkets, this isn’t a cinch to habitually pick up in the UK as your weekend red. Nor can it be said that it definitely offers a greater appeal compared to a similarly priced European classic (a favourite of mine at this price-point would be Viña Ardanza, Selección Especial Reserva 2010, from the grand old masters at La Rioja Alta).

After all, if you’re after one of the more refined partygoers at this gathering of plonk we’ve been imagining, you might get less attack with more structure from a European alternative. Plus, if you’re going to spend £20, there is definite import mark-up on the price with these big Cali wines, which may not always reflect quality, relatively speaking.

But that’s the thing with Bogle’s Petite Sirah. It’s a straight-forward crowd-pleaser, and that is its charm – unapologetic, fruit-forward, giving everything that it’s got with gay abandon and great intensity. The neat finish, with cacao, spice and vanilla, offers some justification for splashing out, demonstrating a real craft behind the full-frontal fruitiness that dominates the glass.  If that combination of bold flavours is your bag, Bogle’s 2017 Petite Sirah is definitely one for you.