March 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot, San Antonio Valley.
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This Petit Verdot is deep ruby-purple in color. The nose expresses medium coffee and light pepper backed by light black cherry aromas. Notes of violet and pencil shavings blossom with aeration. The palate displays medium black cherry and blackberry flavors backed by peppery spice notes and hints of coffee and vanilla. Firm, leathery tannins, proportioned acids and measured alcohol make for a full bodied wine with a spicy mouthfeel. A medium length finish plays well defined flavors of black cherry and currant. |
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Cumulative Score: 91 breakdown 14.5% Alcohol $19.95 Retail (from winery); 550 cases produced |
Under the macho exterior is a sleek package of finesse. This wine is about elegant complexity: darker, masculine coffee and spice driven characteristics leading to bouncy, juicy flavors and a soft, floral edge. Tight, this Petit Verdot opens up like a rose with air and stays composed and consistent from start to finish. Decanting, then patience and restraint are strongly advised. Pair with red meats and game now and for up to 6 years, but a year in bottle won't hurt. |
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More Escafeld reviews. More on the San Antonio Valley AVA |
100% Argyle Vineyard fruit harvested at just below 25 degrees Brix, fermented in stainless steel and aged 18 months in American oak.
Petit Verdot is a lesser known member of Bordeaux’s five noble black varieties. It has long been used as a supportive player in Bordeaux and Meritage red blends. Current California acreage of Petit Verdot is approximated at around 900 acres (slightly less than the 1000 acres reportedly found in France). The consistency of California’s extended growing seasons, free of cold and rain, allow Petit Verdot to thrive. As a consequence, it is not only maintaining its place in Bordeaux-style blends but is also being bottled as a varietal wine. This is still on a relatively small scale in California. On its own, Petit Verdot it is deeply colored – often purple - with high extract of floral and spice aromatics and bold alcohol levels. The beauty of Petit Verdot lies in its evolution. In youth, it exhibits aromas that resemble pencil shavings. Some writers also describe a banana-like scent. Violet and leathery aromas evolve with age. Spice and firm tannins are also definitive of this variety. More about Petit Verdot
Argyle Vineyards sits on sandy clay loam soils on the northeastern side of the San Antonio Valley. Planted to Cabernet Franc, Petite Syrah, Syrah and Petite Verdot, the vineyard sees summer daytime temperatures up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than much of Monterey County, with a cooling nighttime influence from the lake (after which the valley and AVA are named). Although the Pacific Ocean is some 15 to 20 miles to the west, some morning fog still makes it to the San Antonio Valley over the Santa Lucia mountains.
The hot 2004 growing season was one of the shortest in the history of the state. Harvest came two to three weeks earlier than usual, at the start of August. Statewide reports of light to normal yields of excellent quality fruit with superb extraction raised anticipation of the wines to come. However, red wines from this vintage are proving variable by our experience. While this "crop of crops" was lauded as producing highly extracted fruit, some wines have been rather unbalanced while others were stunning an memorable. This seems to depend more on the combination of AVA and vineyard management, rather than winemaking techniques. Each offering from this vintage should be judged individually and not by virtue of vintage alone since the shortened growing season affected different varietals in different AVAs and even vineyards. The Monterey County and San Antonio Valley AVAs saw very ripe fruit in 2004.
Escafeld Vineyards is located in Jolon, in Monterey County's San Antonio Valley which was awarded AVA status in 2006. With 2 acres planted to Zinfandel and 3 acres planted to Merlot, Escafeld released these two varietals as their first offerings in 2002. Steve and Elsbeth Wetherill purchased the land for the vineyard in 1997 and in 2002 and 2003 planted an additional two acres to the "big five" Bordeaux reds: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. We will watch this winery and region as both develop.
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5 points |
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Nose |
4 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Tannins |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
9 points |
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