Top Peterson wine (and Petit Verdot) ever for the Wine Review Online:
The folks at Peterson pride themselves on zero intervention style winemaking, and they aren’t afraid to bottle small lots that display something unique. This Petite Verdot shows as true to type, with violets and a dash of mint character, but adds layers of complexity with notes of dried herb, fall spice and umami savoriness. It is a pleasure to drink and has some backbone to stand up to rich red meat dishes.
This also rates above, for instance, the Decades 5 Petit Verdot at $150!
Peterson says:
An easy sipping wine isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you open a Petit Verdot, but once you try this one, you might change your mind. Rich, enticing aromatics of vine-ripened brambly blackberry mingle with cedar spices and oak notes. A fresh, vibrant entryoffers focused flavors of mulberry, boysenberry and black cherry woven with hints of sage, violet and black licorice. A solid structure seamlessly supports this intense, delicious wine even as it lingers on the palate. If opened before 2025, give the wine some breathing space to allow its beauty to shine through.
Like all of the top Peterson reds, this was given an extended time (25 months) in barrel (all French oak, 1/3rd new), and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Though bottled under natural cork, each one was individually scanned and found to be TCA free.
This is a guy that both knows his stuff (as a former winemaker for Ridge) and cares about every little detail of the process.
There aren’t many California winemakers left like Fred Peterson and his son Jamie. And he’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
