2018 Petit Verdot, Miljenko’s Selection

The Wine

We maintain a cool fermentation temperature to preserve rich fruit flavors and rely on open-top tanks to integrate oxygen with Petit Verdot’s hardy tannins. We aged the wine for almost two years in French oak barrels to allow the wood’s harmonizing toast flavors to enhance the fruit.

In the glass, this stunning Petit Verdot is a sight to behold with its deep ruby-red color and attractive purple hue around the edges. Undertones of blackberry, blueberry, cedar, nutmeg and pine tip envelop the tongue, creating a blend of robust flavors. A mouthful of tannins gives life to deep density, followed by a balanced, silky feel at the core. Acidity, on the mid-palate, plays nicely into the background, carrying aromatic complexity. The conclusion is a long and flavorful finish. Match this wine’s sturdiness with grilled rib eye steak, wild game or aged cheeses.

Vintage

2018 was a bountiful vintage marked by cool, consistent temperatures and a timely rainfall for bud break in March and April. Harvest began on September tenth, and the grapes were of the highest quality with lower alcohol and high acidity.

Vineyard

The small block of Petit Verdot in our Yountville vineyard is enhanced by the few additional rows of this varietal in our Rutherford vineyard, just a few miles away. Both vineyards enjoy consistent sunshine and a well-drained mixture of gravel, clay and loam that produce complex, ripe flavors. We farm naturally, without artificial pesticides or herbicides, and the grapes are certified organic.

Winemaker's Notes

Alcohol

14.5%

Fermentation

indigenous yeast

Harvest date

Nov. 2, 2018

Sugar

24.2 Brix average

Bottling date

July 26, 2020

Release Date

September 2021

Total acid

5.9 g/L

pH

3.84

Blend

87% Petit Verdot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon