2022 Peter Michael Winery ‘L’Esprit des Pavots’

Peter Michael Winery crafts polished, age worthy Bordeaux style blends from estate vineyards that straddle the Napa and Sonoma border. ‘L’Esprit des Pavots’ (“The Spirit of the Poppies”) is the more approachable sibling to their flagship Les Pavots, blending fruit from the high-elevation Les Pavots vineyard in Knights Valley with Au Paradis in Oakville. 

It opens with an intense nose of cassis, black cherry, ripe plum, and blackberries, layered with black olive, black tea, baking spices, violet, and a touch of graphite. The palate is full-bodied, plush, and generous, with soft, round tannins, fine grain, and a long, elegant finish. A fleshy, fruit forward vintage that is already approachable yet built to age.

Grape: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot

Appellation: Estate vineyards — Knights Valley (Sonoma County) & Oakville (Napa County), California, USA

- Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points