Catalpa Petit Verdot 2023

Some wines simply have the WOW factor. This is one such wine. From vineyards in San José at 1,350 MASL that famously allow for a far longer ripening period than we would find anywhere in Europe – something that a grape like Petit Verdot benefits from immensely – here is a beautiful, soft, voluptuous, inky-black red wine that one does not need a pneumatic drill to penetrate the surface of, nor a decade in bottle to see it reveal its generous personality. Glorious aromas of black fruits and wet stone / mineral /graphite up-front lead the charge onto a palate awash with firm but supple tannins and wave upon wave of compote-like flavours harnessed in bright natural acidity. It is luscious and indulgent but, happily, not jammy!

 

Fermentation for thirty days at 25 degrees C with one manual pigeage daily, followed by a further 6 days of cap immersion. (In a different climate this could be brutal!) Malo happens in used barrels, then then the wine is transferred 50 / 50 to new French oak and stainless steel where it rests for ten months prior to bottling. Keep this wine for 8 – 10 years by all means, or longer, but it is absolutely delicious right now, only requiring equally robust cuisine to make it dance like a pirate.