2004 Stonegate Winery Reserve Petit Verdot

Mission Codename: Kingdom’s Gate

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Secure a exceptional varietal Petit Verdot for our operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Stonegate Winery

Wine Subject: 2004 Reserve Petit Verdot

Winemaker:

Backgrounder:

Petit Verdot is perhaps most famous as a secondary blending grape for the great wines of Bordeaux. Its intrinsic value is that it adds balance, mid palate structure and acidity to its brethren. When made into a purely varietal wine, the late ripening Petit Verdot presents its own unique quality and character with wines of exceptional aroma, structure and flavor. Today’s Petit Verdot is grown just east of Napa Valley’s prestigious Rutherford AVA.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark deep purple with a slightly inky dark core with blue and garnet hues along the edges. Slow medium thin legs cling to the edge of the glass when swirled showing a heavier consistency

Smell – Medium intensity with aromas of dusty ripe wild raspberry and blackberry layered over a touch of licorice. Floral violets, smoke and new oak round out the well developed nose of this wine.

Feel – The attack of this medium to full-bodied wine is smooth and dry with plush but firm tannins and balanced acidity that is sustained through to the back of the palate.

Taste – Round and very pleasant in its flavors with great ripe raspberry and blackberry, a distinct new oak quality, soft and not overpowering licorice, floral violet notes and a hint of spice and leather.

Finish – Clean with exceptional length, this wine’s structure and flavors linger and invite further exploration, and perhaps more importantly another sip!

Conclusion – The 2004 Reserve Petit Verdot is truly an exceptional expression of this often overlooked grape. Great aromas and flavors marked by both elegance and finesse but also the structure to stand up as a great food pairing wine.

Mission Report:

For nearly 36 years, Stonegate Winery has been a Napa Valley legend, known for producing the finest estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Verdot. While it led the charge in the early 1970s, today the winery is experiencing a resurgence. The exact details are highly classified, however.

Unless you have double top secret clearance, you won’t be able to read today’s complete mission report. Suffice it to say, all will be revealed – in time.

For now, you may content yourself with today’s exceptional 2004 Reserve Petit Verdot, a wine of wonderful balance, delicious flavors and layers of rich aromatics.

How were we able to procure an allotment of this incredible and mysterious wine? We could tell you, but, you know…

Meanwhile, please stay tuned, and expect another great Stonegate wine – and the full skinny on this mysterious winery – in the near future! And, take it from me, you do NOT want to miss out on today’s great selection. Its that amazing.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Napa Valley’s Stonegate Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.