Peter Michael Winery - Les Pavots Red Blend Knights Valley 2020 (750ml)

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Producer	Peter Michael Winery
Country	United States
Region	California
Subregion	Sonoma County
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon,  Cabernet Franc,  Merlot,  Petit Verdot
Vintage	2020
Sku	38546
Size	750ml

  

WA

95

JD

95

JS

97

V

93

Peter Michael Winery needs no introduction. Year after year their exquisite, artisan releases bring pleasure to people all over the world, and it all started in 1982 when Sir Peter Michael founded the winery on a square mile of rocky volcanic ridges on the western face of Mount St. Helena. From the beginning, the philosophy was modeled on French winemaking tradition and governed by three principles: the vineyard terroir would be the single most important feature, the wines would be lightly elegant rather than powerful and a hundred-year commitment would be made to the development of a great estate.

Peter Michael is the only winery in Knights Valley. Its original winemaker was the famous Helen Turley, followed by Mark Aubert and Luc Morlet. Currently winemaking is under the leadership of Nicolas Morlet, Luc’s brother, whose extensive experience with Bordeaux and Burgundian style viticulture and winemaking lends itself well to the Peter Michael mission of producing single-vineyard, limited production bottlings from small, mountain vineyards.

This is a powerful red with blackberry, black olive and a hint of mint. Some brown sugar, too. Full-bodied and dense, with lots of fruit and velvety, plush tannins. Crushed-stone and wet-earth character, too. The higher percentage of merlot (14%) and no cabernet franc makes this unique for Les Pavots. Give it three or four years to open.

The 2020 Les Pavots is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and pours an inky red. It reveals a wonderful herbaceous profile of forest herbs, with a more mountainous feel and aromas of pine, menthol, ripe black cherry, and cedar. Full-bodied and more muscularly structured, with dark earth, turned forest floor, blackberry, and tea leaf, the tannins on the finish feel a touch drying at this stage but balanced out with sweet fruit to cushion it. Drink 2025-2040.

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots is a delicate, understated wine. The 2020 shows a bit less mid-palate density than in most years, but its balance is impeccable. Dried flowers, spice, leather, tobacco and incense are all nicely layered in this attractive, mid-weight Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend is, unusually, high in Cabernet Sauvignon and low in both Merlot and Cabernet Franc because of the stringent selection required in 2020.  Antonio Galloni