Xtant has garnered quite a name for itself since its inaugural release back in 2001. When Jeffrey O’Neill, Chairman Emeritus of the prestigious Wine Institute, teamed up with Bordeaux-educated wine guru Laurence Vosti, the quality in the bottle more than held up to the buzzing excitement surrounding their venture. With a drive to create one of the most profound, small-lot reds in Napa Valley, they hired revered third-generation winemaker Jeff Gaffner and sourced grapes from some of the most serious vineyards in the appellation. What they have achieved in their short fifteen years is nothing short of spectacular. Their Petit Bâtard translates to, “little bastard,” and like the illegitimate-born Leonardo da Vinci, this offspring exceeds everyone’s expectations. This is predominantly due to the fact that the wine is sourced from the same vineyards and made with the same serious care of its legitimate older brother. Derived from the famous Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena as well as the Heritage Vineyard in Oakville, this fruit comprises the flagship blend as well as the Petit Bâtard. Lewelling has been nurtured by the same family since 1864 and contributes an ideal microclimate and Bordeaux-esque gravel soils that result in one of the best locales for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Napa Valley. The Heritage Vineyard in Oakville contributes Malbec to the stunning Bordeaux-style blend.

 

Picked in the cool, early morning hours, the grapes are meticulously sorted and go through an identical winemaking process as the Xtant. The fruit is destemmed then transferred to small fermentation tanks where it cold soaks for three days then is slowly fermented with punch downs and pump overs for ideal extraction. Following malolactic fermentation, the wine is cold stabilized for one week, blended, then racked into 75% new, tight-grained French oak where the wine ages for an impressively long 40 months. Once the barrels are chosen for the Xtant, the Petit Bâtard is aged for an additional six months while the Xtant is aged for twelve. This is the only difference in production. The care taken with this second wine is more than evident in the glass – you just have to experience it yourself to believe it.

 

The 2011 Petit Bâtard displays a near opaque, garnet red core with slight orange reflections on the rim, showing just a touch of age. The focused nose reveals aromas of blackcurrant liqueur, black plum, black cherry and boysenberry laced with leather, pencil lead, thyme, a hint of dark chocolate, crushed gravel, a touch of vanilla bean and exotic baking spices from well-integrated, new French oak. Enchantingly soft and elegant, the palate is medium-plus in body and is bursting with flavors of red plum, red and black currant layered into classic old world notes of leather, tar, pencil lead and gravel with thyme, a hint of dark chocolate, a touch of vanilla bean and exotic spices for a subtle new world finish. The pitch perfect expression of old world varietal purity with a California accent, this beauty is stunning now but will easily age another five years. To enjoy a bottle in its current state, simply decant for 30 minutes and serve in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees with a classic pairing like this Grilled Leg of Lamb recipe.