We have an absolutely gorgeous wine for you, today, from one of the most accomplished young winemakers we know. Jamie Peterson and his family have constructed a stunning, dark and boldly delicious wine in today’s Peterson Winery 2014 Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Estate Grown Petit Verdot. Very highly recommended.

As one would expect from a Petit Verdot, this wine is very dense and dark, with a crimson curl at the edge. You’ll fall in love with the nose straight away. It’s all spice and intrigue with ample amounts of baking spice, cigar box, leather, rhubarb, and mulled plum. Take a sip and enter the world of Verdot. It’s got vast peaks and valleys of cardamom, creme brulee, black tea, pomegranate, black currants, black pepper, and deep, dark chocolate. Some Petit Verdots are overwhelmingly tannic. While this Peterson PV certainly has robust tannin on offer, they exist to provide a richly layered mouthfeel best described as “mountainous”. If you’re the sort that likes your steak with a bit of char, this would stack up well to anything with a smoky profile.

Grower Fred Peterson has been growing grapes and making Peterson wines in California for the last quarter century. Fred’s son, Jamie, literally grew up in the winery, shadowing his father and learning the craft from a very young age. Fred, who now focuses on growing, has handed the winemaking over to Jamie who, for the last several vintages, has been crafting one remarkable and delicious Peterson wine after another.

The Dry Creek Valley AVA in northeastern Sonoma County (north of Healdsburg) is somewhat warmer and wetter than the Russian River Valley AVA region just to the south and the Alexander Valley AVA just to the east. This warmer, wetter, climate provides great versatility with regard to the types of grapes that can be effectively cultivated in the region.