Peter Michael Winery Le Moulin Rouge Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, USA

彼特麥克酒莊紅磨坊黑皮諾紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：6575

2010 年的 Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge Pisoni Vineyard 是一款華麗的佳釀，和所有 Peter Michael 2010 年的Pinots一樣，其香味和風味物質都十分豐富。此款柔順濃稠的 Pinot 中散發著黑莓、紫羅蘭、甘草及礦物質等眾多的氣味。它裝瓶后我就等不及要嘗嘗。預期成熟時間：2013-2018年。

The 2009 Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge Pisoni Vineyard emerges from the glass with soft, floral infused raspberries, hard candy and spices. It is a pretty, elegant wine that captures both the essence of the Pisoni Vineyard and the Peter Michael house style. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2017. 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

Before their Sonoma Coast vineyards came into production, Peter Michael was purchasing fruit from the famed Pisoni Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands and making a delicious Pinot Noir called Le Moulin Rouge. The 2008 Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge Pisoni Vineyard exhibits a dark ruby hue along with notes of black currants, raspberries and forest floor. This medium-bodied, rich 2008 is best consumed over the next 5-6 years. This is another winery where the stylistic differences between the 2009s (lower in alcohol, lighter-bodied, yet still intense) and the 2008s (powerful, rich, concentrated and deep because of tiny yields) are dramatic. I tended to rate the 2008s slightly higher because there is more to them and they will undoubtedly last longer, but the cool harvest 2009's larger crop size has produced wines with stunning elegance and finesse without the luxurious tactile impressions possessed by the 2008s. The Peter Michael Winery is the California outpost of British-born Sir Peter Michael who has shown a Midas touch for selecting brilliant winemakers, including Helen Turley, Mark Aubert, Luc Morlet and more recently Luc’s brother, Nicolas. The consistency of these offerings from the cool climate hillside vineyards in Knight’s Valley and the Sonoma Coast has been respected and cherished by each of these winemakers. I hope readers took advantage of my notes last year on the 2008 Chardonnays because this is Peter Michael’s greatest vintage for that varietal since 2002. Readers should also keep an eye out for their Pinot Noirs from their Sonoma Coast holdings as well as their brilliant Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon/Sauvignon blends. All things considered, Peter Michael is one of the reference point wineries in California. The three Pinot Noir offerings from Peter Michael’s extensive holdings on the Sonoma Coast include Le Caprice (their steepest vineyard), Ma Danseuse and Clos du Ciel. Production ranges from 370 cases of the Clos du Ciel to just over 500 cases for Le Caprice. These are all fabulous entries into the California Pinot Noir sweepstakes and are fashioned from suitcase clones from Burgundy’s most famous vineyard in Vosne-Romanee.Tel. (707) 942-3200; Fax (707) 942-0209

The 2007 Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge has come on like gangbusters since last year. Sensational dark berry fruits (particularly raspberries, blueberries, and currants) are intertwined with subtle smoke, graphite, and oak aromas in this dense ruby/purple-tinged 2007. With terrific fruit, full body, and an opulent style, it should provide immense pleasure over the next decade. Brothers Nicolas and Luc Morlet (the former the winemaker and the latter a consultant) told me that 2008 was one of the smallest crops they have encountered, largely because of the late spring frosts, and windy conditions during flowering. Yields were low, but the quality was among the highest they have ever seen for Chardonnay, with a level of concentration reminiscent of the 2002s. As I indicated in issue #180, Peter Michael’s 2007 Chardonnays are spectacular. Production is about 30% higher per cuvee than in 2008, and these are exquisite efforts with lots of uplift, minerality, zesty aromatics, and refreshing acids. This year I should have a chance to taste the estate plantings from the huge investments Sir Peter Michael has made in Pinot Noir vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. In the meantime, here are some interesting efforts from sites where they contract for fruit.Tel. (707) 942-3200; Fax (707) 942-0209