| Score: |
95+ ST.
"Green-tinged pale yellow color. Tight, bright aromas of crystallized pineapple and lemon peel. Fatter and larger-scaled than the Cuvee Indigene, but less open and more discreet today despite its superb depth of flavor and impression of power. But this very dry, classic, youthfully unevolved wine boasts outstanding thickness, concentration and chewiness of texture, not to mention great length .... There are major changes to report here. Nicolas Morlet has been hired to replace his older brother Luc as winemaker. Luc has joined Staglin Family Vineyard as winemaker and is launching his own label, but will continue to consult at Peter Michael. In the meantime, longtime general manager Bill Vyenielo has also left to pursue his own wine marketing venture and ex-winemaker and long-time consultant Mark Aubert is no longer involved at Peter Michael. Despite all these changes, the set of 2004s I sampled in mid-March was brilliant. Luc Morlet described the 2004 vintage as similar to 2003 in its high natural acidity, but with a lower crop level. 'The weather alternated between hot days and thick fog,' noted Morlet, pointing out that many other North Coast vineyards experienced a very long and mostly unrelieved heat wave without any protection from fog. 'Here, the ripeness went up in spurts, then stabilized.'" Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com, May 2006 |