Carmel Valley - Wine Region of the Day

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CARMEL VALLEY

Photo of the Carmel Valley by David Toomey for Qorkz.

The Carmel Valley received its designation as an AVA in 1982. Sitting on 19,200 acres in the larger Central Coast, the region is located in Monterey County, centered around Carmel Valley Village. The soil of the region is primarily gravely sand loam. There are only 300 acres planted with vines, and those vines sit at an elevation above 1,000 feet on hillside terraces. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the Valley is cooler with coastal breezes and fog, but the elevated growing regions protect the vines from the cooler weather. Carmel Valley is best known for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Syrah.

South Coast - Wine Region of the Day

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SOUTH COAST

Image of the South Coast Wine Region by David Toomey for Qorkz. 

The South Coast received its designation as an AVA in 1985. Situated over 2,237,503 acres, the South Coast includes sub-appellations Cucamonga Valley, Malibu-Newton Canyon, Ramona Valley, Saddle Rock-Malibu, San Pasqual Valley, and Temecula Valley. There is an array of soil types and microclimates across the South Coast, allowing the region to show its diversity in the production of many different varietals. The region produces Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Trebbiano, Viognier, and Zinfandel.

V. Vineyards 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon - Wine of the Day

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V. Vineyards 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

$85

The wine is deep dark ruby with mashed strawberries and Ferrari red on the rim.  Strong fruit like Cassis, Cranberries, strawberries and cherries with touches of clay, rosemary, paprika lingering on chocolate, lavender and tobacco are scents on the nose.  In your mouth, there is a soft entrance evolving on present silky tannins with some ripe red fruit like red currant, red cherries and touches of coriander and juniper berries.  The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 100% barrel fermented and barrel aged for 22 months on 80% new French Oak. The alcohol content is 14.4%  

Diamond Mountain District - Wine Region of the Day

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DIAMOND MOUNTAIN DISTRICT 

Photo of the Diamond Mountain District by David Toomey for Qorkz. 

The Diamond Mountain District received its AVA designation in 2001. The region sits on 5,000 acres and is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA. Located in the Mayacamas Mountains, Diamond Mountain's unique feature is its higher elevation than most of the growing regions in Napa Valley. The higher elevation allows the vines to sit above the fog line and receive a few extended hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil is volcanic, porous, and well draining which forces the vines to struggle and put all of their efforts into the fruit. Given the warm sunny days and cool nightly breezes, the area has a significant diurnal temperature variation. The region is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Varietal Of The Week

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Petit Verdot

THE GRAPE

One of the six Bordeaux grapes, Petit Verdot is generally considered a blending grape due to its late harvest and low yield. Many California winemakers have begun creating Petit Verdot as its own variety, and it is starting to gain esteem as much more than a blending wine. Petit Verdot prefers to be cultivated in a cooler environment than the rest of the Bordeaux grapes and requires a very well draining soil. It has a naturally very high acid and medium sugar to the grape. Petit Verdot has thick skins and high tannin structure that will soften with aging. Petit Verdot has very small berry clusters, and unless the conditions are correct, the fruit will not ripen. Due to the small production yields, aging time, and difficulty growing, Petit Verdot can be very expensive as a stand alone varietal.

THE WINE

Petit Verdot has the aromas of blueberries, violet flowers, tobacco, leather, and green olives, with the flavor of blackberries, plums, herbal nettles, vanilla, and oak. A young Petit Verdot will have a high tannin structure that will soften with barrel aging or in the bottle over time. 

PERFECT PAIRINGS

Petit Verdot’s high tannin structure makes it an excellent pairing for steak, veal, sausages, grilled meats, lamb, and game.

Shop Petit Verdot In The Qorkz Marketplace 

2012 CHATEAU LANE PETIT VERDOT

$ 90.00

Tasting Notes

Explosions of dark chocolate, currant liqueur and blackberries on the nose with giant dark fruit on the pallet, this sleek stealth bomber will make you grin with purple teeth at each round and voluptuous mouthful of supremely rich freshly ground espresso bean and chicory.  Watch out Cab. Sauv., make way for Petit Verdot.