Petit Verdot

Frankly, I don't know what to make of Petit Verdot! Sometimes I think it is an overly heavy and clunky grape and sometimes it feels light and almost acidic. It used to be one of the blending grapes in Bordeaux reds, but it seems to have fallen out of favor. Here is what Wikipedia says about it, "Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends.[1] It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen it adds tannin, colour and flavour, in small amounts, to the blend. Petit verdot has attracted attention among winemakers in the New World, where it ripens more reliably and has been made into single varietal wine. It is also useful in 'stiffening' the mid palate of Cabernet Sauvignon blends.
When young its aromas have been likened to banana and pencil shavings. Strong tones of violet and leather develop as it matures."

Anyway, I have a bunch of new world wines that use a large percentage of Petit Verdot in their blends, so lets try a bunch of them and see what we think!

There will be 1 white and 4 reds.

They are located on the corner of W. 79th and Amsterdam Ave.

Here is a link to their menu:
Nice Matin Dinner Menu

** The cost of this event is $32 and is for the cost of the wines.

NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It is annoying and confusing, but there is nothing I can do about it. It comes to approximately $4 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. MEETUP+ members are exempt from this charge.

Just a reminder of our usual rules:

You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). You will be expected to order at least 2 dishes (an appetizer and a main, or main and dessert) to help support the restaurant.

Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $6 service fee.

The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner):

2022 Domaine Latour-Giraud Coteaux Bourguignons ($30) - An easy drinking French Chardonnay to start us off. Notes of citrus and (very) little oak. From the importer, "It comes from a single parcel behind Roulot's winery called les Vaux. People often ask me which are the best white Burgundy value plays, and this is among them.” “As an affordable entry to the house style, I've beaten this drum already: this is an exceptional value in white Burgundy, from what should be considered Meursault villages level soil, but is classified as Coteaux Bourguignons."

2010 Obsidian Wine Half Mile Obsidian Ridge Vineyard ($50) - from CA's North Coast - I last opened a bottle of this in 2016 and loved it, the most recent tasting note on Cellartracker is from 2021...Half Cabernet Sauvignon and half Petit Verdot. Aged 100% in Hungarian Oak.

2024 Soos Creek Au Revoir ($37) - From Soos Creek's website, "We decided to produce this wine as a big thank you to our customers when our winemaker was at a low point from the side effects of his treatment for prostate cancer and considered quitting the biz. Dave recovered, though, and decided to keep making wine. So, saying goodbye was premature, but the sentiment holds. The vibrant flavors come from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Petit Verdot sourced from the Discovery and Dionysus vineyards, "

NV Soos Creek The Pugilist at Rest ($27) - ANOTHER Soos Creek! I believe the NV Pugilist came out before the 2022 version, but I'm not really sure. Anyway, a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Petit Verdot and 5% Syrah. The label says "A dark and dense wine with notes of dark fruits."

2020 JM Wine Cellars Las Piedras Margaret's Vineyard ($55) - Another WA state blend, think of this as a GSM blend with Petit Verdot replacing the Grenache. From JM's website, "This bottling of Las Piedras (Spanish for “The Stones”) is a blend of 42% petit verdot, 29% syrah, and 29% mourvèdre, grown in the highest, rockiest area in Margaret’s Vineyard. The characteristics of this wine are as unique as the blend, showing a distinct minerality accompanied by flavors and aromas of raspberry, dark cherry, chocolate, and a hint of crème brulée. This exciting wine was aged in 60% new and 40% once used French oak, for twenty-one months, creating an exceptionally smooth, approachable wine with a lengthy finish."