Petit Verdot

This used to be a go to wine, but its been a few years, so it was a pleasure to be able to revisit this Bordeaux Blend.  A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petite Verdot.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cherries and spice.  With air some plums come out.  On the palate, this has a lovely texture.  Lots of juicy black currants, with black raspberries.  Firm tannins.  Nice balance.  This has not yet been released and of course, will need a few years to really show what it has.  I believe the release price will be around $80 which is fair for the quality from Napa.  It will go we

This is a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petite Verdot and it is delicious.  Drinking very well right now, it will change over time as different varietals take more of a lead.  Right now, the Syrah is dominant.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, blueberries and char.  On the palate, this is a big wine and full of fruit.  It also has plenty of depth and complexity.  Juicy texture.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This wine has great acidity that will work well with roasted meats.  Indian dishes should match quite well.  

An Argentina blend that is 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Malbec, 19% Petit Verdot and 10% Tannat.  Purple/ruby in color.  This took some time to open and though not necessarily better on Day 2, it was different.  The nose is dust with cherries, plums and an herbal note (tarragon?).  On day 2, it went more to black and blue fruits.  The palate has black cherries and plums with underlying dry earth and baking spice.  On Day 2, again it picks up more plums but also blueberries.  Tannins really come out on Day 2.  This win should match well with grilled and roasted meats and other hearty foods. 

This is made from 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and the rest Merlot and Malbec.  Insignia is one of the First Growth wines of California.  Its great just about every vintage and has been for decades.  This one is no exception.  Inky purple.  The nose has cassis, graphite, blueberries, leather and cigar box.  On the palate, this is still young.  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  Lots of cassis and some blueberries with underlying damp forest floor.  Long finish.  Delicious.  Will work great with heartier foods and certainly with meat dishes.  The price on these is up to around $250

This is a blend of 97.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.5% Petit Verdot from Heidi Barrett.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, slight smoke, bell pepper and tobacco.  On the palate, this is nice and everything is in proportion.  Not a lot of depth.  Tannins mostly resolved.  Worked well with vegetarian stuffed mushrooms.  A fine wine but its price tag on release was $250.  Granted 2011 was a difficult vintage, but that is a lot of money for this wine. 

Do not open this bottle now without a long 8+ hours of decanting.  This is tight as a drum.  86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.  Bright purple in color.  The nose has cedar and cassis.  With air, blueberries, chocolate and spice emerge.  On the palate, this has an almost seamless texture.  Shut down completely at first though and showing no fruit.  With air the cassis emerges along with a wall of tannins.  It seems like all the pieces parts are there, but in a four hour tasting, it never really opened.  Based on prior history with this winery and how it did sho

Not to be confused with the wine of the same name from the Valley floor in Oak Knoll, this is from Atlas Peak and is mountain fruit.  This is a step up in quality and price.  Inky purple in color.  Very concentrated.  The nose has cassis, dark chocolate graphite and char.  On the palate, this is tannic.  Concentrated cassis flavors.  Fine tannins.  It opens in the glass but could use some time/decanting.  Nice balance.  Good finish.  A polished wine that should improve for the next five years.  Will work on the dinner table or on its own.  $85 retail.  

76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot, 2% Malbec.  Purple in color, slight ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty and warm with cassis and spice.  Soft texture.  Good acidity.  Nice cassis fruit with an underlying earthiness.  Some plums on the finish.  Nicely layered, it unwinds in the glass.  It seems open but then keeps on opening more.  Still some upside here.  

Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty with slight aquarium notes.  Also some cherries and black cherries.  On the palate, there is a lot of heat and it seems disjointed.  Tart cherries but brown sugar.  Alcohol on the finish.  Again, this appears to be a poorly stored bottled, but how to know for sure or where the issue is.  Drinkable for sure, but doesn't work with food at this point.  Hopefully, this bottle was not representative.  

70% Malbec, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot.  From the family that owns Leoville Poyferre in Bordeaux.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is warm and slightly musty (not in an off way).  Also has some cassis and plums.  On the palate, this drinks like a Bordeaux; fruit, tobacco and earth.  Black raspberries and plums.  Slight tannins.  It has a nice depth and seems to be closing in on maturity.  A bit soft but within reason.  Would work with roasted or grilled meats quite well.  No hurry, but won't get better and probably should be drunk in the next five years.