Petit Verdot: a Bordeaux variety with an exciting new role

Petit verdot is becoming a strong contender as the alternative to shiraz in the warmer wine regions of Australia. It ripens a week or two later than Shiraz, and hence it is more likely to mature in cooler conditions. Petit Verdot is the least known and least grown of the Bordeaux red grape varieties. As a late maturing variety it is losing popularity in the relatively cool Bordeaux region. In Australia it is being planted in warmer areas where ripening is not such a problem. The other four permitted varieties in the Bordeaux appellation are Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Malbec and Merlot. This better known quartet are now widely planted in other regions of Europe and the New World. Latest Pages on this site New Wine Tasting Notebook Latest offer from ReWine -tasting pack for just $50 See more recent pages In fact, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have escaped from the Bordeaux appellation to become recognised as international varieties. Petit verdot is being less and less frequently in its native Bordeaux and has, until recently, been largely ignored elsewhere. So why is Petit Verdot the poor cousin? In a way the answer lies in the vineyard, not the winery. This variety ripens later than the others and in Bordeaux, its traditional home, it may not ripen at all or produce such poor quality fruit as not to be worth the effort. In good years though, late ripening is the very attribute proves that nurturing the ugly duckling can pay off. It produces well coloured concentrated wines with a range of flavours, with violets being a common adjective used to describe its unique character. In Bordeaux it is used as a minor component (usually less than about five percent) of blends. The potential for Petit verdot in Australia is being talked up by some of its enthusiasts. In the absence of an appellation system it is the grapes, not the bureaucrats who do the talking. Plantings have been increasing rapidly in such areas as the Barossa and McLaren Vale, a well as in most wine regions of inland Australia. As a late ripening grape it will not be successful in cooler regions, but watch out for new wines from South Australia, the irrigated districts and the far northern districts. The Australian tradition producing one hundred percent varietals is putting the acid test on Petit verdot. It is probably fair to say that the results thus far have been very encouraging, but growers and makers are still at the pioneering stage. The characters to look for in these exciting new wines are its intense colours, the wonderful fragrant nose, rich flavours and soft tannins. It may be a long time before we really see the full potential of the variety in Australia. In the meantime, savvy consumers can watch and taste the already impressive progress. Below is a list of some producers of this variety, and the regions. 1847 Barossa Valley Aldinga Bay McLaren Vale Alkoomi Frankland River Anderson Winery Rutherglen Angas Vineyards Langhorne Creek Angoves Winery Riverland Arimia Margaret River Margaret River Arrowfield Hunter Valley Ashton Hills Adelaide Hills Bago Vineyards Hastings River Ballast Stone Estate Currency Creek Banrock Station Riverland Barossa Ridge Barossa Valley Barton Estate Canberra Beechtree Wines McLaren Vale Beelgara Estate Riverina Bellarmine Wines Pemberton Bendigo Wine Estate Bendigo Blue Metal Vineyard Southern Highlands Boireann Granite Belt Bonneyview Riverland Bremerton Langhorne Creek Broomstick Estate Margaret River Brown Brothers King Valley Burnbrae Winery Mudgee Capercaillie Hunter Valley Casella Riverina Celestial Bay Margaret River Ceravolo Premium Wines Adelaide Plains Chateau Mildura Murray Darling Cosham Perth Hills Craneford Barossa Valley Cullen Wines Margaret River D'Arenberg McLaren Vale De Beaurepaire Wines Mudgee De Bortoli Riverina Deakin Estate Murray Darling Di Fabio Estate McLaren Vale Disaster Bay Wines South Coast Zone Doctors Nose Wines Northern Slopes Zone DogRidge McLaren Vale