Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This is really complex with the complete character profile of Peter Michael chardonnay. It’s full and very layered with a great center palate. Incredibly thought-provoking and satisfying. Dried apple and lemon with lightly toasted oak. Great finish. Changes all the time.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
An eastern-facing slope on white, dusty soil, this vineyard is the latest of the Peter Michael Chardonnay vineyards to ripen each year. The site is planted mainly to Old Wente and See clone selections with a little Rued clone. Planted in 1990, these are the oldest vines on the estate. A tank sample due to be bottled within the next couple of days, the 2019 Chardonnay Belle Cote’s nose needs a little coaxing to reveal elegantly expressed scents of lemon curd, lime leaves and Bosc pears plus suggestions of baker’s yeast, toasted almonds and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is beautifully poised if a little youthfully closed, revealing glimpses at loads of citrus, savory and mineral nuances with a racy line and creamy texture, finishing on a lingering zesty note.
Barrel Sample: 97-98 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Another estate Knight Valley release, the 2019 Chardonnay Belle-Cote is one of the richer, more powerful Chardonnays in the lineup. Buttered lemon, flower oil, toasted almond, honeysuckle, and brioche are some of the nuances here, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a distinct sense of minerality on the finish. It's another rich, concentrated, age-worthy Chardonnay from this team that will have a solid decade of overall longevity.
-
Wine Spectator
Elegant, plush and rich-tasting, with well-knit apple and pear tart flavors that are supported by suave acidity. Light buttery accents midpalate linger onto the juicy finish, which features ripe tangerine and blood orange notes.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A small and picturesque valley separating Napa Valley on its south border and Alexander Valley to its north, Knights Valley excels in similar varieties as the two aforementioned appellations, namely red Bordeaux varieties and blends, as well as Sauvignon blanc. Originally established by Beringer Vineyards, today several outstanding producers claim acreage here. The circadian cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean create a nighttime respite for vineyards during the hot growing season.