Petit Verdot, an ancient French grape variety that has spent centuries as a supporting player, is slowly stepping into the spotlight. More and more wine lovers are discovering a truly unusual wine that combines full body and high tannins with a vivid floral-fruity aroma.
A well-made varietal Petit Verdot is a deeply colored, almost inky wine with powerful yet silky tannins, aromas of violet and lilac, flavors of black cherry and plum, and notes of pepper and spice, sometimes with touches of tobacco and leather.
Petit Verdot entered the modern wine world from France—more precisely from Bordeaux—where it is one of the six varieties permitted in AC Bordeaux, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Carménère. Many consider Bordeaux the birthplace of Petit Verdot, but the region’s climate does not match what the variety needs to thrive. This suggests Petit Verdot originated elsewhere. It likely arrived in Bordeaux from the warmer Pyrenees with the Romans, though any trace of this journey is lost in time. Still, it is quite possible that Petit Verdot was among the first varieties the Romans planted along the Gironde.
Petit Verdot produces small, thick-skinned berries, which results in very high tannins. It is often added to Cabernet Sauvignon to further enhance tannin structure—and Cabernet Sauvignon is hardly lacking in tannins itself. Petit Verdot also has very intense color. Its acidity is not the highest among red grapes, but it is above average. High tannins and good acidity point to strong ageing potential. In fact, the variety needs time to show its best. Ageing softens the initially harsh tannins, turning them silky, and it transforms the rather vague banana note of young Petit Verdot into a deep aroma of violet, lilac, and sage.
But to develop these aromas, the grapes must fully ripen—and the relatively warm Bordeaux climate is still not warm enough for this long-maturing variety. Petit Verdot needs about three weeks more than Cabernet Sauvignon, which is already one of the latest-ripening grapes. Bordeaux autumns were not always long enough. For example, in the mid-20th century, Petit Verdot reached full ripeness only once every four years, even though it was planted only on the warmer Left Bank, mainly in the Médoc. The grapes simply did not get enough sun. It is no coincidence that petit verdot means “little green,” a reference to how the berries often looked at the time other varieties were ready for harvest.
Because of this, Bordeaux winemakers treated Petit Verdot as a lesser sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. They used it only in small quantities—1–5%—to boost tannins, deepen color, and add a herbal note.
And this made sense. In the Bordeaux climate, the variety rarely reached full ripeness. It is also demanding both in the vineyard and in the cellar. It ripens slowly and unevenly, requiring green harvesting during maturation, which means significant manual labor. It flowers early, making it vulnerable to spring frosts. It needs abundant sun and well-drained soils; too much water produces diluted wine, but the vine also dislikes drought—only minimal irrigation is tolerated. And for the wine to unfold fully, it requires long and careful ageing. A few years is only the beginning; the best examples can age for decades.
For mass-market winemaking, which aims for efficiency, Petit Verdot was simply too demanding. Its already tiny plantings in France shrank by half in the second half of the 20th century, from 685 hectares in 1958 to 339 in 1988. The severe frosts of 1956, which destroyed many vineyards in France, also contributed to this decline.
Yet Petit Verdot did not disappear—quite the opposite. It began to flourish, especially in countries with climates far better suited to its needs.
In Italy, Petit Verdot became one of the components of the so-called “Super Tuscan” wines. Tuscany’s main grape variety is Sangiovese, the basis of traditional regional wines such as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
However, in 1944, the story took an unexpected turn. Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who lived in Maremma—a coastal part of Tuscany—found himself cut off from supplies of his beloved Bordeaux wines because of the war. He solved the problem in a very direct way: he planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in his Sassicaia vineyard. For many years, the Marquis enjoyed the wine privately, until his nephew, Piero Antinori, tasted it and insisted that such an extraordinary discovery shouldn’t remain hidden. In 1971, the 1968 Sassicaia was released to the market. Inspired by his uncle’s wine, Piero Antinori, together with his oenologist Giacomo Tachis, created Tignanello—combining both Cabernets with Sangiovese and applying Bordeaux winemaking techniques. Tignanello appeared in 1974. Both wines caused a sensation and brought global attention to Tuscany.
At that time, the Tuscan wine scene was in decline. Brunello and Vino Nobile still maintained some reputation, but Chianti was hardly taken seriously, and the strict Italian wine laws offered no help. Inspired by the success of Sassicaia and Tignanello, Tuscan producers began creating what would later be called “Super Tuscan” wines. At first these wines could only be classified as simple table wine (Vino da Tavola), then they received IGT status (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), and today some have even earned DOC status (Denominazione di Origine Controllata).
