Seattle furniture craftsman Tom Stangeland didn’t intend to bottle this Petit Verdot from Elelphant Mountain, but the stunning results of his barrel aging in new American and then neutral oak changed his mind — only after club members of his Georgetown winery made their demands. Intense aromas of blackberry, Marionberry, vanilla extract, black licorice and light charcoal don’t disappoint. It’s a dense and mouthfilling delivery of dark black fruit, black pepper and allspice as the tannins assert themselves throughout, yet the juice from Joe Hattrup’s Rattlesnake Hills site fills in beautifully. It’s a stellar example of how to handle this traditional blending grape from Bordeaux.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 51 cases
Alcohol: 14.2%
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