2022 Chardonnay Belle Côte

Coming from the oldest vines on the property, planted in 1990, the 2022 Chardonnay Belle Cote pours a rich yellow hue in the glass and is highly expressive, leaping forward with perfumed aromas of honeysuckle, candied lime, salted pineapples, and crushed stones. It has wonderful focus on the palate, with a powerful core of density and tension. It’s driving and long on the finish, with persistent salinity, and it’s going to offer a wide period of enjoyment over the coming 10-15 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.

The 2022 Chardonnay Belle Côte matches ripe fruit with youthful new oak spice, evoking peach pie, vanilla panna cotta and honeysuckle. The full-bodied palate is satiny and mouth coating with perfumed, peachy flavors. It’s balanced by mouthwatering acidity that lures you in for another sip, and it has a very long finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar. 1,781 cases were made.