Northstar Winery, Columbia Valley (Washington) Petit Verdot 2016

 Usually dismissed as a relatively unimportant Bordeaux variety, Petit Verdot nevertheless is creating new interest among young winemakers.  For this 2016, winemaker “Merf” Merfield  included 40% whole berries in the fermentation and aged the wine for 16 months in French oak(40% new).  Blended with 20% Syrah, the wine is extremely dark, opaque, and an enormous, mouth filling wine.  Dark, ripe fruit and a suggestion of cocoa with a hint of  green leaf dominate the bouquet.  Big bodied with lots of swagger, the wine is plush and loaded with savory ripe fruit that yields a bit to fine grained tannin.  Showy and ultra-ripe, it is probably best enjoyed over the next year or two.