Pirramimma Petit Verdot 2017 (McLaren Vale) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely, and perennial favourite, Petit Verdot from Australia. The latest vintage arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the October 16th LCBO VINTAGES Release, where it was featured as part of the theme on Australian wines.

Pirramimma was founded by Alexander Campbell Johnston (ACJ) in 1892 and has been owned and operated by the Johnston family ever since. The Johnston family arrived in South Australia in 1839 and Alexander, the tenth of thirteen children, purchased 97 hectares of rich farmland southeast of the village of McLaren Vale in 1892. ACJ selected McLaren Vale because of the region's cooling sea breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent, the Mediterranean climate, rich & diverse soil structures and quality drainage. He named his land Pirramimma, an Aboriginal phrase meaning "the moon and the stars."

Pirramimma has been handed down familial lines, with Geoff Johnston, the third generation of the family, now the custodian. Geoff is known as a "Professor of Soil", spending over 25 years converting Pirramimma's sterile land into a living organism, as well as reducing the winery's ecological footprint through various projects including solar systems, dams, and even a wind turbine. After a trip to Bordeaux, Geoff developed an interest in the Bordeaux grape variety Petit Verdot. He then planted a small area to Petit Verdot as a trial in 1983, which has now expanded to 35 acres of mature vines. Geoff Jonhston pioneered Petit Verdot in Australia, and his Petit Verdot is now considered among the best in the world.

According to Chief Winemaker Geoff Johnston, the 2017 growing season was exceptional - providing outstanding fruit quality, great colour, varietal character, ripe tannins, and length of flavour. The 2017 vintage of this wine was twenty-second release of this Petit Verdot, and the fruit for this vintage was selected from the Siberia, Eric's, OTC, Jones, and Katunga vineyards, all within McLaren Vale, with each block providing its own distinctive profile. Let's see how the latest vintage of this Australian Petit Verdot is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

PIRRAMIMMA PETIT VERDOT 2017 - McLaren Vale, South Australia (#986752) (XD) - $29.95
Aged for 2 years and new and used French and American oak, bottled by screw cap, this 100% Petit Verdot is ripe, black-blue fruited and spicy on the medium-high intensity nose with aromas of black cherry, peppery spice, plum, and bramble, with savoury and earthy undertones. It's full-bodied with very good concentration on the palate with delicious blackberry, cedary oak, boysenberry, and plum flavours supported by fresh, juicy acidity and woolly, finely textured, and slightly chalky tannins. Tangy black cherry, savoury, earthy, and cocoa notes linger on the finish, with excellent length. Another lovely vintage for this recommended buy. Score: 90 pts

Find other lovely wines from Pirramimma through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.