Bluestone Vineyard, Shenandoah Valley (Virginia) Petit Verdot 2017

 Full disclosure: Petit Verdot ranks near the bottom of my list of varietal wines because they are too often too heavy, too dense, too much of everything.  Not this one!  Weighing in at a modest 13.5% stated alcohol, it is a delight.  Yes, there is power — it is Petit Verdot, after all — but power coupled with finesse and refinement.  Although it is darkly colored, it is not a weighty wine.  What I sense as a hint of nicely integrated oak provides a hint of creamy vanilla nuance.  The bright finish of this suave, mid-weight red makes you want another sip.  Drink it this summer with whatever you have on the grill.