Peter Michael release

Peter Michael 2/16
Nicolas Morlet calls the 2013 Les Pavots the greatest vintage he has ever crafted!

$195 a bottle. $620 for 3 in an embossed birch box.

I buy all the Chards every year. This year I have to buy a lot of red also.

I debate this every release, because there are certain wines I can buy cheaper at retail. Les Pavots being one of them. The problem is that it’s hard to get the increased allocations of the Reds and whites you can’t find at retail without supporting the others. I usually buy the 3 pack of red and all the large formats I can get, and of course all of the chards!

What do others think?

Yup !

Just got back from vacation to this release. I only just signed up for them so this is my first. Headed up to Napa this weekend so thought I might actually get to taste there before committing to something I’ve only heard about. no dice, only open M-F. Wondering if I just need to take the leap on reputation.

I have a deep and abiding love for their wines.

Their sauvignon blanc is in my top 3: Le Apre Midi is fantastic.

Their chards are also worth buying on word of mouth alone!

Mon Plaisir is just the bomb.

I would take the leap and get one of everything and taste in the next year.

I only buy wines that come in Embossed Birch Boxes.

Birch box makes good firewood!

David, You may taste some of the PM wines in Napa, but I think most of the red fruit, as well as the white, is Sonoma. As such, the Les Pivots has seemed a more austere style to me than Napa , so I suggest you be prepared for the difference.

How about the Estate pinot on this release, Le Caprice? Any experiences with the Sonoma pinots that folks want to share?

This has become increasingly apparent in the last 2 years due to recent price increases. For Les Pavots, I’m not drinking it young anyway so it makes a heck of a lot more sense to buy a bottle with some good age on it at a cheaper price point (few a few exceptions). Right now you could save yourself some money and, depending on your preference, buy a bottle of the 2004 or 1996 for less.

Are the PN in the same price range?

Le Caprice is $115, although I think it is on the low end of the Estate pinots.

Their pinots are very well structured, more AFWE than fruit bomb, but still ample fruit. I like em a lot!

Worth speculating and seeing what you think!

Anton - I think I will try at least one, if a wine geek ever buys just one.

The chards I know I really like, and that’s why I signed up.

Do the pinots drink well young?

Yes.

Closed in, but you can get a good feel for the ‘elegance’ of the wines. You can enjoy the way they are constructed. (In a way they remind me of the Rocchioli SVD’s when opened young.) Of course, a few hours of breathing, and maybe serve in the mid-60’s rather than cellar temp!

I have always felt like the Peter Michael wines are all very intentionally built (I mean that as a compliment) and finely crafted. They are good exemplars.

Cheers, amigo!

Thank you for that note

True, something I think about with all the higher end purchases I make now. I only have a couple of smaller wine coolers, so buying things that will sit for at least 5 years is space lost in a way. Though I do some of that for wines I’ve felt worth it. But in this case, I wouldn’t even know what it tasted like for years down the road.

This was my first year on the list and I just received my offering today. I’m mostly interested in their mountain Chardonnay, which unfortunately didn’t have much showing in my offering.

My order:

2 x 2013 Les Pavots Estate Cabernet Blend
4 x 2014 Belle Côte Estate Chardonnay
4 x 2014 La Carrière Estate Chardonnay
2 x 2014 Le Caprice Estate Pinot Noir

Ordered the Les Pavots because of the comments on this board. Thank you!

That looks spectacular!