2017 Le Petit Verdot by Bellevue (Haut Medoc)

As the name suggests, the 2017 Petit Verdot by Belle-Vue is made from 100% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is redolent of tar, earth, tilled soil and wild fungi with a core of baked plums, mulberries and boysenberries plus a waft of pencil lead. Medium-bodied, firm and solidly structured with chewy tannins, it has a good core of muscular fruit and a long mineral-laced finish.

The 2017 Le Petit-Verdot by Belle-Vue comes from two sources, both the estate and also a Bordeaux Supérieur, Château Bolair, which did not produce any wine in this year. It has a fresh and lifted bouquet with black cherries, boysenberry and light violet aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit, quite Malbec-like in many ways with a smoky, slightly meaty finish that offers fine freshness and good length. Very fine for a pure Petit Verdot.

The 2017 Le Petit Verdot by Belle-Vue comes from a tiny parcel of Petit Verdot and it spends roughly six months in 30% new French, Austrian, and Hungarian oak, with a small portion of the blend brought up in amphora. It’s a great expression of this variety, and I’m always surprised how much richness and texture they’re able to get in this cuvee. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as ample blue fruits, resinous herbes, and sappy flower notes, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a rounded, expansive texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s great today and will be great in a decade.