Description

2017 Colorado Petit Verdot | Reserve!
We’ve been working with Petit Verdot for over 5 years and it always surprises. Every vintage, it reveals a new trick or flavor, ranging from spicy/peppery to lush/fruit forward. It’s been an interesting grape to look back on, with some of the older vintages showing amazing development in the cellar. With this potential in mind, we decided to reserve the 2017 vintage in the barrel. Most of our wines are only in the barrel for one year or less, but the 2017 spent twice that time in our best American Oak. We weren’t sure how it would turn out, but this extended barrel aging turned out to be the best choice for Petit Verdot!

Originating from Bordeaux France, Petit Verdot was traditionally blended with Cabernet to add tannin and structure. In good vintages, it was highly regarded for its power and intensity but sometimes struggled to ripen… In fact, Petit Verdot translates to “Little Green”, a nod to this unfortunate tendency. Most French producers gave up on the grape, replacing it with easier ripening varietals. Luckily, some vines were transplanted to warmer regions capable of coaxing the full potential out of the stuborn varietal. Indeed, now days you are most likely to find Petit Verdot in warm climates like Australia, South Africa. and yes, even here in Colorado!

Still, even in warm climates it is rare to see Petit Verdot bottled on its own. The tannins are often just too stern and unforgiving, especially when the wine is young. However, an extra year in our American Oak has afforded this wine the time to develop and mature without compromise. This is truly a combination of elegance and power with classic flavors, unbelievable aromatics, and fine detail. On the nose is an amazing display of fresh herbal notes (sage, fresh dill, dried violets), but without any hint of bitterness. Magnificently dark in color, this wine has incredible depth with notes of vanilla, black raspberry and subtle spice. The 2017 vintage is the perfect marriage of varietal character and American oak temperament.

Without a doubt, this 2017 Petit Verdot is one of our most impressive offerings in recent memory. I cannot think of a better wine to pair on father’s day. It’s going to impress with everything from grilled lamb to barbecue ribs or even just regular beef burgers. That said, don’t feel pressure to open this now. It can easily age 10+ years in the bottle! If you are looking for a powerful yet sophisticated bottle for Father’s Day, this is the one.