Chardonnay La Carrière 2019
AVA, Peter Michael Winery, 750 ml
Description
Aromatics derived from the terroir-driven minerality of the vineyard block resonate on the nose, reminiscent of oyster shell combined with fragrant jasmine blossom, lemon-lime zest, and fresh brioche. Decadent and creamy on the palate, the wine expresses exquisite flavors of Williams pear and Golden Reinette apple, accentuated by delightful pain d’épices with toasted almonds. The superb concentration is elegantly balanced by crisp acidity, sculpting the structure of this wine much like a grand cru. The 2019 ‘La Carrière’ will mature gracefully for the next two decades.
Attributes
| Grape variety: | Chardonnay |
| Producer: | Peter Michael Estate |
| Origin: | USA / California / Napa Valley |
| Other vintages: | 2010 |
| Ripening potential: | 2 to 15 years |
| Drinking temperature: | 10 to 12 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Grilled fish, Wild fowl, White cheese |
| Volume: | 14.5 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Peter Michael Winery
In the 1970s, Sir Peter Michael came to California as a young engineer and discovered the emerging wine world of California, with some excellent names already drawing international attention.
This awakened his desire to try something new. The search for a suitable piece of land ended in the secluded Knights Valley on the western slope of Mount St. Helena, in the east of Sonoma County, north of Napa Valley. The first vines were planted in 1983. His son Paul was helping out at the time and was full of enthusiasm, although the rows of vines were extremely difficult to set up on the very steep (inclines of up to 40%), stony layers of primarily volcanic rock. Later, Sir Peter was able to buy more plots of land on the coast and in Oakville, in Napa: Fort Ross-Seaview, with perfect growing conditions for Pinot Noir, and Au Paradis, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
California
California: Lots of fruit and ripe tannins
Around 90 percent of the wine produced in the USA comes from California. The Napa Valley, situated roughly 100 kilometers north of San Francisco, is the most prominent wine region in the western hemisphere. California vintners first caused an international sensation with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, however, superior wines are also produced from Pinot Noir, Syrah and other varieties. California’s wine country shows more variety today than ever before.
USA
USA - Yes, they can!
The United States is the third-largest nation on the planet in terms of both land area (after Russia and Canada) and population (after China and India). Every conceivable climate zone can be found in the US, from hot deserts to arctic frost. Thanks to immigration from all over the world, the US is probably the most multicultural country on the planet. Thus it has the ideal conditions for producing internationally recognized wine.
