There are a couple of points to cover here. First, while we have not been out protesting at college football games, we do recognize global warming is an issue. We see it in wine. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to go off on some long tirade about greenhouse gases. Wine is supposed to be one of the fun things in life. But changes in the weather will likely affect what you drink because warmer seasons will change the varietal mix, even what gets bottles as a varietal.
What are we getting at? Grapes known as ‘late-ripening varietals’ are changing roles a bit as the growing seasons warm up. We aren’t expecting to see Cabernet in the Mosel any time soon. But a little more sunshine means Mourvedre will more consistently mature, and you’ll likely see more of it in Chateauneufs and Rhone blends. In Bordeaux, many are increasing their percentages of Cabernet Franc in the vineyards. Over a century ago, Carmenere was pretty much kicked out of Bordeaux because it didn’t mature very well. Now it is thriving in the New World. Our point is that the times they are a-changin’. So it is, with perfectly straight faces, we’d like to introduce you to a potential new friend, Petit Verdot.
If you have been around wine a while, you know that Petit Verdot is a bit player in Cabernet and Bordeaux blends in many wine regions. You may have even had a varietal Petit Verdot at some point, typically dark and inky with firm tannins and a cool edge, maybe even a little bite to the fruit. Most folks probably encountered it at some sort of a component tasting or bought a bottle to see what the stuff was about. We’d suspect if you had the experience, you understood why it was mainly a blending varietal, filed it in your memory bank, and got on with your life.
There have been exceptions. We vividly recall the sensational Von Siebenthal Petit Verdot from Chile we sold a few years ago. But by and large, most Petit Verdot bottlings are more novelty than anything else. However the Avid Petit Verdot Napa Valley 2017 kind of changes everything! A little more sunshine, a little more physiological ripeness, and voila, you have a Petit Verdot that can play to a broad audience. You expect the deep purple color with aromas of ripe black fruit, plum, blackberry but the floral notes of violet and lavender come as a welcome surprise. There are also hints of smoked meat and leather, a hint of minerality, and none of the ‘edge’ typically associated with the grape.
The wine itself is 100% Petit Verdot from the Stag’s Leap District that sees 50% American and 50% French oak for six months and additional time in the bottle. This is a delicious mouthful without qualification, and it can play along with grilled meats as well as any Cabernet. It’s actually better than most of the Cabs you could buy for this kind of price, and it’s doubtful you could find much of anything with a Stags Leap designation on it for this kind of tab. Tasty, full-flavored, polished red? Napa Valley bargain? Petit Verdot breakthrough? It’s all of these things.
So who are these guys? The story here is a pretty short one since this is the first release under this label by Avid Wines, itself only founded in 2017. But these are the same folks that brought us the eye-opening Acoya bargain blend sourced from Oakville and Yountville just a few weeks ago. Winemaker Hossen Namdar started his journey with Domaine Chandon back in 1982 and later went on to the successful, occasionally surprising Stephen Vincent negociant lines. Partner Bob Goyette himself was a founder of La Crema Vinera, a serious boutique in the 80s and 90s before financial issues set in and they were purchased by Jess Jackson. Bob also did time at Chalk Hill and Benziger’s Imagery Series.
These guys have definitely been around the block so to speak, and it shows in the fact that this label got off the ground and delivered some impressive juice right off the bat. They aren’t big players yet. There were only 750 cases of this surprising Petit Verdot made. But it is clear this team, thus far anyway, has displayed quite an eye for quality and value.
Both that Acoya blend, and now this ‘next-gen’ Petit Verdot, are a little off the beaten path. But then how often do you see anything from Stags Leap for under $25?! Most important, it over-delivers in the glass. That’s what matters in the end.