2021 Peter Michael Chardonnay Mon Plasir***

The 2021 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir is tightly wound on the nose at this youthful stage. Wafts of crème brûlée, matchstick, toast and candle smoke very slowly give way to a core of peaches and quince paste. The medium-bodied palate is silky and refreshing with generous, layered flavors and a long, mineral-driven finish. It's coming along more slowly than the other Chardonnays and deserves several more years in bottle to reveal its full potential. 1,074 cases produced.

The 2021 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir is fabulous. In fact, it is one of the best Peter Michael Chardonnays in recent memory. Lemon confit, apricot, hazelnut, spice, orange peel, mint and a kiss of French oak are all beautifully laced together. This is such a pretty and expressive wine. Montrachet and Wente clone on a this well-exposed site yields a Chardonnay with notable mid-palate sweetness and exceptional balance. (AG)

Slightly more golden in color, the 2021 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir is more expansive in its aromas with a touch sunnier feel, offering a tropical perfume of pineapple, green mango, and lemon drop. Full-bodied, with a soft texture, it reveals notes of pithy orange citrus, almond, chamomile, and yellow apple, and it has a broad texture while remaining fresh and focused. It’s approachable now or over the next 8-10 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.