2020 Peter Michael Les Pavots

Of the two Peter Michael 2020 wines on the Place this September, for me this is where the heart is. The 100% new oak seems well in balance, with the freshness and cut herb character bringing delicious balance and juice to the ripe cassis and blackberry fruits. Plenty of liqourice, sage, rosemary and cigar box as it opens, and the high alcohol is balanced by sappy freshness, with a trace of salinity on the finish. Luc Morlet consultant. The Cabernet Franc that is usually in the blend isn't here because it was impacted by the wildfires.

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. 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.

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. (AG)