Wine Ed - Petit Verdot
Wine Ed - Petit Verdot

The old man sits silently among the remnants of the grand celebration. The wedding party is over and the happy couple are off to their honeymoon and beautiful life together. Few payed scant attention to the old gentleman in tie and tails until called upon to toast the marriage. His duty done, he returned to his solitary place on the fringe of the festivities, alone and forgotten.

Petit Verdot is the old man at the marriage of classic Bordeaux wines. Often neglected for its minor but vital role, Petit Verdot contributes
spice to the Bordeaux marriage. At usually less than 10%, Petit Verdot adds color and tannic structure to the classic Bordeaux blend. But like a crotchety old gent well past his prime, Petit Verdot may have outlasted its usefulness. A notoriously late ripener, Verdot often fails to reach full maturity at harvest thus limiting its potential contribution to the mélange.

While there are records of Petit Verdot in Bordeaux by the early 18th century, the variety predates Cabernet Sauvignon and may well have come to the region with the Romans. Grape scientists have determined Petit Verdot to be a parent of the infamous Portuguese port blend grape Trousseau (Bastardo). Today, Petit Verdot is scattered throughout Bordeaux with the heaviest concentration of vines found in the St. Emillion district.

While Petit Verdot may be losing favor in France, it is finding favor with Meritage producers in northern California. The grape first arrived in the state in 1861 as part of Count Agoston Haraszthy’s famous shipment of European vines. None of these first vines survived but we do know that J. H. Drummond grew Petit Verdot in his famed To Kalon nursery by 1882. Pioneer vineyards in Santa Clara County including Cresta Blanca, Olivina, and Linda Vista grew Petit Verdot in the 1880s but by the mid 1890s the vine had virtually disappeared in California.

 

 

 

Wine Ed - Petit Verdot

A hundred years later, the vine reappeared in limited plantings
in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Petit Verdot grows best where days are hot and sunny, nights
cool and crisp.Vines like shallow, well drained soils and produce relatively small loose clusters of round, dark colored, thick-
skinned berries.

Ripening as much as two weeks after Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot is vulnerable to late season frosts. 

Petit Verdot is the “spice box” of classic French Bordeaux and American Meritage blends. The dense fruit produces wines with dark color, powerful flavors, and heavy tannins.

Strong aromas of earth, leather, smoke, and cigar box with flavors of blackberry and currant are framed by mouth-puckering tannins.

Even though most Petit Verdot goes into the Meritage blend,
a few adventurous vintners produce deep purple, highly extracted, aromatic single varietal wines of amazing concentration and length. Lengthy aging in newer French oak barrels can ease the firm tannins while the wine’s sturdy structure is an ideal candidate for prolonged cellar aging.

Robust, study, and resolute, Petit Verdot – the senior citizen of Bordeaux – can still make a powerful contribution to the red wine marriage.

 

Regional Petit Verdot Producers

Murrieta’s Well Red Meritage (Livermore)
A Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Each varietal is aged separately from one to four months in a mix of new and old small French, American, and Hungarian oak barrels. After careful final blending, the wine is additionally aged for 15 months in French oak barrels prior to bottling. The cassis, plum, and blackberry flavors are impressively deep and long-lasting on the finish.

Grands Amis 2003 Première Passion (Lodi)
This 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot brings out the old world of Lodi. A combination of earth from Petite Verdot and spice from Cabernet Sauvignon with a mid-pallet complexity of blackberry, dates, and a hint of anise. The aftertaste is more Cabernet driven dark chocolate. Well balanced acidity and the good structure of tannins will make this a keeper. The wine has been aged for 27 months in 100% French Oak barrels - 50% new and 50% second fill.

Omega Cellars Midnight Serenade Petit Verdot (Lodi)
The deep and intense purple hue of this Petit Verdot will entice you, and the flavor is nothing short of spectacular. Exhibiting fragrances of blackberry, cherry with nuances of chocolate and subtle hint of cigar box tones are a result of generous aging in American oak. The finish is sweet yet not over-powering.

Boeger Hangtown Red Lot #36 (El Dorado County)
Aromas of black pepper, cherry and oak followed by flavors of Allspice, pepper, red berries, oak. This rich, finely balanced wine is a blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 17% Pinot Noir, 7%

 


Petite Sirah, 6% Grenache, 4% Petite Verdot, 2.5% Mourvedre, 2.5% Grenache, 1% Merlot, 1% Tempranillo, 1% (Graciano, Zinfandel, Carignane).

Crystal Basin Cellars 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (El Dorado County)
This Cabernet Sauvignon benefits from the addition of 5% each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc as well as 2.5% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec. The rich cocoa scents and low tannins complement the Bordeaux-style fruit gem. This wine has classy varietal character with powerful berry flavors and a velvet finish.

French Hill Winery 2005 Petit Verdot Grand Reserve (Calaveras County)
This wine had become a cult wine because of its unique and subtle flavor. Aged in new French oak it takes on a richness that makes it elegant and refined to the palate. Blueberry, French vanilla, and cassias are predominant with black currents finishing off the flavor.

Newsome Harlow Winery 2005 Calaveras County “Meritage” (Calaveras County)
A multitude of spicy aromas dominate this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot. Clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coriander, and sage are the primary aromas. Blackberry, currants, tobacco, and fennel also combine for a very complex aroma profile. The flavors mirror the blackberries and currants. The mouthfeel is soft, velvety, and quite seductive and the tannins have been tamed. The wine is well-balanced and finishes with lingering spice and blackberry characters. Pair this wine with most meats and soft cheeses.