Let me start by saying, there is nothing petite about this Petit Verdot. The colour, the aromas, the flavours, the level of interest it generated or the bang you get for your buck. I’m not saying it’s the type of wine that wants to be a scene stealer either, not at all. It’s more like it wears its heart on its sleeve and just wants to be exactly what it is supposed to be. A full bodied, full flavoured, food wine.
Crack the screwcap and you will immediately know what I mean. It was like the wine exhaled the rich black fruit aromas as though they had been (literally) bottled up against their will and what terrific aromas they were. There was no mistaking how full bodied this was going to be.
A lovely deep, dark colour greets you with open arms then wraps them around you providing a warm comforting hug. Dark fruits aplenty is the go and they dominate for sure. Not that that is a bad thing, not by any means. It’s a very good indicator of how young this wine is. Complementing the fruit beautifully was dark chocolate, a dash of spice and a hint of licorice. Put all these flavours together and you can just imagine how delicious and moreish it was.
On the back of the bottle it mentions “…significant tannins”. Now, I didn’t get that. They were there, don’t get me wrong, but they worked in conjunction with the powerful fruit flavours as did the oak (14 months in new and older American & French).
I must add that these notes were made on the second night of tasting it. Not that there was anything wrong with it when I tasted it on the first night. It seemed to have come together, seemed better balanced and was smooth on the finish with plenty of length. This definitely has a bright future.
Region: Mudgee, NSW Price: $35 Source: Sample courtesy Define Wine
Words from a Wine Glass 