2013 Mockingbird Hill Reserve Petit Verdot

Well, the leaves are all done, with the exception of those still up on the trees, but it seems like fall is quickly coming to a conclusion, which means that winter can't be too far behind!  And with cooler weather and shorter days, it's the perfect time for some big, bold red wines.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2013 Mockingbird Hill Reserve Petit Verdot from Napa Valley.  Now it used to be that the Bordeaux blending grapes like Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, were relegated to behind the scenes work of giving structure to the great Bordeaux blends, but in recent years more wineries have been experimenting with bottling these varietals on their own.  Lucky for us!

This wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, reminiscent of a strong Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, tart cherry, dried red flowers and oak.  The tastes offers some lovely fruit notes up front, with blackberry and cherry cola that transitions to some earthy notes of oak and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are very tightly wound, but still offer a solid foundation for the exceptionally long and very dry finish.  This wine is still young and will probably improve further with some time in the cellar, but in my view it's drinking quite nicely now.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, most likely due to how well the varietal holds up, as well as the terrific value of this wine - I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $17!  Again, this is a perfect fall wine, ideal for sipping by the fire on a chilly evening.  It's also a good steak wine and tonight I am enjoying this one with a rare grilled bone-in ribeye, with a baked potato and some steamed green beans.  Happy Sunday Dinner!