2008 Trinchero Napa Valley Petite Verdot Napa Valley

Trinchero Family Estate encompasses a large portfolio of wine including Trinchero Napa Valley. It is considered their “luxury class” single vineyard wines. This label includes:  Sauvignon Blanc, two Merlots, six Cabernet Sauvignons, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and a Meritage blend. There are three acres of Petite Verdot planted and most is used in their meritage blend while in exceptional years some of the wine is bottled as a single vineyard Central Park West label with exclusively Petite Verdot. This vineyard was planted in 1987 and the soil consists of mainly clay, alluvial and loamy soil. The Central Park West is a name derived from the area in New York where the original Trinchero family lived before moving to California.

Petite Verdot originates from Bordeaux France where it is used as a blending grape. Petite Verdot has qualities that add different characteristics to a wine in which multiple varietals are blended. It provides deep inky colors, tannin, violet and floral aromas. It is a late ripening grape varietal so it has lost some popularity in France but is often used in the US because it ripens easier in our warmer climate.

2008 Trinchero Petite Verdot Napa Valley $49.98

Tasting Notes

Sight: Deep purple with inky qualities some light staining.

Nose:  Dark purple and red plums with big floral aromas such as violets, lavender. There is also tons of pepper and some light baking spices like nutmeg a bit of leather.

Palate: Medium bodied the aromatics on the nose follow through however the plum is a bit of a tart plum versus deep and ripe plum. The mid palate has an addition of the coffee and leather while the tannins are soft and luscious.

Pairing Suggestions

This wine would be great with hearty red meats that contain a lot of flavor and a bit of fattiness which these tannins can perfectly offset. Bar-B-Q tri-tip, various roasts, brisket or ribs. This is a fairly big wine and could stand up to some big bold flavor. A coffee spice rub would be superb, and it’s flexible enough to put on various forms of red meat.

Terah Bajjalieh, CS, CSW

Certified Sommelier

@terahbajjalieh