Petit Verdot
[puh-TEE vehr-DOH]
A high-quality red-wine grape grown mainly in France’s BORDEAUX region. Petit Verdot produces full-bodied, extremely deep-colored wines with peppery, spicy flavor characteristics, and high TANNINS and ALCOHOL. It’s traditionally been used to add flavor, color, and tannins to the BORDEAUX blend. This is particularly true in the southern MÉDOC where, because of the soils, lighter wines are generally produced from the basic grapes CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT, and CABERNET FRANC. Petit Verdot ripens very late and sometimes doesn’t mature at all, a trait that’s prompted a number of CHÂTEAUX in Bordeaux to eliminate it from their vineyards. Recently, there’s been a minor planting revival by some of the more quality-conscious producers. Small amounts of Petit Verdot are planted in Chile and California. It’s also called Carmelin, Petit Verdau, and Verdot Rouge.
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Bordeaux, Pemberton, Saint-Estè, Southwest France
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc.
1995 based on THE WINE LOVER'S COMPANION,
by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst.
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