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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.2 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 133 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by maranoli on 5/1/2024 & rated 93 points: Light yellow
Nose Apple, biscuit, elderflower, butter,
Acidity M+
Palate cream, hint of caramel, jasmine
Will not improve but delicious aged Chardonnay. (31 views) | | | Tasted by Burgnick on 2/25/2023 & rated 87 points: Baked apple and honeysuckle. Low acidity. Palate is syrupy. It has passed its prime. (909 views) | | | Tasted by wineoracle on 1/1/2022: Deep golden color. Apple and honey on the nose. Very nice velvety mouth feel but no evident fruit on the palate. This was way past it’s prime but still drinkable. (805 views) | | | Tasted by jfkwines on 9/27/2020 & rated 93 points: Opened for an hour straight from the fridge, put back in the fridge with cork In it for 60 minutes an ten took to a friend's house where it sat out an open for 30 minutes more. Wine was outstanding, beautiful mouthfeel with a little viscosity, lemon and cut grass on the nose. Crispness of the wine made it still seem youthful. Last of a case we got on release, I think if you are patient with chilling and giving this wine some time to breathe you are greatly rewarded. (1357 views) | | | Tasted by Grapehead56 on 9/26/2020 & rated 95 points: You never know opening aged Cali Chardonnays -even with pedigree PM,Marcassin,J Rochioli etc.
I brought this as a “back up” to a current vintage. Was prepared to open a bottle that went from straw to golden in a few minutes. I was surprised, maybe shocked at the color. It was a medium strong pale color. It didn’t change.Was poured within one hour of opening. Beautiful fruit, beautiful balance.long finish There is no doubt this is one great example of how California Chardonnays can age. I didn’t purposely age this wine. Just had bottles to go over the years and found this one that needed to be tried.
PS. I bought this wine release and it has been stored at 55° since. (1301 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 8/1/2020 & rated 93 points: Deep straw yellow color, served with just a slight chill. Aromas of apple, fig and pear with a hint of honeycomb underneath. Still quite rich and full across the palate. Orchard fruit, marshmallow fluff, and candied vanilla bean notes with a hint of citrus fruit on the back end. 93+ pts. (1474 views) | | | Tasted by jfkwines on 6/27/2020 & rated 94 points: Chilled for an hour, paired with lemongrass tofu. Really great pairing, the lemon still shows through so strong and is a bit candied. there is other citrus, sweetness from a honey nose and candied sugar. As expected it is showing a bit of age in the mouth. but not as much in the nose. However, I can't emphasize enough that the flavor of the wine is still so pronounced and the pairing for the wine is critical to maximize the greatness of this wine. (1073 views) | | | Tasted by walkerjfw on 5/10/2020 & rated 96 points: Mother's Day...needed a substantial Chardonnay to pair with Dijon Sea Scallops. Chilled, Slow Oxed for about 20 minutes, drank over 2 hours. In my cellar for about 10 years...
Deep gold color. Perfumed, deep nose of honey, orchard fruits, batonnage (?), white flower. Palate showing candied citrus, pineapple, creme brulee, butterscotch. Rich texture, continues through mid palate. Medium weight, long finish.
In short, this wine killed on this night. I expected it to be good, last bottle Christmas of 17...its improved from there and shows no signs of slowing down. It evolved in the glass a fair amount in the first hour, based on this bottle I would have decanted or slow oxed longer. Amazing that a 12 year old Calif Chardonnay still showing this well at this stage in its life. Great stuff (1065 views) | | | Tasted by Mark H. LeQuire on 7/27/2019 & rated 97 points: Same as previous note. This wine shows no signs of turning back! (1069 views) | | | Tasted by DugyDog on 12/25/2018 & rated 96 points: Amazing wine showing what good CA Chard becomes in the hands of a deft wine maker with access to unique terroir. This wine is huge....LONG finish that coats the mouth with tropical fruit; petrol nose. In a really good place (1236 views) | | | Tasted by Mark H. LeQuire on 11/20/2018 & rated 97 points: Deserving of its WS rating. Golden yellow color. No flaws. Mild sediment. Moderate rim variation. Nose of citrus and white flower. Earthy and old world. Low tannin. Low acid. Medium alcohol. Long, long finish. Paired perfectly with hummus. Perfectly ready to drink. Suspect plenty of bottle life left. (1423 views) | | | Tasted by jfkwines on 6/8/2018: Not where I recalled the previous bottles being. More perephin with a slight hint of vanilla (1655 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 5/4/2018 & rated 89 points: Opened and poured off a taste- very reserved and tight, and unfortunately we did not have access to a decanter. Tropical fruit and sauteed apple notes were eventually coaxed from the glass but it took a lot of vigorous swirling even an hour after the cork was pulled. The palate follows the bouquet. Nicely balanced with integrated oak and a nice finish. Showed a bit more as the night wore on. 89-90 pts. (1608 views) | | | Tasted by walkerjfw on 12/24/2017 & rated 93 points: Christmas eve with a simple dinner with my girls, shrimp, salad and my fettucini carbonara. Nice opportunity to revisit this.
