Peter Michael Winery Peter Michael Winery 'L'Esprit des Pavots' 2020 750ml

Inky red with a purple tinge, the 2020 L’Esprit Des Pavots is brooding with spice, black cherry preserve, forest earth, and black licorice. It’s full-bodied, rounded, and gushing with boysenberry, with a balance of sweet fruit and savory Sonoma character in its notes of tea leaf, wildflowers, and lightly toasted spices. Long on the palate, with ripe tannins and a good finish, it’s attractive now and will drink well over the next 10 years. (Audrey Frick)

The 2020 L’Esprit des Pavots is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Cabernet Franc and 29% Merlot, with 72% Knights Valley fruit and 28% Oakville fruit. Opaque ruby in color, it has pure, layered scents of red plum and cherry, mint chocolate, rose petals, soy sauce and cedar. The full-bodied palate features restrained, mineral-driven fruit and loads of floral character. It has abundant, finely grained tannins, energetic acidity and a long, perfumed finish. Drinkable straight from the bottle, enjoy it over the next 5–7 years. 1,161 cases were made. This will be released in July of 2023.

A fleshy and rich red with crushed berries, green pine needles, bark, orange peel and bark. Hints of walnuts, too. Full-bodied with round and polished tannins that are integrated and solid. Second wine. Drinkable now, but I would give it another two to three years of bottle age. (James Suckling)