I really wanted to like this wine. It has a nice label, a catchy name, and the petit verdot is just uncommon enough to make it fun and different. On top of all that goodness, it was only $7 at Trader Joe’s! I should have remembered the life long lesson that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
The Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer told me that Found Object wines are, “from Chile, where they are crafted, as far as we can ess, exactly as intended.” Well, they must have intended their Petit Verdot to be thoroughly average at best.
The biggest issue with the wine is that it does not taste like a petit verdot. If you’re not a fan of petit verdot and don’t have those expectations, you won’t have that problem. The other issue is that it just tastes like a thotoughly generic red wine. If you’re taking it to a party and you think it’ll be the 3rd or 4th bottle open, it’s a great choice. It looks cool and everyone’s taste buds will be dulled enough to enjoy this. Otherwise, avoid and move along.
Having tried F.O. Petit Verdot for the first time, I was quite impressed. The overall texture and aromas of the wine are almost like a port or dessert wine without the extra sweetness. The color is almost tar-dark. Dark fruit and mild tannins dominate– raisins, plums, figs, dates, blackberry, black currant, Oriental spices, molasses, those sorts of things. This is a steal at $7. I will certainly stock up before it runs out.
I think F.O. tastes exactly like right Petit Verdot. Maybe the first reviewer got a bad bottle, but the full body black currant and low acidity with multilayered tannins are quite right for PV. Enjoy and stock up. Its just $4.99 right now at TJ.
Thanks for the reviews. I am getting ready to open up my $5 bottle of petit verdot and because I have never had this type of wine I was hesitant. I have had some good wines that were on sale at TJ. Now my curiosity is up.
Just tried it. Never had a Petit Verdot before, but it’s a very unusual flavor. Very metallic, almost “preservative” like. I wish them well, but too unnatural for me…