Solana Farms has 5.2 acres of Certified French Entav – Petit Verdot vines which were grafted over Cabernet Sauvignon in 2003. The dryer microclimate at Solana Farms had an average mid April to mid November temperature of 65° with a range of 36° to 104° and a total rainfall average of 12.5". These conditions along with the moderately deep, low permeability Balcom-Nacimiento association soils yield a truly unique grape that can be used either as a blending stock or a stand alone single varietal label which would age well for decades.
Petit Verdot has been described as a “Noble” grape that has been used for making red wines in the St. Emilion subdistrict of the Bordeaux region of France. Petit Verdot is the least known and currently, the least grown variety in that region. The Petit Verdot grape variety is most often used as blending stock to make up 1% to 10% of the wine volume in "Bordeaux" blends in France, the US and Australia.
This grape produces a very rich, deep reddish-purple color, has a strong tannin structure, a higher titratable acid content, and adds an exotic floral and spicy perfume to the resulting wine. Their aroma can be strong and encompass earth, leather, smoke and cigar box tones. The taste includes peppers, spice, minerals and smoke. The high tannin content may require longer oak aging to soften both single and blended varietal wines.
Petit Verdot wines are produced in 6 North American appellations. These grapes have a tendency to fail in reaching maturity in cooler climates but have been successfully grown in the warmer, dryer climates of California and Australia where they are becoming a contender as the alternative to Shiraz. Winemakers are now using the grape to make deeply pigmented, highly extracted and aromatic single varietal labeled wines.
Areas with hot sunny days and cool nights, in well drained, least fertile, shallow soils are ideal. Vines planted with northern and eastern exposures provide a cool-down period during the growing season which minimizes the depletion of the vines of their acids and flavor compounds through over-respiration. California currently (2006) has 1,612 acres of bearing and non-bearing Petit Verdot grapes.
