Peter Michael Winery Peter Michael Winery 'La Carrière' Chardonnay 2024 750ml

True to its name, the Chardonnay La Carrière is full of stony, briny nuances. Citrus peel, jasmine, oyster shell and tangerine peel are all wonderfully vivid in the glass. Airy and translucent, the Carrière is all about crystalline transparency. I especially admire its energy, tension and poise. Other wines in this range offer more power and richness, but La Carrière is my personal favorite because of its intense minerality and energy.

This stunning white offers a lovely mix of marzipan and nougat, with notes of orange sherbet, lemon blossoms, salted toffee and peach preserves on a smooth, supple and elegant frame, backed by fresh acidity. Grace notes of lemon balm and lemon thyme, plus a touch of vetiver, add to the aromatic appeal and complexity. Drink now through 2037. 1,503 cases made. (MaryAnn Worobiec)

I tasted the 2022 Chardonnay La Carrière from tank on the day of its bottling. It has an alluring delicacy on the nose with soft scents of peach, apricot, meringue, toasted bread and honeysuckle with nuances of roasted almonds and flint. The palate combines a bright spine of acidity with a satiny texture and expansive, layered stone fruit and spice layers, and it has a very long finish. 1,503 cases will be made, and the La Carrière will be released in February of 2024.

Pouring a bright, pale yellow, hazy color the 2024 Chardonnay La Carrière is tropical and perfumed with highly floral wisteria and jasmine, as well as notes of passionfruit and lemon-lime meringue. Named after the quarry, it’s full-bodied but light on its feet, offering notes of raw honey, melon, and a pleasing salty lift on the close. As it opens, more stony earth starts to emerge through the floral profile. It’s very pretty and can drink well now or over the coming 10 years. Drink 2026-2036.

The 2022 Chardonnay La Carrière is a deep, potent wine with real phenolic intensity. The low yields of the vintage are evident in this decidedly rich, structured Chardonnay. I would cellar the 2022 for at least a few years, as it is quite the powerhouse at this early stage. Hints of apricot, chamomile, lemon peel and white flowers fill out the layers nicely. (Antonio Galloni)

I tasted the 2023 Chardonnay La Carrière from tank just before it was bottled. It has inviting aromas of guava, peach, panna cotta, well-integrated new oak spices and top notes of Meyer lemon. The palate is satiny and mouth coating with luxuriously ripe, layered, spicy flavors. It’s balanced by vibrant acidity that adds focus to its generous flavors, and it has a very long, nuanced finish. A total of 2,478 cases were made, and the wine will be released in April of 2025. 93-95 points. (Erin Brooks)

There’s plenty of focus and drive to this spectacular white, with a backbone of crushed rock and sea salt minerality. Fragrant white flowers including jasmine and alyssum add a perfumed thread, and the core notes of crunchy star fruit, pear and lemon curd are equally juicy and precise. Drink now through 2040. 2,919 cases made.

I tasted the 2024 Chardonnay La Carrière from tank shortly before it was due to be bottled. It has alluring, layered aromas of nectarine, mango, panna cotta, lime peel and seamlessly integrated, spicy oak. The full-bodied palate has a satiny texture, a dynamic interplay of ripe, expressive fruit with focused, driving acidity and a very long finish. 2,944 cases are expected to be released in April 2026.