2021 Les Pavots
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Tasting notes
The flagship of the estate, coming from Knights Valley, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 7%, and the rest Petit Verdot. It pours a more pink-rimmed/purple hue and is an exceptional vintage for this wine. It delivers a bit more power upfront on the nose, with a more assertive cologne of polished leather, cassis, compact berries, lavender, and forest sappy herbs. Patience will be a virtue here, as this is a powerfully structured wine with rich, ripe tannins and a fleshy midpalate. It has excellent density and structure and is built for the long haul. The finish is grippy and mineral, noted with a mountainous feel throughout. Drink 2027-2050. Sir Peter Michael founded his eponymous winery in 1982, inspired by the wine of Chateau Montelena, which led him to California. In 2020, Robert Fiore took the helm as winemaker, while former winemaker Luc Morlet remains as a consultant. Robert studied at the Colorado School of Mines, which led him to a career in environmental geophysics before finding his path into the world of wine. He went on to UC Davis to study Viticulture and Enology. Most recently, Robert was a member of the winemaking team at Continuum in Napa. Vineyard manager Javier Avina has championed the land since 1991. Each of the sites are steep hillsides in Knights Valley that modulate with varied exposition and soils. Sir Peter’s son Paul and his wife Emily oversee the management of the winery today.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Concentrated, luscious plum, greengage, garrigue, sage, bitter black chocolate, fennel, sharp mint blast on the finish. A relatively dry growing season without huge heat spikes, giving low yields with small berries and some of the highest phenolics since 2023. Robert Fiore winemaker since 2020, Luc Morlet consultant. All mountain fruit. First plantings of these vines in 1982, vineyard is planted on the slopes of Mount Saint Helena, 70% new French oak for ageing, hard to ignore that flash of heat. If you are going anywhere near this soon, think of at least a 6 hour carafe.
The blackberry and sage character comes through clearly, with some orange blossoms, graphite, dried tomatoes, green tobacco and stone. A rich and juicy red with lots of berry and chocolate character, with a full body and layered rich tannins. Itâs flavorful yet hemmed in with firm yet rounded tannins. Muscular. 62% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc, 7% merlot, and 6% petit verdot. This needs four or five years to come together and show its true self. Best after 2028.
The 2021 Les Pavots is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. It's a beautiful wine you could drink now or stash in the cellar, with a concentrated, broody yet polished profile. It has pure scents of blueberry liqueur, lilac, cast iron, grilled meats and soy sauce plus hints of wild thyme and truffle. The full-bodied palate offers a structural balance of clay-textured tannins and bright acidity, deriving its power from its sheer depth of dark fruit, and it has a long, detailed finish. 2,769 cases were made, and the Les Pavots will be released in February of 2024.
About the producer
Founded in 1983 by Sir Peter Michael CBE and his wife Margaret, Peter Michael Winery produces some of California’s finest wines.