2022 Peter Michael Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge
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Tasting notes
Coming from more granite-influenced soils from the Pisoni Ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2022 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard Le Moulin Rouge pours a deep but reflective magenta/purple color and is a bear hug of a wine. It offers generous floral and fruity aromas in the glass, with pressed violets, preserved mixed berries, fresh pine, and sweet tea leaf. Relatively full-bodied, it’s silky on the palate, with fine tannins, a clean, even feel, and a slowly tapering finish. It’s highly charming now but should hold up and improve over the coming 12-15 years. 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
Jeb Dunnuck
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
2022 was a dry, relatively mild growing season in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Foggy mornings and windy afternoons delayed budbreak by about a week. Moderate conditions during bloom resulted in successful fruit set, and some fruit thinning was required. Luckily, the summer was warm, and harvest was just a couple weeks later than normal on September 23. The 2022 Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge is powerful and expressive! It has layered aromas of wild cherry, blood orange, hibiscus, tea leaves and iodine. The full-bodied palate features concentrated, floral flavors. It’s structured by silky tannins and mouthwatering acidity and has a long, spicy finish. It opens dramatically with air and should be long lived in the cellar. 470 cases were made.
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.