2023 Peter Michael Pinot Noir Le Caprice
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Tasting notes
From the Sonoma Coast, the 2023 Pinot Noir Le Caprice Estate pours a youthful ruby color and is ripe on the nose with aromas of raspberry liqueur, toasted spice, brambly ripe herbs, and fresh earth. The palate is medium-bodied, with ripe tannins that have a bit more breadth and richness, but it retains a refreshing acidity and has a long, spiced finish. Drink over the coming 15 years. Sir Peter Michael founded his eponymous winery in 1982, inspired by the wine of Chateau Montelena, which led him to California. In 2020, Robert Fiore took the helm as winemaker, while former winemaker Luc Morlet remains as a consultant. Robert studied at the Colorado School of Mines, which led him to a career in environmental geophysics before finding his path into the world of wine. He went on to UC Davis to study Viticulture and Enology. Most recently, Robert was a member of the winemaking team at Continuum in Napa. Vineyard manager Javier Avina has championed the land since 1991. Each of the sites are steep hillsides in Knights Valley that modulate with varied exposition and soils. Sir Peter’s son Paul and his wife Emily oversee the management of the winery today.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Pinot Noir Le Caprice has inviting aromas of red and black cherry, cranberry, blood orange, violet, licorice, pipe tobacco and foresty undertones, and it becomes more expressive as it airs in the glass. The full-bodied palate is brimming with layer after layer of spicy fruit. It’s framed by silky tannins, and its succulent acidity is irresistible. It has a long, latent finish and will benefit from several years in the cellar. 979 cases were made.
About the producer
Founded in 1983 by Sir Peter Michael CBE and his wife Margaret, Peter Michael Winery produces some of California’s finest wines.