The 2005 Petit Verdot (600 cases) contains 10% Merlot. Purple/black in color, it sports a brooding bouquet of tar, licorice, pencil lead, and assorted black fruits. Dense, rich, ripe, and extracted, this burly bruiser will require extended cellaring to reveal (or not) its full potential. Petit Verdot ripens beautifully virtually every year in eastern Washington. However, varietally bottled Petit Verdot is such a new phenomenon that there is no track record regarding its ageability. If I were a gambler, I’d lay down a few bottles of this blockbuster. Chateau Ste. Michelle continues to demonstrate that a winery can be large and quality-oriented at the same time. Their current collection is as good as or better than anything it has done in the past.Tel. (425) 415-3300; www.ste-michelle.com