Peter Michael "L'Apres-Midi" Sauvignon Blanc 2023
(Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California) - [JD 97] [WA 94]
Regular price $90.00 Sale price $79.97 Save $10.03
About the Winery:
Founded by Sir Peter Michael in 1983 with a singular vision: to make wine in the terroir-driven tradition of Burgundy and Bordeaux, yet under the California sun and in California soil.
Peter Michael Winery owns three estates: Knights Valley, Seaview (Sonoma Coast), and Oakville (Napa Valley). All rest on steep hillsides ranging in elevation from 500 to nearly 2000 feet and are the only sources for Peter Michael's wines.
Notes from the Winemaker
Tasting Notes:
A fanfare of passionfruit, apricot, pear, white peach, jasmine, white rose and lemon blossom announce the expressive nose of the 2023 ‘L’Après-Midi’. A lively entry with juicy acidity and a creamy mouthfeel leads to a highly concentrated, structured mid-palate. This Sauvignon Blanc possesses great body and drive with impressive length, all while exhibiting an effortless balance and level of refinement.
Cooler weather and significant rains in December through March delayed budbreak until mid-April, nearly a month later than most years. Flowering and fruit set were similarly delayed until early June with very small clusters setting, resulting in a smaller crop than 2022. The growing season was temperate, without major heat events which allowed the berries to maintain a lively acidity as conditions were ideal for slow, even ripening of small, concentrated berries. The Sauvignon blanc harvest was a full month later than in 2022, beginning on September 21st and finishing October 13th while the Sémillon harvest stretched all the way to November 2nd.
Winegrowing Notes:
The fruit for ‘L’Après-Midi’ is grown alongside our red varietals in the Les Pavots vineyard. The grapes were picked and sorted by hand, the whole cluster pressed and then naturally fermented in a barrel. No malolactic fermentation was conducted to preserve the fruity and zesty character of the Sauvignon Blanc. All lots were aged separately on their lees for nine months with gentle bâtonnage, then judiciously blended to compose the final cuvée.
Hand Harvested: September 21 - November 2
Bottled: May 6, 2024
Appellation: Knights Valley
Vinification: 100% naturally fermented using native yeasts. 100% barrel-fermented in French oak from select artisan coopers. Barrel-aged sur lies for eight months with gentle biweekly bâtonnage.
Release Date: September 1, 2024
Alcohol: 14.9%
Blend: 96% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Sémillon
Ratings & Reviews:
97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc L'Apres-Midi includes 4% Semillon and is a bright silver straw color. The nose opens to refreshing aromas of lime blossoms, candied citrus, salted earth, and tarragon. The palate has more compact nervous energy, with a mouthwatering spine of acidity driving the charge. It’s going to take time for its silky, rounded feel to flesh out, but it should drink well over the coming 12 or so years. Bravo. 2025-2037.
94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
Grapes for the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc L’Après-Midi were picked from September 21 through November 2—an especially long harvest window. “It was a special year because everything was pushed back,” Winemaker Robert Fiore says, noting that the cooler season resulted in very lively wines. Blended with 4% Sémillon, the 2023 L’Après-Midi is open and inviting. Pineapple, peach and guava are accented by tones of beeswax, dried tarragon and candle smoke on the nose. The palate is bursting with concentrated, tropical, spicy flavors. Its vibrant acidity provides the perfect foil, lending the wine a shimmery feel, and it has a long, perfumed finish. 1,850 cases were made.