2009 Peter Michael Chardonnay Point Rouge

The 2009 Chardonnay Point Rouge shows off superb textural richness in its tropical fruit, French oak, orange marmalade and flowers. It is a deep, seamless wine endowed with tremendous purity and thrust. A creamy, expansive finish covers every inch of the palate with flavor. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. I tasted a large number of wines at Peter Michael. Overall, the 2009 reds made the most positive impression on this visit. The 2009 Chardonnays are very strong. I am less enamored with the 2010 Chardonnays, as they clearly show the ill-effects of a challenging growing season, which at Peter Michael yielded very concentrated whites with slightly higher than normal alcohol levels and an element of heaviness that is out of character. Winemaker Nick Morlet describes 2010 as a difficult year. Bud break was a full month late. High winds and rain during the flowering resulted in high amounts of shatter and yields that are dramatically lower than normal. Morlet describes 2009 as a vintage where everything ripened quickly and at the same time. This lineup includes several wines that are being released for the first time, including a trio of Pinot Noirs from estate-owned coastal vineyards planted in 2006 and 2007. It will be fascinating to see how those wines develop as the vines acquire age. The newest wine in the ever-expanding Peter Michael stable is a new Cabernet Sauvignon from the former Showket vineyard that will make its debut with the 2011 vintage and that will be called Le Chevalier. I hope to taste it soon. I tasted the 2010 Chardonnays and Pinots from barrel. Those wines were scheduled to be bottled in February 2012. The 2009 Chardonnays and Pinots were bottled in late January/early February 2011. Tel. (800) 354-4459; www.petermichaelwinery.com

Hazy gold. High-pitched aromas of citrus zest, white flowers and quince, with deeper notes of toasty lees and honey adding power. Densely packed lemon curd and orchard fruit flavors are underscored by a zesty mineral quality and show impressive precision. The minerality dominates the long, chewy, finely etched finish, which leaves a sexy floral note behind. This should age slowly; Nic Morlet told me that he left just one cluster of grapes per chardonnay shoot in 2009 and that almost no sulfur was used to make this wine.

The 2009 Chardonnay Point Rouge shows off superb textural richness in its tropical fruit, French oak, orange marmalade and flowers. It is a deep, seamless wine endowed with tremendous purity and thrust. A creamy, expansive finish covers every inch of the palate with flavor. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Feb 2012, www.robertparker.com