Peter Michael Winery
Estate Vineyards Les Pavots Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
2008 vintage. From the Knights Valley AVA (Sonoma). A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Very impressive. Ripe blackberry fruit, spices, and truffles jump out of the glass. Powerful and elegant at the same time with layers of black fruit, great balancing acidity, haute couture tannins, and a very, very long finish. Irresistible now, but this should age well for decades. Abv. 14,5%.
2008 vintage. From the Knights Valley AVA (Sonoma). A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Very impressive. Ripe blackberry fruit, spices, and truffles jump out of the glass. Powerful and elegant at the same time with layers of black fruit, great balancing acidity, haute couture tannins, and a very, very long finish. Irresistible now, but this should age well for decades. Abv. 14,5%.
Jun 2nd, 2023
For my 5,000th review on Vivino, it's time for a special bottle. Here is a gorgeous Bordeaux blend.
Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.
Gorgeous nose of blueberries, cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, eucalyptus, black pepper, tobacco, herbs, leather, wet leaves, earth, vegetables and graphite.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs. Smooth and elegant.
Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, cherries, figs, licorice, wood, vanilla, sweet cherries, graphite, spices, earth, wet leaves, herbs, light vegetables and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
What a great surprise. This Bordeaux blend is drinking so beautifully right now. Well balanced and very complex. Gentle with lots of fruits and earth notes.
This 14 year old from Knights Valley needs a couple of hours to open up properly and really show up. Delicious.
Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 95 points.
A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 2% Petit verdot.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
15.1% alcohol by volume.
97 points.
$200.
For my 5,000th review on Vivino, it's time for a special bottle. Here is a gorgeous Bordeaux blend.
Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.
Gorgeous nose of blueberries, cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, eucalyptus, black pepper, tobacco, herbs, leather, wet leaves, earth, vegetables and graphite.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs. Smooth and elegant.
Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, cherries, figs, licorice, wood, vanilla, sweet cherries, graphite, spices, earth, wet leaves, herbs, light vegetables and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
What a great surprise. This Bordeaux blend is drinking so beautifully right now. Well balanced and very complex. Gentle with lots of fruits and earth notes.
This 14 year old from Knights Valley needs a couple of hours to open up properly and really show up. Delicious.
Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 95 points.
A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 2% Petit verdot.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
15.1% alcohol by volume.
97 points.
$200.
Lots of fun bottles were popped at Al’s hosting this past weekend for his birthday celebration. All were served blind. 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 6 reds and 1 dessert wine.
En mag. Probably the most difficult wine of the night to identify. Hardly anyone even got close to calling this cab. I was leaning Grenache or ripe vintage burgundy as I thought I was detecting a bit of whole cluster usage due to the lifted profile and stemmy/spice red fruit notes. Yet by the end of the night, the structure beefed up and the spice turned more sweet. Lovely cherry liqueur, sandalwood, baking spices and baked red fruited pie notes.
Lots of fun bottles were popped at Al’s hosting this past weekend for his birthday celebration. All were served blind. 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 6 reds and 1 dessert wine.
En mag. Probably the most difficult wine of the night to identify. Hardly anyone even got close to calling this cab. I was leaning Grenache or ripe vintage burgundy as I thought I was detecting a bit of whole cluster usage due to the lifted profile and stemmy/spice red fruit notes. Yet by the end of the night, the structure beefed up and the spice turned more sweet. Lovely cherry liqueur, sandalwood, baking spices and baked red fruited pie notes.
Dense and rich but with a freshness to keep it interesting
Dense and rich but with a freshness to keep it interesting
Apr 10th, 2017
Cellar selection.
Cellar selection.
Feb 8th, 2015
Huge wine that had a lot of brightness, dark fruits and chocolate. Some peoples favorite today.
Huge wine that had a lot of brightness, dark fruits and chocolate. Some peoples favorite today.
Nov 27th, 2014
Exquisite and elegant. Balanced with bell pepper quality dried purple fruit.
Exquisite and elegant. Balanced with bell pepper quality dried purple fruit.
Oct 4th, 2022
Anise and violets on the nose and back palette complemented by dark, rich fruit, wonderfully integrated tannins, and no sign whatsoever of undue alcohol. We had the wine with steak Diane (Emeril’s recipe) - and the wine was particularly well paired to balance the main course. Ready to drink now.
Anise and violets on the nose and back palette complemented by dark, rich fruit, wonderfully integrated tannins, and no sign whatsoever of undue alcohol. We had the wine with steak Diane (Emeril’s recipe) - and the wine was particularly well paired to balance the main course. Ready to drink now.
Jul 10th, 2020
Not as good as the other time I had it a month or so ago. Might have been due to the service... Waiter breaks the cork in half. Happens to all of us. He then proceeds to tell me that it wasn’t his fault and that the cork was soft. Ok. Not sure I care, it happens. Says he has to decant it. Great, thought we would no matter what right :) Comes back with one of those tiny decanters, filled to the top with cork all over the top of the wine. Sigh. Then proceeded to pour very full glasses for my parents who are sitting there saying just a little please. Comes back a bit later and proceeds to top off the glasses and empty the decanter. Can I blame the wine for not having a good showing? My last one too :(
Not as good as the other time I had it a month or so ago. Might have been due to the service... Waiter breaks the cork in half. Happens to all of us. He then proceeds to tell me that it wasn’t his fault and that the cork was soft. Ok. Not sure I care, it happens. Says he has to decant it. Great, thought we would no matter what right :) Comes back with one of those tiny decanters, filled to the top with cork all over the top of the wine. Sigh. Then proceeded to pour very full glasses for my parents who are sitting there saying just a little please. Comes back a bit later and proceeds to top off the glasses and empty the decanter. Can I blame the wine for not having a good showing? My last one too :(
Jul 24th, 2018