Ramot Family Winery, Israel (Israel) Petit Verdot 2011

Fairly few vintners around the world make single-variety wines from Petit Verdot, which is usually utilized as a blending grape when color and tannic intensity are desired.  The best solo bottlings tend to come from places like south-central Spain where intense sunlight seems to ripen the grapes into civility, and certainly Israel does not lack for warmth or sunlight…so this wine’s success isn’t entirely surprising.  Dense, dark color makes it look true to form, and it also shows impressive depth and richness, but its key attribute is a soft sweetness that buffers the tannins and lends an element of charm to the finish.