A polished, aromatic nose with a rustic palate lacking finesse. Petite Verdot is usually a minor blending partner. It’s a tough grape to feature.
Lovely sweet oak, slightly smoky, sets off ripe plum with floral highlights and sage.
In the mouth, it’s slender up front with a narrowly focused fruit seam and medium body. It gains firmness and power at midpalate as the medium grain tannins emerge and prevail leading to a lengthy, drying rather stern finish.
Although the aromas entice, it drinks Intense and resolute, it won’t give in, unsentimental, tending toward grim, resonating with Nirvana’s Come As You Are.
Notes: Matchbook Wine Company is owned by the Giguiere family, 5th generation farmers in the Dunnigan Hills AVA west of Sacramento. The final blend of 88% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec and 1% Teroldego was barrel aged for 13 months.
Score: 88
Price: $18
Alc. 13.9%
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 
Dwight,
They make an interesting Tempranillo Rosé also.
Tom