Winemaker Notes
The inaugural release of the Matchbook Estate Bottled Petit Verdot showcases the advantage of the Dunnigan Hills appellation’s long growing season: the varietal characteristics of this Bordeaux grape develop fully when allowed to slowly ripen well into the fall. The beautiful dark garnet color leads to inviting aromas of clove and brown spices. Dense flavors of plum, violets and mocha are layered over tart cherry and blueberry. Strong tannins are tamed by an appealing fruit sweetness. Pair this full-flavored red with aged cheese, lamb shank or roasted pork loin.
Blend: 88% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec, 1% Teroldgo
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Ripe, rich and full bodied, this wine is big in structure, quite tannic and concentrated, offering deep blueberry, blackberry and beef flavors and a mouthfilling texture. It should improve through 2023.
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.
Mitigated by mild Sacramento River Delta breezes, the Dunnigan Hills appellation is in the northwest portion of Yolo County and has a Mediterranean climate.