Continues to evolve and drink nicely. Medium/dark gold color. From prior notes: "Nose of orchard fruits, honey. Palate of citrus, pineapple, lemon, honey, caramel, vanilla oak. Long finish, lush and plump chardonnay..."
Less rich than last bottle, not in a bad way. Our group loved it. Rounded with the creme brulee and butterscotch notes still squarely in the mid palate. Gorgeous wine, don't think it will evolve much more, would drink over next 2-3 years.. (1545 views) | | | Tasted by kenthecpa on 12/9/2017 & rated 94 points: Had this last night at dinner. So good we decided to open another.
Drinking in it’s prime. (1427 views) | | | Tasted by jfkwines on 10/1/2017 & rated 92 points: P n p, a little tight out of the bottle,used wide mouth flat bottom glasses, wine opened quick and the lemon showed almost right away. Integration has occurred and I think you should drink all bottles soon. (1461 views) | | | Tasted by sdezutti on 6/24/2017 & rated 97 points: Amazing as always. Complex bouquet of lemon, tropical fruits, butterscotch and roasted nut. Rich and oily in the mouth. Great finish and so easy to drink. For my personal taste Chardonnay does not get much better than this. I wish I could purchase more of this every year. (1698 views) | | | Tasted by walkerjfw on 4/27/2017 & rated 91 points: Second wine of the evening, slight chill, PnP, drank over an hour+
Darker gold color than I remember last bottle. Prior notes: "Nose of orchard fruits, honey. Palate of citrus, pineapple, lemon, honey, caramel, vanilla oak. Long finish, lush and plump chardonnay. Exotic fruit profile, oak may be too rich for some palates..."
This bottle had a faint taint/cork on mid palate - dont think it was fully corked, maybe off a bit - but still enjoyable. Really lush and deeply evolved Chardonnay. I don't think it improves much from here and may go into a tertiary phase in a few years. Would drink over next 2-3 years. (1889 views) | | | Tasted by davidspieker on 2/13/2017 & rated 87 points: Past prime. Butterscotch, vanilla, and oak. Waited too long. (1946 views) | | | Tasted by walkerjfw on 10/15/2016 & rated 93 points: A Decadent Wine Day...Zachy's Vault II and Dinner with special guest CVA and friends (Le Bernardin, New York and Chez Walker in Princeton, NJ): In our cellar with CVA, Subha and Jim and Valerie. Second white of the evening. Showing our guest CVA a traditional CA Chardonnay...Slow Ox for about 30 minutes, served slightly chilled.
Medium gold color, very rich. Nose of orchard fruits, honey. Palate of citrus, pineapple, lemon, honey, caramel, vanilla oak. Long finish, lush and plump chardonnay. Exotic fruit profile, oak may be too rich for some palates. All in a great wine - assuming one likes the profile. Our group loved it (2962 views) | | | Tasted by Eags25 on 9/11/2016 flawed bottle: Corked. (2175 views) | | | Tasted by mjf@ulkner on 8/28/2016 & rated 88 points: Aging has done this no favors. The oak and vanilla have become more prominent. The citrus fruit has been overcome by a butterscotch like component. Poor QPR (1934 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 4/30/2016 & rated 93 points: Apple and orchard fruit notes with hints of butterscotch underneath. The palate follows the bouquet. Drinking very well and should hold at this level for quite a while. (2348 views) | | | Tasted by dougie on 2/2/2016 & rated 94 points: Wow! Rocking! Everyone loved it at Cafe Rio. (2372 views) | | | Tasted by MJTed on 11/27/2015 & rated 93 points: Popped and poured with Thanksgiving turkey. Rich tropical fruit of its youth has yielded to a secondary profile of hazelnuts, caramel and white peach. My last bottle but could hold for years. (2115 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, May/June 2010, IWC Issue #150
(Peter Michael Winery Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille Sonoma County) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (9/6/2012)
(Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille) Light yellow color; rich, tart pear, apple nose; buttery, rich, baked pear, caramel palate; medium-plus finish 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Peter Michael Producer website<br><br>The Peter Michael Winery is the California outpost of British-born Sir Peter Michael who has shown a Midas touch for selecting brilliant winemakers, including Helen Turley, Mark Aubert, Luc Morlet and more recently Luc’s brother, Nicolas. The consistency of these offerings from the cool climate hillside vineyards in Knight’s Valley and the Sonoma Coast has been respected and cherished by each of these winemakers... All things considered, Peter Michael is one of the reference point wineries in California.
Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-FilleMa Belle-Fille Vineyard is at the Peter Michael Estate High above Knights Valley Eastern Sonoma County
Planted: 1999
Chardonnay selections:
Calera 30%, Mount Eden 10%, Hudson 30%, Hyde 30%
Elevation: 1,700 – 1,900 feet
Soil: Volcanic-origin Rhyolite
Exposure: South-southeastChardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino County |
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