2018 Reserve Petit Verdot
Vineyard: The grapes for Hanna’s 2018 Reserve Petit Verdot were grown on the steep west-facing terrace on our Red Ranch in Alexander Valley. The vineyard is planted to 50 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 acres of Malbec, two-and-a-half acres of Merlot, two acres of Petit Verdot, and just over a half acre of Saint Macaire. The Cabernet is planted to clones 7, 2, 6, 412 and 685. The Malbec is clone 9, the Merlot is clone 3, the Petit Verdot is clone 400, and the Saint Macaire is a field selection.
Vintage 2018: Adequate rainfall, no frost pressure and mild spring temperatures was a great start to the vintage. This continued with a temperate summer and early fall. October 1st rain provided some drama, but it dried quickly enough to be a blessing for everything but Chardonnay. Warm sunny days followed the rain, continuing the long even ripening of the Bordeaux varieties. Grapes for this blend were harvested from October 18 to 30, 2018 at an average of 27.2o Brix.
Winemaking: We hand harvested in the cool hours from midnight to sunrise. The grapes were hand-sorted, destemmed and partially crushed to stainless steel fermentation tanks. Pressing was done to taste, based on daily tastings of the wines after pump over, with an average of nine days skin contact. The newly pressed wines were racked to tank and aged on lees for 10 months. The wine was racked four times in its first year and once in its second year. Aging was in 60-gallon European oak barrels, 29% new, from Trust and Remond Allier.
Tasting Notes: Our 2018 Petite Verdot’s hue is black-purple with a red rim, typical of a well extracted PV. Aromas of allspice, warm leather and cherry pie are in league with graphite, celery seed, and graham cracker that jostle happily for the fore. By mouth blackberry hand pie, blueberry pancakes and Aleppo pepper join the fray, framed by a juicy, firm mouthfeel. (Tasted 1-23-23)
Variety
84% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Sauv, 13% Malbec, 1% Saint Macaire
Vineyard Location
HANNA Red Ranch Petit Verdot block 26, Saint Macaire block 32, Cab blocks 33, 4, 2, 11, & 21, Malbec block 1
Age of Vines
6-27 years
Alcohol 14.8%
pH 3.96
Titratable Acidity (TA) 0.59 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar 0.15%
Avg. Brix at Harvest 27.2o
Length/Type of Aging
17 months in 29% New 60 gal European oak barrels coopered by Remond and Trust.
Bottling Date
September 4, 2020
Number of Cases: 184
Vegan