A rare, pure, varietal Petit Verdot, from a great Red Mountain vineyard. Earthy, thick tannins cover sleek red fruits, with plenty of acidity under to buoy it up. It’s a big, blocky, slightly hot wine, that may benefit from further bottle age.——P.G.(11/1/2011)—— 88

The 2007 Petit Verdot Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is deep purple/black with aromas of violets, espresso, black currant, and blackberry. Very ripe and dense, it will evolve nicely for 3-5 years but lacks the complexity of the Cabernet offerings. All Mike Januik does is make good wine, year after year, without a lot of fanfare or glitz.Tel. (425) 481-5502; www.januikwinery.com

The 2006 Petit Verdot Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is purple/black in color with aromas of cigar box, pencil lead, licorice, and blackberry. Dense, tannic, and structured, the wine has plenty of spicy black fruit behind the tannin. It will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring and drink well through 2026. Mike Januik continues to produce wines that deliver excellent bang for the buck throughout his portfolio.Tel. (425) 481-5502; www.januikwinery.com

Dark and sappy, this has a wonderful floral top note, and then what comes in is a lot of sappy, juicy berry fruit. The barrel toast is proportional to the tannins and the fruit; it’s a sappy, dark, ripe, tannic wine for those who like the power of Petite Sirah, but ultimately want more structure and acid.——P.G.(12/31/2008)—— 89

Very young, tart and acidic, this shows the same tight tannins that run through all of the Januik reds. I’d like to see more expansion of these wines, more depth and texture; they are ripe enough, but lack weight through the finish. As with the other reds, this needs hours of decanting before it will begin to open up.——P.G.(11/1/2007)—— 88