Nothing "Petit" About It: the 2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot

I once had a t-shirt that said: "Coffee and chocolate--nature's only perfect marriage." Throw some rich berries in and you have the recipe for a perfect wine: the 2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot ($19.95, WineQ; or direct from Escafeld)

First, let me say there is nothing "petit" about this wine. It is lush, rich, and satisfying. Don't let the name fool you. Petit Verdot is a robust varietal traditionally used in Bordeaux blends, where its tendency to ripen late (if at all) led vintners to rely less and less on the grape. But in California--well, that's a different story, as Escafeld has proven.

The 2004 Escafeld Petit Verdot has excellent QPR, with complex yet food-friendly aromas, flavors, and textures. Aromas of coffee and chocolate leap out of the bottle from the moment you pull the cork, and once the wine is in the glass rich berry aromas are added. Flavors of blackberries and huckleberries dominate the flavors, embedded in a silky texture. That rich coffee/chocolate mix wends its way all through the finish, held up by a nice acidity that keeps this wine from becoming a fruit bomb. I suspect that this wine will continue to improve and develop for the next 2-3 years at the very least--but who can wait to drink it that long? I know I can't, and there's no reason to wait when it's so very tasty now. We had it with some yummy burgers and a salad, but it would be just at home with ribs, any kind of barbeque, stews, or roasts of any description.

Escafeld Vineyards is located in the new San Antonio Valley AVA. Steve and Elsbeth Wetherill make the wine, and Elsbeth writes a wonderful blog that will tell you all about life in the vineyards, and how your wine was made. They're a relatively new operation, but they're receiving all kinds of accolades, including a Double Gold-Best of Class for this very wine from the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

And if you are wondering who the lady is on the label, its Elsbeth's grandmother, Mary-Ann Jones. She was a publican's wife in Liverpool, at about the same time that my Mom was a child in the very same city. I like to imagine that my grandmother and grandfather stopped by Elsbeth's grand-dad's pub in the Whitechapel neighborhood, and that my uncle went there for his after-work pint when he'd finished walking his beat as one of Liverpool's finest.

Tonight I'm raising my glass of Escafeld Petit Verdot in memory of all our collective Liverpudlian connections. But you don't need a connection to the Mersey to indulge yourself--get some of this wine now. It's a winner.