2017 Winemaker’s Series Petit Verdot
VINEYARDS AND WINEMAKING
Petit Verdot is one of the five main Bordeaux varietals, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Dark and dense with a perfumed nose, Petit Verdot is usually used in small amounts to lift the aromatics and add body and complexity to Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2017, Winemaker Marcus Notaro was extremely impressed by the Petit Verdot from the Hardester Vineyard and decided to produce this bottling.
Great Petit Verdot needs sunlight, heat and long hangtime. The Hardester Vineyard is a perfect site with good exposure to the sun and favorable shifts from warm sunny days to cool evenings, extending hangtime. This wine is a blend of 95% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Petit Verdot is entirely sourced from the Hardester Vineyard in Pope Valley while the Cabernet Sauvignon is from Shooting Star Vineyard, very close to Hardester.
The wine was fermented in 100% stainless steel. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 21 months in 100% new French oak.
VINTAGE
The 2017 vintage was a memorable one with more than its fair share of historic challenges – but it resulted in very high-quality fruit at lower yields. We started with a wet winter that brought much-needed water after several years of drought. Spring and summer temperatures alternated between unusually cool and unusually hot with a record-breaking heat wave over Labor Day weekend. Just as harvest was reaching its final crescendo, on October 8th tragic wildfires broke out that burned throughout Napa and Sonoma counties. At Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the Atlas Peak fire burned right down to the edge of the estate vineyards. Thankfully the vineyard served as a giant fire break and the winery was undamaged and our employees were safe. We give a special thank you to the cellar and maintenance teams who demonstrated incredible dedication to wine quality in restoring power to the winery and caring for the fermenting wines under extreme conditions.
TASTING NOTES
This Petit Verdot has an aromatic and perfumed nose filled with floral and spice notes. The wine is rich and dense with a core of fruit that is wrapped in firm tannins. The finish has a hint of hazelnut character.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Pork roast with rosemary and sage or smoked beef brisket would be a flavorful complement to this wine.