Peter Michael 2019 Les Pavots Knights Valley

Proprietary Red Wine Blend

"The 2019 Les Pavots is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder Petit Verdot. It has unfolding layers of dark minerals, with graphite, boysenberry liqueur, and fresh leather. The palate is expressive of its mountain fruit, with more gripping structure but no harsh edges. This is a remarkable wine to hold a few years and enjoy over the following two decades." Jeb Dunnuck 98 Point

"From one of the smallest yields in the history of this Knights Valley vineyard, the 2019 Les Pavots matured in 70% new French oak. It's a dark, concentrated effort, with straightforward aromas of black cherries, cassis, vanilla and dark chocolate, a full-bodied, plush feel on the palate and a long, velvety finish. A delicious blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, it should possess close to two decades of drinkability." Robert Parker 94 Points

"Delivers a big blast of seductive fruit, including crushed blackberry, boysenberry and mulberry, along with lively bramble, licorice and singed cedar notes before ending with a hint of dark earth to keep everything honest. A showy style, but very well done. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034. 3,088 cases made." Wine Spectator 93 Points

"Ample rainfall in the winter of 2019 ensured a full water soil profile to begin the growing season. Variable weather from budbreak to veraison resulted in less fruit setting than normal and one of the smallest crops in the last twenty years for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot at the Knights Valley Estate. The summer was mild with a long ripening period of moderate heat, which helped deliver wines of extraordinary elegance and suppleness.

WINEGROWING NOTES
Grown on the slopes of Mount Saint Helena in Knights Valley, the distinctive aromas and flavors of our proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot display their hillside origins. Rocky, rhyolitic soils created through volcanic activity millennia ago contribute a mineral richness and add to the wine’s complexity. Spanning 46 acres, the red Les Pavots blocks ascend to an elevation of nearly 1,400 feet. Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown on the cool upper slopes, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot below."