Wine Advisor
Peter Michael, Belle Cote Chardonnay 2022
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2022 Chardonnay Belle Côte emerges from vines planted by Helen Turley the early 1990s, the oldest vines on the property. It marries power and elegance in grand style. Deep mineral notes give the 2022 notable presence and intensity to pull it all together. This was the last fruit the estate picked, as is often the case. Belle Côte is another strong 2022 from Peter Michael.
About the Producer
The vineyards of Pete Mack winery spread out down the top of the slope deep in the valley, with a slope of about 40 degrees. The soil is volcanic ash, the soil surface is covered with volcanic stones, and the water permeability is very good. Grape varieties grown are: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Taste and more (Petit Verdot) and so on. The grapes here have high planting density, long growing period, good maturity, low yield and strong fruit flavor, which are very suitable for making top wines. All the wine grapes at Pete Mack are harvested by hand and the grapes are meticulously classified. In the late 1980s, the winery pioneered the use of natural yeasts to ferment with grapes, resulting in wines that exhibit more complex fruit aromas with amazing texture, roundness and depth. All of the winery's top wines, including Chardonnay, are not filtered prior to bottling because filtration is detrimental to the ageing process of Chardonnay. The most famous red wine of Pete Mack is Les Pavots Proprietary Red. The blending operation of this red wine varies from year to year, but the blending ingredients generally include at least 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% to 15% Cabernet Franc, and will use 60% new French oak barrels. The wines are even wider and deeper than most Bordeaux wines. The best recent vintages for the winery's Chardonnay white wines are: 2003, 2002, 2001, 1997, 1996 and 1983; the best recent vintages for Poppy Gardens red wines are: 2002, 2001, 1997 , 1994, 1992 and 1991.
