| Rating |
99 RP - A great, great success (and of course, this is Knight’s Valley material), the 2002 Les Pavots, which I loved from barrel as well as bottle, still has a good 20+ years of life ahead of it. At this point, it is tasting like a vigorous young adolescent in its evolutionary development. The blend in 2002 from the winery was 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Moreover there are just under 3,000 cases of this spectacular wine, which I'm hoping many readers have cellared away. Inky black/purple, with a nose of incense, licorice, balsamic and Asian soy notes interwoven with blackberry, blueberry and hints of truffle and camphor, this wine is full-bodied, opulent and voluptuously textured, with sensational mid-palate, depth and richness. This is a killer Bordeaux-styled, ripe, exuberant, flamboyant red from Peter Michael that stands as one of the all-time great Les Pavots cuvees ever made. It ideally needs another 3-4 years of cellaring, although it is quite accessible and should keep for a minimum of 20 or more years. Bravo! A monumental effort is the 2002 Les Pavots a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Merlot 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. And there is even more good news - there are 2800 cases of this exceptional wine. Dense purple-colored with an extraordinary nose of melted licorice white chocolate creme de cassis licorice and incense the wine hits the palate with a silky opulence and marvelous full-bodied power but it is light on its feet with great delineation vibrancy and freshness. Superb purity and a finish that goes on for 50+ seconds is the stuff of modern-day California legends. This beauty is already beginning to age well yet should last easily for 18-22 years. RP |
