Peter Michael Chardonnays 1994-2000 Blindtasted

Introductory comments by tasting organizer Ross Bott:
In the early 1980s, Peter Michael and his wife, Maggie, toured California's Napa Valley, in search of a place to settle down away from the cold and damp of their native England. Peter Michael had spent some time in the French wine areas when young and had developed a love for French wine, and was looking for a place both to live and to plant vineyards and start a winery. He decided upon the Knights Valley, a small, then remote valley situated between Napa Valley to the south and Alexander Valley to the north. Only Beringer had plantings in the area at the time, although it has since become one of the hottest areas for new cool climate Syrah vineyards.

Money was not an issue for Michael, as he'd earlier developed Quantel Paintbox (one of the first programs used to create television graphics), and had also started Classic FM, the world's most poplar classic radio station. These financial accomplishments eventually led to his being knighted by the British queen (and it seems only fitting that Sir Peter Michael would now live in Knights Valley). He purchased 650 acres at the base of Mount Saint Helena and planted it to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. He hired Helen Turley as his first winemaker in the late 1980s, who in turn hired Mark Aubert in 1989, then assistant winemaker at Monticello Vineyards. A few months later, Turley left abruptly to become winemaker at Colgin, and Mark was on his own. He did remarkably well, producing a string of spectacular Chardonnays throughout the mid-1990s until his departure in 1999 to start his own winery, Aubert.

One of the early measures of how remarkable Peter Michael Chardonnays are was a tasting in Paris on January 17, 1997 which was somewhat in the same theme as Steven Spurrier's famous French vs California Chardonnay and Cabernet tastings in 1976. In the 1997 case, it was a tasting of all of the then currently available top French White Burgundies, including DRC, Comte Lafon and Domaine Ramonet Montrachets, Coche Dury Corton Charlemagne, etc. Winning the tasting was one of the two ringers, the 1994 Point Rouge from Peter Michael. Most of the primarily French and Belgian professional tasters recognized it as from California, but felt that it was clearly the deepest and most complex wine there.

Peter Michael Chardonnays are among the most sought after in California (and actually in the world), rivaled in California only by two wineries ironically run by the winery's two former winemakers of Peter Michael: Marcassin (Helen Turley) and Aubert (Mark Aubert). Tonight, we'll try eight Peter Michael Chardonnays from 1994 to 2000, including the 1994 Point Rouge, winner of the Paris tasting. Some tasting notes:

1994 Peter Michael "Point Rouge", Sonoma (12.5%): "... revealing a smoky, grilled, hazelnut, buttery fragrance, full body, remarkable concentration, admirable delineation, and a smashingly long, unctuously-textured finish. These are stunning Chardonnays that will be gobbled up when they hit the marketplace in 1996." (95/100, Robert Parker -- later ranked 97/100 in the Montrachet tasting in 1997)

1998 Peter Michael "Mon Plasir", Knights Valley (14.1%): "This full-bodied, honeyed, heady, powerful, densely concentrated effort includes flamboyant apricot/peach notes in addition to outstanding concentration, depth and persistence." (95/100, Robert Parker)

1998 Peter Michael "Cuvee Indigene", Sonoma (14.1%): "There are 470 cases of the 1998 Chardonnay Cuvee Indigene. Completely fermented with 100% indigenous yeast, this Chardonnay is restrained aromatically, but it is terrific on the palate, displaying explosive lemon/butter/honey flavors mixed with tropical fruit, mineral, and smoky, leesy components. Orange/tangerine notes also make an appearance." (96/100, Robert Parker)

1999 Peter Michael "Cuvee Indigene", Sonoma (14.0%): "Consistently one of California's finest Chardonnays, the 100% indigenous yeast-fermented Chardonnay Cuvee Indigene also emerges from the Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyard. Typically, the 1999 exhibits distinctive aromas of smoky tropical fruit intermixed with peaches, apricots, and pears. Long, full-bodied, and layered, with terrific texture, gorgeous purity, and loads of fruit, this effort can stand up against the finest Burgundy grand crus. The Cuvee Indigene possesses leesy, smoky notes in its rich, concentrated style." (93/100, Robert Parker)

