2013 | Peter Michael Winery | Belle Cote Chardonnay

Oozing with complex flavors of honeydew, toasty oak, fig, apricot and tangerine, this is enlivened by snappy acidity and ends with a long, expansive flavor. Persistent finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2013 Chardonnay Belle Côte, which I had tentatively rated 95 to 97, has turned out to be flirting with perfection. Production was nearly 1,000 cases less than the 2014! Displaying an almost stony liqueur of rocks, lemon butter, and white peach, this is a full-bodied, intense wine with loads of tangerine oil, pineapple jam and that wet stone minerality that runs through it. This extremely massive, rich, super-concentrated wine blew me away in my tasting at the winery.

• James Suckling: This is very open and fruit driven with papaya, mango, and hints of nuts. Lychee too. Full-bodied, fresh and flavorful. Some phenolic texture. Persistent finish. Lovely purity.

Producer Information

Peter Michael Winery is a highly regarded wine producer located in northern California, on the border of Napa and Sonoma counties in the Knights Valley AVA. The winery produces a number of single-vineyard wines including Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon blends. The winery was established by Peter Michael and his wife Margaret in 1982. Michael's background was in technology and had founded the digital picture company Quantel in the UK in the early 1970s. He arrived in California in the early days of the Silicon Valley tech boom and soon invested in a winery. The winery released its first vintage in 1987 and has since enjoyed a high level of critical acclaim. Three of Michael's wines have ranked in the top 10 of Wine Spectator's Top 100, and since the 1995 vintage, 14 wines have been rated 98 points or higher by US wine critic Robert Parker. Peter Michael's property in the Knights Valley AVA is at a much higher altitude than many others in the area, with vineyards reaching as high as 2000 feet (610m) above sea level. The result is cooler growing temperatures, which allows for wines in the more restrained old world style. In 2006, Peter Michael began planting a vineyard in Fort Ross-Seaview AVA in Sonoma County. In 2009 added an Oakville AVA vineyard in Napa Valley. Peter Michael Winery remains a family-owned estate that is now run by Peter's son Paul and wife Emily (the inspiration for the Belle-Fille Chardonnay label and vineyard). Only a small number of cases reach the retail market as the majority are set aside for the mailing list and long-term restaurant clientele.

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