Nose
An intense red wine. Lifted aromas of black currants, dark cherries intermingled with
violets. The earthy, savoury almost leathery note is apparent and sits alongside the subtle French
oak nuances.
Palate
Petit Verdot is not for the novice. This is a serious wine, that deserves respect and your full
attention. Intense dark fruit load the mid palate, with the firm tannins adding a grip on the cheeks
and teeth. The fresh acid line serves to cleanse the palate leaving a great mix of dark fruits and
savoury elements.
Growing Conditions
The Petit Verdot is always the slow one. Last to burst, last to flower, last to fruit, last to go through
veraison, last to get ripe. Some years it just doesn’t get ripe enough. The Petit Verdot is a variety
that pre dates Cabernet Sauvignon. Grown in Bordeaux it is used as a “filler” in some of the most
famous and sought after wines from that region.
Winemaking
It is then crushed and inoculated with a Bordeaux yeast strain. This is followed by 8-10 days of
skin contact, then the wine is transferred into 2-3 year old French oak barriques. This variety is made
with the purpose of enhancing the St Johns Cabernet blend, if it needs it we’ll add a touch to the
Bartondale Cabernet and potentially the Estate range reds which helps add weight and structure
to the wines. A straight varietal is never out of the question, but we need everything to be perfect,
especially the level of ripeness.
16 months of barrel maturation is followed by the assemblage of the St Johns Cabernet Blend and
The Bartondale Cabernet Sauvignon. This year we identified several barrels that were really very
special, the blending of these barrels showed a wine that was varietal, intense and special enough
to be a St Johns.
Appearance
Dark red and dense.
