Decades 5 Petit Verdot 2010
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2016-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
Jean’s philosophy in working with Petit Verdot in Napa Valley is to maintain as much of the natural integrity of the varietal and vineyard as possible. Sourcing from warmer blocks in the heart of Stagecoach Vineyard, our Petit Verdot enjoys a long growing season, allowing for fully ripened berries. Only yeasts that are naturally present on each cluster are used in the fermentation of Decades 5. This captures the unique identity of Petit Verdot from this vineyard, and its inherent complexities that create an identifiable wine. Each of these yeasts imparts a layer that contributes to both the mouthfeel and flavor profile of our wine.
Each berry that eventually becomes Decades 5 is hand-picked and hand-sorted for optimal ripeness and balance, ensuring the highest quality in each bottle. This wine is then barrel fermented in new French oak from several of the world’s most prestigious cooperages: Emitage, Marques, Vicard, Radoux, and Sylvain. By fermenting Petit Verdot in barrel, the naturally powerful tannins soften and become more integrated into the resulting wine.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.