Friday, May 3, 2013

DGA Wine Club: St. Supery Napa Valley Estate Dollarhide Petit Verdot 2009



Posted by Matt







As members of the St. Supery wine club, my wife and I also treated to some truly unique wines such as the Petit Verdot.  This is a BIG wine.  The Petit Verdot is rich, thick and powerful. 



St. Supéry’s Petit Verdot is an outstanding wine. With a deep purple color and round tannins, the wine is powerful without being overpowering.  As typical of this varietal, the wine presents with deep, almost opaque black and purple hues. Aromas of blackberry laced with blueberry are encouraged with dark chocolate, subtle vanillin, anise and black pepper. This wine has a big profile and structure with black plum and juicy blackberry flavors dominating with espresso and a tight knit structure. This is a big, robust, structured wine - somewhat tannic with notes of toasty oak and plum on the palate with a nice long finish.





With Food



This Petit Verdot is substantial enough to pair with other strong flavors without any risk of overpowering the wine.  Petit Verdot is best paired with red meats and aged cheeses.  Two of my favorite things!  I paired mine with a cheese plate that included smoked cheddar, a gouda, and a gruyere, followed by a simple rib-eye off the grill with a side of grilled asparagus.  Not a bad way to start a weekend. 



The Wine Maker



Inspired by legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi, St. Supery owner Robert Skalli fell in love with the Napa Valley in the early 1970s and searched for nearly a decade to find the perfect site to establish his own vineyard and winery.



Skalli, whose wine roots go back three generations from Algeria to Corsica and then to France, found a remote ranch in the eastern mountains of Napa Valley in 1982. The 1,500-acre property, known as the Dollarhide Ranch, became the primary vineyard site for St. Supery, now renowned as one of the shining stars of Napa Valley.





The Vineyard



Dollarhide is a 1500 acre property with steep and rolling hills, some flat lands and seven lakes. St. Supéry has planted fewer than 500 acres in grape vines at Dollarhide (as of 2009), so most of the property
remains in a natural state, and is home to a diverse collection of flora and fauna. With elevations ranging from 600 to 775 feet above sea level, the diverse terrain and unique microclimate at Dollarhide are especially accommodating to Bordeaux grape varieties.








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