Peter Michael, Les Pavots, Bordeaux Red Blend, Knights Valley, 2021

From his very first visit to California in the 1970s Sir Peter Michael set about finding the perfect spot in which to make his mark on the vinous world. When he found the then-unplanted Sugarloaf Ranch in Knights Valley, he knew immediately that this was the spot and the first vintage was 1987. The rest, as they say, is history. By combining the classic winemaking of the old world and the complexity afforded by Californian Mountain terroir, the unparalleled winemaking team has been graced by some of the finest names in winemaking history. Helen Turley, Mark Aubert and brothers Luc and Nicolas Morlet have all worked at Peter Michael in the past and continue to consult in the present. Nowadays, winemaking is led by Robert Fiore. The estate is going from strength to strength, producing some of the finest wines red and white wines made in California.

The first vineyard to be planted on the Knights Valley Estate, Les Pavots ('The Poppies') remains the signature wine of Peter Michael. Spanning 46 acres, Les Pavots ascends to an elevation of nearly 1,400 feet. Merlot and Cabernet Franc grow on the cool upper slopes, with Cabernet Sauvignon in the warmer sections just below. Always a Cabernet Sauvignon-led Bordeaux Blend, the distinctive aromas of this exceptional wine clearly display the hillside terroir. Hand-harvested, vinified with meticulous care and aged for 18 months in French oak, this stunning wine can stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best estates of the old world.

The 2021 Vintage

Following some rains in January and February, the 2021 growing season was drier than normal with a slightly early budbreak and bloom. During bloom and fruit set, variable weather conditions resulted in less fruit setting which, combined with small berry size, lead to some of the lowest yields per acre in recent years. The 2021 growing season was exceptionally mild without significant heat events which allowed the fruit to ripen perfectly with harvest spanning from September 25th to October 18th. The small berries and clusters produced concentrated, rich flavors in the grapes, juice, and wine.

The opaque, garnet-black 2021 'Les Pavots' bursts from the glass with a compelling blend of black currant, blueberry crumble, black olive, leather and blackberry pie with accents of dried rose petal, garrigue, clove and black pepper. The powerful entry gives way to an abundance of silky, high-quality, fine-grained tannins and a mid-palate burst which resolves in an elegant, gracefully soft finish. The 2021 Les Pavots is a wine of pedigree that will age well for over two decades.

99/100 The Drink Business

(Knights Valley AVA, Sonoma County; 62% Cabernet Sauvignon; 25% Cabernet Franc; 7% Merlot; 6% Petit Verdot; aged for 18 months in around 70% new French oak barrels; 15.8% alcohol; tasted with Robert Fiore, the winemaker since 2020, over Zoom at the CVBG press tasting; the highest tannic levels since 2013). In the shadow of Mount Saint Helena. From a mountain vineyard (290-600 metres). Intense yet lithe and lifted, energetic and bright, crisp and fresh. Glossy, creamy fine-grained tannins nicely structuring the fruit, gently coaxing it into a quite narrow frame in build around a well-defined core. Lush and intensely floral. Iris. Lily. Pink rose petals, with more aeration. Gladioli. A little wild herbal note. There’s amazing intensity to the fruit. Dark, rich, plump and yet crunchy and juicy red and much darker berry and stone fruits. Damson and dark plums, black cherries and brambles, mulberries too. With aeration in the glass the cassis arrives. Cedar and graphite in equal measure. Truly spectacular, above all in this vintage. - Colin Hay