Peter Michael
I get asked all the time why I don't really sell domestic wines. The honest answer is that I more or less checked out of that category when I started Vins Rare back in 2001. People rattle off the latest domestic names, and quite frankly, I know very few of them.
One name I do remember well is Peter Michael. I had some great experiences not only visiting the estate, but also drinking a number of the wines early on in my career. These were reference-point domestic wines then, and I have to say they remain some of the most Burgundian wines I have tasted from California in recent memory.
Over the years I rarely chased the "allocated" wines, mostly because I didn't want to have to buy the "other" wines in order to get the good stuff. When my rep asked the other day if I would be interested in some Peter Michael, my first response was yes — but my next question was what else do I need to buy. He said nothing! One of his clients had passed on their allocation and was offering it to me.
I didn't get a whole lot of wine, so I'm not going to go on and on about how amazing these wines are. I will say I did open a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc and the Chardonnay "La Carrière" this past weekend and will say both were quite impressive. If you are in the mood for one of the reference point names in California then look no further than these recent offerings from Peter Michael. In Stock - Limited.
The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc L’Après-Midi contains 6% Sémillon. It matured in around 15% new French oak and was bottled the spring after the harvest. It has continually unfurling scents of flint, white peach, tarragon, lemongrass, graham cracker, chamomile and honey. The full-bodied palate is bursting with layers of flinty stone and citrus fruit, and it has a lifted, silky texture. It’s balanced by succulent acidity and has a long, perfumed finish. 2,162 cases were made.
- Wine Advocate, 94
The 2023 Chardonnay La Carrière has intoxicating scents of white peach, grilled grapefruit and Meyer lemon plus nuances of flint, vanilla, panna cotta and lemongrass. The full-bodied palate is silky and expressive with energetic layers of flinty citrus and stone fruit. It offers high concentration for its elegant frame, and its oak spice is seamlessly integrated. It’s balanced by bright, focused acidity and has a long, dynamic finish. 2,478 cases were made.
- Wine Advocate, 96
The 2023 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille has slowly opening scents of Meyer lemon, panna cotta, orange blossom, saline and well-matched, seamlessly integrated oak spice. The full-bodied palate is silky and energetic, its highly concentrated flavors foiled by taut acidity, and it has a long, layered finish. 2,082 cases were made.
- Wine Advocate, 96
