That’s right, Operative, today’s wine is 73% off. Just don’t expect it to last the day…

This MEGA QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) wine is, hands-down, the finest Petite Verdot we’ve ever featured. At today’s price, this wine is a no-brainer. Why is it so good? Perfect aging has mellowed it, and Rudy Z. made it. That is one potent combination that has resulted in a wine that is delicious and elegant, from end to end.

Petite Verdot is usually a very difficult varietal for most Operatives. Bold tannins are a usual characteristic of the varietal, but this wine benefits from a few years of careful bottle aging. Up-front, the wine is soft and elegant. The finish is endless, packed with flavor and eventually grippy and plush with plump tannins that give the wine dimension on the palate.

The nose on this beauty is rich and elegant, with aromas of blackberry jam, blueberry, spiced cherry, tobacco box, cedar, cassis, licorice, baker’s chocolate and a hint of white pepper. Rich, complex and uber-delicious on the palate, with flavors of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, coffee bean, baker’s chocolate, charred chickory and dark spice.

This wine was made by our old friend and winemaker extraordinaire, Rudy Zuidema. We’ve been showcasing Rudy’s wonderful wines since back in 2007 when we first met him. Rudy’s winemaking resume reads like a who’s who of the luxury wine trade.

Rudy has made wines for Cuvaison and Honig Vineyard, where he was the assistant winemaker working alongside James Hall of Patz and Hall Wine Company. He later went on to guide winemaking at Robert Craig Winery where he focused on making luxurious, terroir-driven Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and the Napa Valley floor. Rudy later became winemaker and vineyard manager for Ehlers Estate and then general manager, winemaker and vineyard manager for White Cottage Ranch, where he converted the property to a certified organic and biodynamic estate.