Dowie Doole McLaren Vale Drakesbrook Wines Peel Drinkmoor Wines Rutherglen Duke's Vineyard Porongurup Eagle Vale Margaret River Eleven Paddocks Pyrenees Eumundi Winery Queensland Coastal Faber Vineyard Swan Valley Frog Rock Mudgee Fyffe Field North East Victoria Gemtree Vineyards McLaren Vale Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale Giant Steps Yarra Valley Gin Gin Wines Queensland Coastal Granite Ridge Wines Granite Belt Grove Estate Wines Hilltops Hackersley Geographe Hanging Rock Winery Macedon Ranges Harkaway Estate Murray Darling Haywards of Locksley Strathbogie Ranges Hugh Hamilton McLaren Vale Illalangi Wines Riverland Jimbour Wines Queensland Zone Kahlon Estate Wines Riverland Kalleske Wines Barossa Valley Keith Tulloch Wine Hunter Valley Kevin Sobels Wines Hunter Valley Kimber Wines McLaren Vale Kingston Estate Riverland Kirkham Estate Sydney Basin Koppamura Wines Wrattonbully Kulkunbulla Hunter Valley Kurtz Family Vineyards Barossa Valley Lake Breeze Langhorne Creek Lazy River Estate Western Plains Leconfield Coonawarra Liebichwein Barossa Valley Lilliput Wines Rutherglen Lillypilly Estate Riverina Little Wine Company Hunter Valley Louee Wines Mudgee Mason Wines Granite Belt McHenry Hohnen Margaret River Millbrook Winery Perth Hills Millers Dixons Creek Estate Yarra Valley Moama Wines Perricoota Mount Appallan Vineyards South Burnett Mount Burrumboot Estate Heathcote Mount Camel Ridge Estate Heathcote Mr Riggs Wine Company McLaren Vale Mudgee Growers Mudgee Mudgee Wines Mudgee Mulcra Estate Wines Murray Darling Nelwood Wines Riverland New Glory Goulburn Valley Noorinbee Selection Vineyards Gippsland Nursery Ridge Murray Darling Olssens of Watervale Clare Valley Patterson Lakes Estate Port Phillip Zone Penmara Hunter Valley Pennyfield Wines Riverland Pertaringa McLaren Vale Petersons Glenesk Estate Mudgee Pettavel Geelong Phoenix Estate Clare Valley Piako Vineyards Murray Darling Pirramimma McLaren Vale Pyren Vineyard Pyrenees Ravens Croft Wines Granite Belt Red Mud Riverina Remarkable View Winery Southern Flinders Region Riverbank Estate Swan Valley Roberts Estate Murray Darling Robertson of Clare Clare Valley Salena Estate Riverland Salisbury Winery Murray Darling Salomon Estate Currency Creek Sam Miranda Wines King Valley Sanguine Estate Heathcote Seven Mile Vineyard Shoalhaven Coast Seven Ochres Vineyard Margaret River Sevenoaks Wines Hunter Valley Sirromet Queensland Coastal Smallfry Wines Barossa Valley Smithbrook Pemberton Southern Secret Riverland St Mary's Penola St Michael's Vineyard Heathcote Staunton Vale Vineyard Geelong Stevens Brook Estate Perricoota Summit Estate Granite Belt Tall Poppy Murray Darling Talunga Adelaide Hills Tamburlaine Hunter Valley Tandou Riverland Temple Bruer Langhorne Creek Thorn-Clarke Wines Barossa Valley Three Moon Creek Queensland Zone Tizzana Winery South Coast Zone Trentham Estate Murray Darling Uleybury Wines Adelaide Zone Victory Point Wines Margaret River Waratah Vineyard Queensland Zone Wenzel Family Wines Langhorne Creek Whale Coast Wines Southern Fleurieu Williams Springs Road Kangaroo Island Wills Domain Vineyard Margaret River Windowrie Estate Cowra Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale Woodstock McLaren Vale Wordsworth Wines Geographe Yaldara Barossa Valley Yalumba Wine Company Barossa Valley Zilzie Wines Murray Darling Zonte's Footstep Langhorne Creek Petit verdot wines from Anderson Winery at Rutherglen and Pirramirra in Mclaren Vale were both given 94 points in the 2006 James Halliday Wine Companion. Andersons also picked up a top Gold at the Trinations Wine Show. At the 2003 Australian Alternative Wine Varieties Show Pennyfield wines won a Gold medal, Casella Wines a Silver Medal and Banrock Station a Bronze medal for Petit verdot wines. Wine Makers Choice is an Australian online Wine merchant who often stock wine made from Petit Verdot. Check out their range. .

Petit Verdot is one of 184 different wine grape varieties described in De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table.