B. Leighton Petit Verdot 2018
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dark, vibrant, and very expressive. Fire roasted chilies, fresh violets, blackberry, marjoram, crushed seashells, black fruit compote. Very stylish with an elegant mouth feel and long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From the same site, the 2018 Petit Verdot Olsen Brothers Vineyard offers a rocking nose of cassis and blueberry fruits as well as lots of tobacco, violets, and cedarwood. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with integrated oak and silky tannins, it's another stunning wine from this talented winemaker that can be enjoyed any time over the coming 15+ years or so.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry and almond. Full-bodied with chewy tannins. Lush and rich palate that remains balanced in its intensity. Dark chocolate comes through.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep magenta in color, the 2018 Petit Verdot Olsen Vineyard opens with aromas of graphite, pencil lead, black cherry skin and dark plum before notions of purple flowers dusted with cinnamon sway from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is balanced with expertly managed tannins and a frame held together by succulent acidity. Concluding with a long, lingering and subtly spiced finish, this Petit Verdot should have no challenges lasting through the end of the decade. The wine rested for 22 months on the lees in 40% new puncheons.
Rating: 90+
Other Vintages
2017-
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Wine
Brennon Leighton is the Director of Winemaking and Viticulture at Charles Smith Wines where he oversees all viticulture, vineyard relations and winemaking for all Charles Smith brands, including K Vintners, Charles Smith Wines, ViNO, SIXTO, Wines of Substance and Casa Smith. Considered to be one of the best winemakers in the state of Washington by wine critics and connoisseurs alike, Leighton has nearly 20 years of experience in winemaking and viticulture.
Leighton grew up in Santa Cruz, California and moved to Seattle when he was a 21-year-old punk rocker, who exclusively drank cheap beer and whiskey. He was first introduced to wine while employed at a high-end restaurant and decided, at the age of 25, to go to college and earn a degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California at Davis.
Prior to working at Charles Smith Wines, Leighton worked in vineyards in California, eventually returning to Seattle to work for Chateau Ste. Michelle and later as Head Winemaker for Efeste. After first meeting in the early 1990s, Leighton and Charles Smith reconnected, and Smith hired Leighton as a consultant to help with his well-known wine, Kung Fu Girl Riesling. Two years later, in 2012, Charles Smith hired Leighton as the winery’s full-time Winemaker, and partner in his new Chardonnay project – SIXTO. Leighton’s thoughtful, kind, and intense passion for wine made him perfect for the job. In 2014, Leighton was promoted to Director of Winemaking and Viticulture where he now manages all vineyards and winemaking teams.
In 2012, Leighton created B. Leighton Wines to showcase the world-class terroir of Washington State. B. Leighton Wines are authentic, classic and alive. The wines have received 90+ points by wine critics such as Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, who most recently noted, “If you haven’t heard of Brennon Leighton, now’s a good time to fix that!”
One of the original Bordeaux varieties, Petit Verdot has a bold structure, color and aromas, which allow it to make a significant difference in Bordeaux Blends—even in modest amounts. While it isn’t planted in Bordeaux in great quantities anymore, its virtues are increasingly identified elsewhere. Somm Secret—Producing phenomenal single-varietal wines in hot and dry locations in the New World, Petit Verdot also finds a happy home in parts of Spain as well as in in Portugal’s Alentejo where it gracefully blends with the regions' indigenous varieties.
As the first recognized wine-growing region in the Pacific Northwest, Yakima Valley is centrally located within Washington’s vast Columbia Valley. The region also includes Washington’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines, Otis Vineyard, planted in 1957, and Harrison Hill Vineyard, planted in 1963. Yakima Valley contains three smaller sub-regions: Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, and Snipes Mountain and is ideal for both red and white wine production. In fact, Yakima Valley is Washington’s most diverse region, boasting more than 40 different grape varieties over about one hundred miles.
The cooler parts of the valley are home to almost half of the Chardonnay and Riesling produced in the state! Both are made in a wide range of styles depending on the conditions of the vineyard site.
But its warmer locations yield a large proportion of Washington’s best Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The finest Yakima Valley reds are jam-packed full of red cherry, currant, raspberry or blackberry fruit, as well as cocoa, herb, spice and savory notes, and exhibit a supple texture, great body, focus and length.