The 2013 Petit Verdot is a dark and dense red wine with big bones and a raw, chewy style. I've always been a big fan of this wine but the 2013 vintage is slightly heavy-footed compared to past editions. Blackcurrant and blackberry segue to spice, leather, tar and dark cherry preserves. The wine is dense and one-dimensional in approach.

Smokey tones of charcoal and dark granite or slate rise from the nose of this Lazio-based Petit Verdot. Dusty mineral notes are followed by dark, ripe fruit and the wine is long-lasting and penetrating on the close. ——M.L.(3/1/2011)—— 88

Here’s a Petit Verdot from Lazio (the mighty region of the Italian capital) that shows some sulfur notes at the start that blow off quickly enough. The wine delivers raw, penetrating red fruit and bright but slightly sour cherry notes on the close.——M.L.(9/1/2009)—— 87

This innovative winery is located just 30 miles from Rome in an agricultural area that was reclaimed from swampland. This ripe Petit Verdot delivers inky blueberry tones backed by sweet cherry and soft spice. It has thick, plush tannins and good length on the finish. ——M.L.(5/1/2008)—— 88

Petit Verdot, which has some difficulty ripening at Bordeaux latitudes and is used strictly as a blending grape in the Gironde, matures well in central Italy, as evidenced by the 2001 Petit Verdot, deep in color and with the characteristic black fruit, ink, and mineral notes on the nose and palate. The variety, like most blending grapes, yields wines of only medium complexity, but the structure is solid and well sustained. Drink: 2005-2010. No known American importer.