1999 Peter Michael "La Caprice", Sonoma (14.1%) ( No reviews available.)

1999 Peter Michael "Mon Plaisir", Sonoma (14.0%): "Produced from the Old Wente clone grown in the Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyard owned by Jess Jackson, and aged totally in French oak (50% new), the 1999 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir reveals abundant tropical fruit characteristics in its ostentatious bouquet. Aromas of oranges, ripe honeyed apples, and buttered citrus jump from the glass of this hedonistically-styled Chardonnay. The integration of wood provides subtle notes of vanilla and toast, which add to the wine's complex personality. Medium to full-bodied, pure, long, and concentrated, with enough acidity to provide freshness and focus" (91/100, Robert Parker) "Elegant and refined, rich and concentrated, with a complex array of ripe fig, pear, butterscotch and citrus flavors that gain momentum and depth, finishing with a long, intricate, minerally aftertaste." (93/100, Wine Spectator)

1999 Peter Michael "Crete D'Or", Sonoma (13.4%): 'After working with a Russian River grower for a number of years, overseeing the replanting of a vineyard, the grower sold one crop to Peter Michael, and then signed a long term contract with another winery. Consequently, the 1999 will be the only Chardonnay made by Peter Michael from that vineyard. They have named it Crete d'Or. Made from the Hyde clone, the brilliant 1999 Chardonnay Crete d'Or is a creamy-textured, flamboyant, ostentatiously-styled Chardonnay with aromas and flavors of roasted hazelnuts, dried apricots, peaches, and pineapples. A rich, full-bodied effort with good underlying acidity as well as a judicious touch of toasty oak" (93/100, Robert Parker)

2000 Peter Michael "La Carriere", Sonoma (14.1%): "reveals a creamy, leesy, smoky, citrus-dominated bouquet" (88/100, Robert Parker)

• 1999 Peter Michael Chardonnay Mon Plaisir 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Group's #1 (my #3) – 57 pts; 3 1st place votes, 2 2nd place votes, 3 thirds, 0 last places – light lemon yellow color; focused, tart lemon, citrus, mineral nose; tangy lemon, citrus, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.

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• 1998 Peter Michael Chardonnay Cuvée Indigene 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Group's #2 (my #4) – 60 pts; 4, 3, 0, 1 - medium golden yellow color; major reduction at first, that blew off, yielding to minerally, lemon oil, preserved lemon nose; tightish, ripe lemon, citrus, cream, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.

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• 1999 Peter Michael Chardonnay Crête d'Or 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Group's #3 (my #5) – 61 pts; 4, 0, 3, 0 - medium lemon yellow color; mineral, butterscotch, baked lemon, pineapple nose; tight, creamy lemon, pear, pineapple palate; medium finish

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• 1999 Peter Michael Chardonnay Cuvée Indigene 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Group's #4 (my #2) – 65 pts; 0, 7, 1, 1 - light medium golden yellow color; lovely ripe lemon, mineral nose with a touch of caramel; ripe lemon, poached pear, honey, mineral palate, youthful; medium-plus finish

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• 1999 Peter Michael Chardonnay Le Caprice 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Group's #5 (my #1) – 72 pts; 2, 0, 6, 2 - light lemon yellow color; tart lemon, butter, mineral nose; ripe lemon, rich, mineral palate with concentration and good acidity; medium-plus finish

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• 1994 Peter Michael Chardonnay Point Rouge 81 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Group's #6 (my #8) – 85 pts; 1, 1, 1, 4 - bright lemon yellow color; tart lemon, mineral, oak, lemon sherbet nose; terribly oaky, vanilla, ripe lemon palate, woefully out of balance; medium-plus finish

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• 1998 Peter Michael Chardonnay Mon Plaisir 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Group's #7 (my #6) – 87 pts; 0, 1, 2, 4 - medium golden yellow color; mature, butterscotch, caramel, cream, lemon tea nose; over-the-hill, baked lemon, vanilla palate with low acidity; medium finish

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• 2000 Peter Michael Chardonnay La Carrière 85 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Group's #8 (my #7) – 90 pts; 2, 2, 0, 4 - medium lemon yellow color; oxidized, tart citrus, baked lemon nose; tart, overbaked lemon, yeast, oxidized; medium finish 85+ pts.

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