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Petit Verdot Napa Valley, 2009
A deep and full-bodied wine often known for adding structure to Bordeaux blends, Petit Verdot is not often found as a single varietal bottling. Our 2009 vintage yielded fruit of such exquisite quality that we were able to produce a wine to showcase the rich and robust qualities of this unique varietal.
Vineyards
Most of the fruit for our 2009 Petit Verdot was sourced from our valley floor vineyards in Rutherford and Oakville, with a small amount from our home vineyard in the Stags Leap District. Petit Verdot is a late-ripening varietal, and these warm regions encourage the development of complex flavors. The Merlot that rounds out the blend was sourced from our Carneros Collines vineyard where the grapes were also allowed extra hang time to cultivate deeper flavors.
Harvest & Winemaking
With steadily mild temperatures throughout the growing season, the 2009 vintage progressed very smoothly and the clusters ripened evenly. The fruit for this wine was harvested late September through late October and was thoroughly sorted. Fermentation took place at a high temperature to ensure that maximum extraction was achieved before the wine was racked to 30% new French barrels. The wine was aged in barrel for a total of 16 months before bottling.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby-black in the glass, the 2009 Petit Verdot boasts a complex and concentrated nose filled with baked black cherry, dried cranberry and black raspberry, balanced by freshly-cracked white pepper and black cardamom aromas. The richly textured palate opens with ripe red currant, strawberry reduction and sweet red plum, followed with touches of coriander, vanilla bean and mate tea. Supported by rounded tannins, the lush finish resonates with dark chocolate and clove notes.
Pairing
A wine with such a weighty stature would be best served alongside a meal of equal constitution. A grilled, dry-aged rib eye steak with root vegetables or venison medallions with morel mushrooms would both be excellent pairing options for our 2009 Petit Verdot. Additionally, this wine would complement a mature cheese like three-year aged gouda or manchego viejo.
- Varietal
- 82% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Appellation
- Napa Valley
- Alcohol
- 14.1%
- Released
- October 2012
- Aging Potential
- 10 years