Jules Polonetsky
Petit verdot, a grape traditionally known for its role as a blending component in Bordeaux wines, has found a new identity in the vineyards of Israel. This transformation from a supporting player to a leading varietal showcases the adaptability of Petit Verdot and the innovative spirit of Israeli winemaking. Understanding the journey of this bold, full-bodied, deeply colored grape provides insight into both its historical context and its modern-day resurgence.
The Role of Petit Verdot in Bordeaux
In its native Bordeaux, petit verdot has long been valued for its ability to add complexity and structure to wine blends. It is one of the five classic Bordeaux varietals, along with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec. However, unlike its counterparts, petit verdot is seldom seen as a single-varietal wine in Bordeaux. Instead, it is typically used in small quantities — often just 5-10% — to enhance the color, tannin structure and aromatic profile of Bordeaux blends.
The reason for petit verdot’s secondary role in Bordeaux lies in its ripening characteristics. This grape requires a long, warm growing season to fully mature, a condition that the Bordeaux climate does not consistently provide. In cooler, wetter years, petit verdot can struggle to ripen, resulting in wines that lack the desired fruit character and balance. Consequently, winemakers in Bordeaux have traditionally relied more heavily on other varietals like merlot and cabernet sauvignon, which are more reliable in the region’s climate.
In contrast, the warm, sunny climate of Israel offers an ideal environment for petit verdot to thrive. Israel’s Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, provides the long growing season that petit verdot requires to ripen fully. As a result, Israeli winemakers have cultivated this grape to its full potential, producing robust, complex wines that showcase petit verdot’s aromas of plum, lilac, violet and sage.
One of the pioneers in this movement is the Recanati Winery, which has gained recognition for its single varietal petit verdot. Another is Yatir Winery, which first planted the grape in 2002 and often blends in small amounts of merlot and cabernet franc for balance. Many other wineries in Israel are now producing wonderful single varietal petit verdot varietals, including Tulip Winery, which offers a notable petit verdot that has been praised for its deep color and rich, concentrated flavors.
Other standouts include Yarden, Tishbi, Gvaot and Shiloh. One of my best recent experiences in Israel was tasting the Jerusalem Project Single Vineyard Petit Verdot at their Windmill tasting terrace while enjoying an amazing view of the Old City walls.
Unfortunately, a legal dispute has this tasting facility closed indefinitely.
In a previous column, I discussed the challenge of Israeli wines making their mark on the world stage if they focus on cabernet and merlot, which may not be ideal wines for a warm Mediterranean climate. With a focus on petit verdot, Israel has a chance to be known as a world leader in wine as its stellar single-varietal petit verdot wines make their mark and as more wineries in the country try their hand with this grape.
To be fair, many warm-weather regions worldwide also produce excellent wines from this grape, including Argentina, Australia, California and even Virginia. But by leveraging the unique climatic advantages of their region, Israeli winemakers can build a strong reputation for producing wines that are rich, complex and distinctively their own.
Jules Polonetsky is a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 Certified wine expert who writesfor the Wine and Whiskey Globe when not occupied with his day job as CEO of a tech policy think tank. He is a former consumer affairs commissioner of the City of New York.
