1997 Pirramimma Petit Verdot

[Mahmoud Ali]

Way back in 2001, when I was touring Australian wine areas, I visited Pirramimma in the McLaren Vale. It was there that I discovered and tasted my first 100% petit verdot wine. I was told that the winemaker, Geoff Johnston, had spent some time in Bordeaux where petit verdot, in warm vintages, played a cameo role in bordeaux blends. Petit verdot required a long and warm Bordeaux season in order to mature properly and as a result only made it into Bordeaux blends about three times a decade. Many chateaux had given up on petit verdot because it wasn't worth their while. Geoff Johnston got the idea that the McLaren Vale was ideally suited to ripen petit verdot. When he returned home to his family vineyard he planted perhaps some of Australia's first petit verdot.

The 1997 Petit Verdot was on tasting when I was at cellar door and I was mightily impressed. It was of course young, inky, and tannic, but offered so much potential that I buoght a few bottles to bring home to Canada. Tonight I opened my first bottle. Despite it being 20 years old, it was still youthful in its vigour, intensity, core of dark fruit, and grip. It required every bit of the osso bucco cut stewed beef to cut through the wine. A beefy, cherry-scented nose led to a palate of inky black fruit and a leathery, grippy finish. It is of course my first aged petit verdot and I have no idea how it will develop from here on, but I will say that it has rewarded my faith in it.

I've not had a recent vintage of this wine but if it is made in anything like the style the '97 I highly recommend that it be bought and cellared.

Cheers .................. Mahmoud.

PS: My better half, who was at cellar door with me, guessed new world and Australian, but could not identify the variety, dismissing Cabernet, Shiraz, Grenache, etc. Clearly the petit verdot is unique, even with 20 years of age.

[ticklenow1]

I have some 06 and in the last year or so I've finished off all my 01's. Really big wine that impressed me a lot. You are right, they need years in the cellar.

Cheers
Ian

[sjw_11]

I have the 2007 of this... Mahmoud, do we have all the same wines just 10yrs apart in age??