2013 nottingham cellars petit verdot review

So, in 1976, he established the renowned Barboursville Vineyards, located on the estate of Jefferson's good friend James Barbour, Governor of Virginia in the early 19th century. Indeed, in the 1970s, Gianni Zonin, head of the Zonin family which owns vineyards throughout Italy, saw untapped potential in this American state which shares a similar latitude to Sicily. After switching successfully to native American vines, Virginia's wine industry subsequently stalled during the Prohibition era before being resurrected in the second half of the twentieth century, influenced again by European viticulture. The history of attempts at winemaking in the area dates back to the time of Thomas Jefferson, whose efforts to grow European grapes ultimately failed. Standout vintages include 2009, which was warm rather than hot, producing very elegant wines and 2010, which in contrast was dry and hot, allowing grapes to ripen early, producing luscious, opulent wines. A wide range of red and white varieties are grown, including Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and many other 'noble grapes'. The state currently has 275 wineries within seven viticultural areas, a temperate climate spread across five distinct climate regions and a variety of well-drained soils from granite in the west to sandy loam in the east, all contributing to excellent grape growing conditions. Only last year, the International Wine Review commented on the impressive progress the region has made in producing quality wine and its rising number of boutique wineries. cost less than $10 a bottle, none of the Virginian wines falls into this category with $15, $20 or $30 being normal. To put this into context, last year 624,000 cases of Virginian wine were sold, which would equate to the output of three medium-size Californian wineries! Additionally, whereas 90% of wines sold in the U.S. Virginia is known for its production of niche (that's good niche!), high quality wines in relatively limited quantities. There's price niche, quality niche, 'keep it quiet' niche and any other niche you could think of, but with wine, is it the country or region where it's from or the outlets where it's sold that make it niche? One lesser known wine region whose offerings are unlikely to be found in multiple retailers, but which is becoming increasingly recognised for its shining quality is Virginia, the fifth largest grape producing state in the USA. When you join our wine community as a Paid Member, you’ll get access to all of my Petit Verdot wine reviews, which are updated weekly.There's good niche and there's bad niche. Although it is rare to see this varietal on its own, if you should come across it, let it age for minimum 5 years and pair it with a pork belly or a juicy strip loin. Petit Verdot has leather and violet aromas, but can also give off a banana scent when young. Petit Verdot is a red grape also known as Bouton, Carmelin, Heran, Lambrusquet Noir and Petit Verdau, depending on where its grown.ĥ.

Although France is the original home of the Bordeaux blend (also called a Meritage), many New World countries have adopted the mix of grapes as well including the US, Canada, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia.

The only place Petit Verdot has been known to thrive is in Portugal’s Alentejo region due to the warm climatic conditions.Ĥ. It has an unusual two grape clusters per shoot, but can be extremely unreliable.ģ. Petit Verdot can be a problem vine, as it ripens late in the season, if at all. The exception is Chateau Palmer, in which it is 6% of the blend due to the vineyard’s microclimate.Ģ.

It usually only makes up 1-3% of the Bordeaux blend, which also includes the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. You’ll find my Top 10 Petit Verdot reviews and ratings here.ġ.

Petit Verdot is most famously associated with the Bordeaux blend, and is added to the blend to increase the tannin, colour and flavour.

2013 nottingham cellars petit verdot review