Following the arrival of both Cabernets, other Bordeaux varieties—Merlot, Syrah, and Petit Verdot—also made their way into Tuscan vineyards. Naturally, different “Super Tuscan” producers use different grape combinations. Petit Verdot is widely used, for example, by Ornellaia, Sassicaia’s neighbor, in a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Vindea blends Petit Verdot with Sangiovese. Producers such as Petra Zingari, Antinori, Argentiera, Tenuta di Trinoro, San Felice, and many others also include Petit Verdot in their blends.
We will discuss “Super Tuscan” wines in detail later. For now, let’s return to Petit Verdot itself. In Italy, beyond Tuscany—which grows about half of all Italian Petit Verdot—the variety is also widely cultivated in Sicily, Lazio, and Marche. These regions produce a significant number of pure-varietal Petit Verdot wines.
Petit Verdot is grown throughout Spain, especially in Castile-La Mancha and Jumilla. It is used in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also appears as a pure-varietal wine.
Interestingly, some producers—such as Pago del Vicario—make world-class pure Petit Verdot rosé, which is unusual for a grape known for powerful tannins and intense color.
Portugal also produces expressive, pure-varietal Petit Verdot, particularly in the Alentejo region, whose climate suits the variety perfectly. Rosé wines from Petit Verdot are made there as well.
In the United States, Petit Verdot is grown in at least sixteen states, with California being the most prominent. In California, particularly in Napa Valley, Petit Verdot is widely used in Bordeaux-style blends, known locally as Meritage. However, pure-varietal wines are becoming increasingly common. The same trend is observed in Washington State.
In Virginia, Petit Verdot has become one of the state’s leading varieties. While developing its modern wine industry, Virginia deliberately avoided choosing the world’s most popular grapes to prevent direct competition with established regions. Instead, several Old World secondary varieties that best matched the state’s climate and soils were selected. Petit Verdot, together with Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Manseng, became one of the foundations of local winemaking. In Virginia, both pure-varietal, powerful, aromatic Petit Verdot wines and blends in which it plays a major role are produced.
Petit Verdot arrived in Australia in 1833 with the collection of James Busby, the founder of Australian winemaking, among other 650 grape cuttings he brought from Spain and France. The Riverland, Riverina, and Murray Valley regions tend to produce a relatively lighter style of Petit Verdot, while the Barossa and Yarra Valley regions produce richer and more concentrated versions. The variety is traditionally used mostly in Bordeaux-style blends, but Kingston Estate and Pirramimma of McLaren Vale focus on producing pure-varietal, aged Petit Verdot.
Petit Verdot first appeared in South Africa in 1975 at Welgemeend Wine Estate. Until the 1990s, when new clones were introduced from France, it was grown in small quantities. After that, interest in the variety increased significantly. The most important Petit Verdot plantings are found in the Stellenbosch region, and Paarl and Robertson also cultivate it. Both pure-varietal wines and Bordeaux-style blends are produced.
In South America, Petit Verdot has found a new home in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. It arrived there in the 19th century and was long used exclusively as a blending component. Today, the focus is shifting to pure-varietal wines. In Argentina, Petit Verdot was previously grown mainly in Mendoza, but now it is cultivated in almost all regions, from Patagonia to Salta. In Chile, the key Petit Verdot production area is the Maipo Valley, where it is often blended with Carménère, while the Colchagua Valley is known for its pure-varietal Petit Verdot. In Peru, pure-varietal Petit Verdot is produced in the Ica region.
It must be said that with the advent of the 21st century, the variety’s homeland also turned its attention back to its once-neglected child. This was influenced both by the general warming of the climate, which made Bordeaux more suitable for the heat-loving Petit Verdot, and by the successes achieved by other countries in cultivating the variety. Petit Verdot returned to French vineyards, and by 2018 it occupied 1,475 hectares, not only reversing the decline of the previous century but doubling its presence.
Some Bordeaux producers have not only increased the proportion of Petit Verdot in their blends to a notable degree but have also begun producing pure-varietal wines. For example, Château Belle-Vue, located about a ten-minute drive from the famous Château Margaux, produces blends containing 20% Petit Verdot—an unusually high percentage for Bordeaux. Since 2018, the estate has also been producing a pure-varietal Petit Verdot from old vines planted between 1939 and 1958, making them 60–80 years old. The wine is aged using a combination of old and new Austrian oak and Italian clay amphorae in order to preserve its fruit character. After maturation, it is fined with egg whites to soften the texture and moderate the acidity. The result is a luminous wine with vibrant fruit and powerful yet silky tannins—an impressive example of pure-varietal French Petit Verdot.
There are still only a few such producers in Bordeaux, but their number continues to grow.
As for the practical side: Petit Verdot is best served at 18–20°C. Decanting is highly recommended, and about two hours is generally ideal. This high-tannin, full-bodied wine with good acidity pairs well with red and fatty meats—steak, baked or stewed beef and lamb, and pork ribs. Suitable vegetables include various legumes and mushrooms. Aged and smoked cheeses, nuts, and olives also pair well.
