Lepe Cellars shows why more Americans are getting to know Petit Verdot.

Winemakers love Petit Verdot. Until recently, however, they favored it only in small amounts – maybe a splash to bolster a Bordeaux blend or to give a little oomph to a sagging red.

You see, Petit Verdot is a cocky, assertive varietal. But that’s why, more and more, American winemakers are so keen to wrangle it into barrels as a single varietal.

The 2016 Petit Verdot from Lepe Cellars reaches from the rim with aromas of sun-drenched blueberries and ripe black cherries. Even before you swirl, it wants to throw an arm around you and spin tales of rich fruits, dried and crumbling sage and street vendors peddling flowers. And the wine is equally persistent on the palate. Big fruits bound by strapping tannins, with traces of bitter herbs, cask-aged vanilla and those revered floral notes. Allow it to decant and the fruits soften without losing their depth, an earthy spice perks up and the wine shows a deft balance, all of that wallop under control.

LEPE CELLARS wines are at Village Wine & Tap Room, 19 E. Carmel Valley Road, Suite G, Carmel Valley. jes@villagewineandtaproom.com