Shopping the generic wine and beer stores in Gaithersburg, I stumbled upon this wine called Le Petits Perron (2006), a blend of Tannat and Cabernet grapes. More than anything, what made me buy it was the name because according to some superficial genealogy research on my family name, the Perrone family originated in France and eventually moved to Italy in the 1600s. When I first tried the wine, I had just opened the bottle and hadn't given it any time to breathe (in all fairness, I had just finished a glass of Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza, so there was a comparison going on right there). I didn't think much of Le Petit Perrons then. It sat in the fridge (with the air pumped out, courtesy of VacuVin) for a few days until I tried it again paired with tapas (one made of morcilla and another of octopus). After I popped the VacuVin lid, it sat there on the counter for a good half hour until I poured a glass and it was very nice from the first sip to the last. Nice intense color, good body, and some plum and blackberry flavors speaking for it. I'd buy some more, if only I could find it in Pennsylvania - it's quite decent for an $11 bottle.
