Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Ma Belle-Fille expresses nuances and complexity of dough, jasmine, pineapple, fresh pear, pastry elements, golden apple and nectarine accentuated by elegant minerality. Generous on the palate, rich with a creamy texture and multilayered, the wine displays brioche, orange blossom, dry honey, almond, nougat, vanilla, and clove. The finish is slightly oily, classic and very long.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Ma Belle Fille is the highest of the Peter Michael vineyards, located at 1,200-1,800 feet. Planted to a field selection of Hudson, Old Wente, Montrachet and Calera clones, it is also the earliest ripening vineyard. The 2018 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille comes skipping out of the glass with vibrant, youthful scents of lemon tart, mandarin peel, green mango and crystalline citrus peel with emerging nuances of wet slate, candle wax and freshly cracked hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features a satiny sheen and a wicked backbone of freshness galvanizing the mineral and citrusy flavors into an electrifying finish.
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James Suckling
There’s a lot going on here, with aromas of dried pineapple, citrus zest, charred toast, hazelnut and chamomile. It’s medium-to full-bodied with crisp acidity. Creamy, almost chewy layers of ripe and dried fruit. Concentrated and refined. Foursquare.
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.