98 Point 2008 Peter Michael Les Pavots Proprietary Red

98 Point 2008 Peter Michael Les Pavots Proprietary Red ~ Best Price in US

"Sir Peter Michael who has shown a Midas touch for selecting brilliant winemakers, including Helen Turley, Mark Aubert, Luc Morlet and more recently Luc’s brother, Nicolas"
- Robert Parker September 2021

This producer needs no introduction: Sir Peter started Peter Michael Winery in 1983 with a singular vision: to make the classic wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux. Perched atop a square mile of rocky volcanic ridges on the western face of Mount St. Helena, terroir has always been the single most crucial feature in winemaking for Michael. Year after year, these grounds produce light and elegant wines.

• Robert M. Parker, Jr. speaking of Peter Michael Winery:
  "Those looking for some of the best Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Sauvignon Blancs, Sauvignon/Semillon blends, and Bordeaux proprietary red blends can do no better than the wines from the Peter Michael Winery."
• The original winemaker of this Knights Valley vineyard was the world-renowned Helen Turley. Mark Aubert came next, followed by Luc Morlet. Today the wine is made by the brilliant Nicholas Morlet, whose extensive experience with Bordeaux and Burgundy style viticulture and production lends itself perfectly to the mission at Peter Michael to produce single-vineyard, limited production bottlings from small, mountain vineyards.

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Critical Acclaim:

"Presents a dazzling array of flavors, along with focus, style and authenticity. Dark, dense and spicy, with dark berry, mineral, cedar,sage, roasted caraway and tobacco flavors, this is full-blown yet graceful and detailed, with a tremendous finish that reverberates with the joys of ripe, stylish Cabernet." JL for WS Sept 2011

2008 Peter Michael, Les Pavots, Knights Valley

"The 2009 Les Pavots, a 3,440-case blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, comes from Knights Valley. It exhibits a distinctive truffle, chocolate, blackberry and cassis-scented bouquet, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and fabulous concentration, purity and density. This magnificent effort's open-knit style was surprising as most Northern California 2009s made from Bordeaux varietals are somewhat austere and closed at present. This wine should drink well for another two decades or more." RP Dec 2013

2009 Peter Michael, Les Pavots, Knights Valley

Excerpts from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

2009 Peter Michael Winery ~ Les Pavots
Robert M. Parker, Jr.

• The Peter Michael estate has grown considerably with their vineyards in the Fort Ross-Seaview region of the Sonoma Coast region producing some remarkable Pinot Noirs, and their Chardonnay vineyards in Knights Valley having been at the top of the qualitative hierarchy for many years. Add to that their proprietary Bordeaux blend called Les Pavots, their remarkable Sauvignon Blanc and their Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Owned by Sir Peter Michael, this estate has employed a bevy of brilliant winemakers over the years, the current being the two Morlet brothers from the Champagne district in France. Nick Morlet is employed full-time as the main winemaker, and his brother, Luc, consults at Peter Michael. Both have brought French savoir-faire and applied it to extraordinary vineyard sites to produce world-class wines of extraordinary richness, intensity and complexity. Readers looking for some of the best Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Sauvignon Blancs, Sauvignon/Semillon blends, and Bordeaux proprietary red blends can do no better than the wines from the Peter Michael Winery. Since I had not visited this estate in several years, I asked to do a complete retrospective of the last three vintages of Chardonnay and the last four vintages of Pinot Noir. The result was one of the most remarkable tastings I experienced over the last several years. First, Nick and Luc Morlet gave me a summary of their vintages. They were staggered by the quality of 2013 after what was clearly a great vintage in 2012. The three previous years were among the most challenging in recent years. Following one of the hottest years they had ever experienced, 2008, 2009 produced a small crop because of a cool year, 2010 was another small crop because of some rain issues, and 2011 was the most difficult vintage since 1998. I hope these notes persuade a lot of readers of just what an extraordinary winery owned by the visionary Englishman, Sir Peter Michael, sits up in Knights Valley. The Belle Cote Chardonnay comes from a Knights Valley vineyard planted in 1990 with the Rued clone of Chardonnay. Peter Michael has long produced one of the finest Sauvignon Blanc cuvees in Northern California. Another serious white is the blend of equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon called Coeur a Coeur. I suspect you can only buy this at the winery as only 100 cases are produced in each vintage. Peter Michael’s proprietary wines made from Bordeaux blends include their flagship red, Les Pavots, and their second wine, L’Esprit des Pavots, which is meant to be drunk at an earlier age.