(Knights Valley AVA, Sonoma County; 62% Cabernet Sauvignon; 25% Cabernet Franc; 7% Merlot; 6% Petit Verdot; aged for 18 months in around 70% new French oak barrels; 15.8% alcohol; tasted with Robert Fiore, the winemaker since 2020, over Zoom at the CVBG press tasting; the highest tannic levels since 2013). In the shadow of Mount Saint Helena. From a mountain vineyard (290-600 metres). Intense yet lithe and lifted, energetic and bright, crisp and fresh. Glossy, creamy fine-grained tannins nicely structuring the fruit, gently coaxing it into a quite narrow frame in build around a well-defined core. Lush and intensely floral. Iris. Lily. Pink rose petals, with more aeration. Gladioli. A little wild herbal note. There’s amazing intensity to the fruit. Dark, rich, plump and yet crunchy and juicy red and much darker berry and stone fruits. Damson and dark plums, black cherries and brambles, mulberries too. With aeration in the glass the cassis arrives. Cedar and graphite in equal measure. Truly spectacular, above all in this vintage. - Colin Hay

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots is one of the most elegant and classy wines I have tasted from Peter Michael's Knights Valley estate. Deep, layered and substantial, the 2021 holds considerable promise. In most vintages, the Pavots is more aromatically expressive, but today it is quite closed. Dark red plum, mocha, spice, new leather and licorice all build in this embryonic Cabernet Sauvignon. In this tasting, the 2021 needed considerable decanting to show its textural breadth. It’s a gorgeous wine in every way. - Antonio Galloni

The blackberry and sage character comes through clearly, with some orange blossoms, graphite, dried tomatoes, green tobacco and stone. A rich and juicy red with lots of berry and chocolate character, with a full body and layered rich tannins. It’s flavorful yet hemmed in with firm yet rounded tannins. Muscular. 62% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc, 7% merlot, and 6% petit verdot. This needs four or five years to come together and show its true self. Best after 2028.

Concentrated, luscious plum, greengage, garrigue, sage, bitter black chocolate, fennel, sharp mint blast on the finish. A relatively dry growing season without huge heat spikes, giving low yields with small berries and some of the highest phenolics since 2023. Robert Fiore winemaker since 2020, Luc Morlet consultant. All mountain fruit. First plantings of these vines in 1982, vineyard is planted on the slopes of Mount Saint Helena, 70% new French oak for ageing, hard to ignore that flash of heat. If you are going anywhere near this soon, think of at least a 6 hour carafe.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Les Pavots needs a lot of shaking and swirling to bring out notes of fresh blackcurrants, black raspberries, and garrigue plus nuances of violets, crushed rocks, and wild sage. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut, with muscular black fruit and savory sparks framed by firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced. This should be very long-lived! The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. 2,769 cases were made.Among the original Knights Valley plantings dating back to 1989, Les Parvots is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon. Located at 900-1400 feet, this is a warmer site with southern exposure. It is generally composed of rocky volcanic-origin Rhyolite-based soils. Labels coming from here include the Les Pavots and L’Esprit des Pavots red wines as well as L’Apres Midi, which is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (1/3 is Musque clone) and a little Sémillon. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown