Lillypilly Estate 2002 Petit Verdot

Dry red wine, made from petit verdot grapes.

VINTAGE COMMENTS: One of the coolest years in the history of our winery. Great varietal flavour and wonderful balance.

TASTING NOTES: Deep, black cherry colour; intense ripe berry fruit with violets; full, finishing rounded and soft.

A SPICY ARISTOCRAT

Petit verdot is one of the officially endorsed red grape varieties in the great French winemaking district of Bordeaux.

There, in the most highly regarded sub-district of the Médoc, it shares precious vineyard space with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec, and is reputed to have a significant influence on wine structure and flavour in great vintages.

Renowned British wine critic Jancis Robinson is loud in her praise of petit verdot:

"Its very dark, thick-skinned grapes produce wine as deep as syrah [shiraz] and, like syrah, peppery, spicy and fragrant. Indeed, petit verdot is not unlike a seasoning for the usual Médoc encépagement, adding extra flavour and interest as well as alcohol, tannin and colour."

But petit verdot is a late-ripening variety and in the cool climate of Bordeaux it often fails to ripen sufficiently to be included in the blend. In fact, its name literally translates as "the little green one".

In the warmth of the Riverina we have no problems ripening petit verdot every year and have found it to produce some of our very best dry reds — spicy and fragrant, just as suggested by Jancis Robinson, and with potential to mature gracefully for up to a decade.

MEDIA REVIEWS — CURRENT VINTAGE

FOUR GLASSES: Lillypilly Estate 2002 Petit Verdot Strong licorice and anise aromas, somewhat atypical; plenty of colour and black fruit flavour; sweet, ripe tannins. RATING 88 DRINK 2012 SEE CLIPPING James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2006 (National) July 2005

TIP-OFF: Lillypilly Estate 2002 Petit Verdot Jeff Collerson has selected our 2002 Petit Verdot as a great match for spaghetti bolognese. To see their recipe CLICK HERE Jeff Collerson The DailyTelegraph [Sydney] March 9, 2005

GREAT RELEASES FROM LILLYPILLY Lillypilly Estate 2002 Petit Verdot ... a fine example of this different red grape variety, with good balance and great varietal flavours. The colour of black cherries in the glass; intense aromas of ripe berry fruit with a hint of violets lead to a full, rounded palate with a soft finish. SEE FULL STORY Warwick Randall Moorabbin Leader [Melbourne] February 8, 2005

QUAFFING: Lillypilly Estate 2002 Petit Verdot Look out for this juicy little number: it's quite an interesting wine, a well rounded middleweight. SEE CLIPPING Paddy Kendler The Herald Sun [Melbourne] January 18, 2005