Petit Verdot is one of my favorite varietals as it adds a little depth to any red wine.  This is the first time that I have had a wine that is at least 75% Petit Verdot, as normally anything more than 7% tends to overwhelm a blend, and this is actually quite interesting. 

When I taste this wine, I immediately get the smoke, but I also get some cloves and black/dark fruits (plums, currants) on top of the faintest scintilla of chocolate.  The wine is not to heavy and I would say is a little light in the weight for the alcohol content it has.  I would dare say that this wine would actually pair well with anise/licorice and probably would be great with something smoked or braised.  This wine might be perfect with a fish like grouper or sturgeon and would go great with a nice caviar.

The finish gives and gives, easily lasting for over a minute as the alcohol slowly leaves the back of your throat.  As this is my first full Petit Verdot, I can only give it a nine, but I might revisit it and give it a ten.