Made from young vines and barrel selection from Les Pavos. Deep crimson color, almost black. Aromas of blueberry, chocolate, cedar, coffee, vanilla, and black truffle, like a mix of the best of Les Pavos and Haut Paradis. On the palate, you can taste black cherry, black currant, plum, leather, tobacco, and white pepper, and the aromas are very complex. Full-bodied and concentrated, with a savory and salty taste. Supple tannins give it a long finish. It is delicious to drink now, but it can also age for 15 years or more. 2016 was a near perfect vintage, with budbreak starting in February due to a warm spring. Drought continued to be an issue, but the vineyards received just the right amount of rainfall they needed. The flowering period was very wet and cool, and fruit set was less than usual. After veraison, we had only one green harvest to balance the grapes overall. The 2016 growing season was generally a little cooler than normal, with only one heat wave, but average sunshine. At harvest time, temperatures were mild, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and harvest each plot slowly. Although the alcohol content was a little lower, the wine was very delicate and classic in style, with a strong acidity and fruitiness. "L'Esprit des Pavots" translates to "Spirit of the Poppies". This wine, first released in 2001, was produced as the younger brother of Les Pavots, and until 2015, it was blended freely using grapes from Les Pavots Vineyard. Starting with the 2016 vintage, we began adding carefully selected lots from our own vineyard, Haut Paradis Vineyard, in the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley, to the blend. Compared to our flagship wines Les Pavots and Haut Paradis, L'Esprit des Pavots has a richer expression of fruit and can be drunk young. Of course, the wines are characteristic of Peter Michael, well-balanced and elegant, and can be aged. It goes without saying that the wines of Peter Michael Winery are now known to the world as a success story of California wine. Since the release of Mon Plaisir Chardonnay in 1987, inquiries have been constant, and even now, nearly 20 years later, limited quantities are still being sold. This is because the company philosophy established at the time of the company's founding remains unchanged and is still the pillar of its activities. In 1983, after seven years of research in search of a vineyard and a place for his family to retreat, founder Sir Peter Michael purchased 630 acres (252 ha) of volcanic soil at the western foot of Mount St. Helena in Knights Valley, Sonoma, California. This was the moment when Sir Peter Michael's dream of running his own winery in the future, which he had harbored since he was a young man and visited chateaux and producers in various European countries with his father, who was living in France at the time, became a reality. He had visited Northern California many times as the founder of Quantel*, and fell in love with the land at first sight. The winery's motto was quite simple: to make wine like French wine, using the best grapes, carefully selected barrels, and traditional winemaking techniques. This was not to make California wine imitate French wine, but to overturn the prejudice against France that is still seen among general consumers today. The goal was to hope that in the future, many wines of world-class quality would be produced in California, and some of them would be wines made at Peter Michael Winery. After that, over the course of several years, the Bordeaux variety vineyards were expanded in the lower, warmer parts of the site, and the Chardonnay vineyards were cultivated in the cooler areas at higher altitudes. Taking advantage of the unique conditions of the site, each block was designed and cultivated with a complex soil that was like a puzzle. Soil, microclimate, topography and exposure conditions determine the variety, rootstock, row orientation, density and drainage for each section. In addition to the vineyards, the Michael family advocates long-term conservation of the property, restoring natural habitats by planting indigenous plants. Peter Michael Winery's winemakers include Helen Turley, Marc Aubert, Vanessa Wong, Luc Mollet and current winemaker Nicolas Mollet. Throughout, the winery has maintained Sir Peter's beliefs of "mountain vineyards, traditional winemaking and small batch production". In keeping with Sir Peter's "100 by 100 plan" - 100% family-run for at least 100 years, the winery is passing the baton to the next generation, with his son Paul now in charge.
Michael and his wife Emily have gradually taken on more responsibility for the strategic direction of the winery. In 1998, the family purchased 400 acres in the True Sonoma Coast (now Fort Ross-Seaview AVA). The site is an amazing combination of coastal and mountain characteristics. The climate is fairly cool throughout the growing season, but the higher elevations, free from fog, receive enough sunshine to fully ripen the grapes. This land was planted with Pinot Noir in 2006 and 2007. In 2009, they purchased 41 acres in the mountains east of the Oakville appellation overlooking Napa Valley, 26 of which are planted with Bordeaux varieties. The vineyard was named "Au Paradis" and the 2012 vintage of this wine was ranked #1 in WineSpectator's Top 100 just two years after its debut. Peter Michael Winery's wines have been recognized by leading wine critics such as Robert Parker, who said, "If I were a French winemaker living in Bordeaux or Burgundy, I would have to pay attention to a top California winemaker like Peter Michael."