peter michael belle cote chardonnay 2021 750ml

The grapes for Belle Côte are grown at 1,700 to 1,750 feet above sea level. The high elevation, in combination with a more sheltered site, create conditions for a long and slow ripening. The resulting wine offers the broadest, fattest fruit profile of our four single vineyards Chardonnays, with clean citrus notes, exotic lychee, and our signature wet stone-like minerality.

As the oldest of the four Peter Michael Winery estate Chardonnay blocks, Belle Côte exemplifies the consistent quality of Chardonnay these mountain vineyards produce. Due to the naturally cool climate of the site’s high elevation, and mitigated exposure to the hot afternoon sun by its southeastern exposure and a stand of trees on its western border, the vines are allowed to slowly ripen. The growing season for Belle Côte typically extends into October, two to three weeks longer than most Chardonnay vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties.

WINEMAKER'S TASTING NOTES

Intense orange blossom, lemon custard, and jasmine burst from the glass of the 2021 ‘Belle Côte’.  This highly aromatic bouquet continues with rose petals and lychee underlain by orange marmalade bass notes.  The rich entry and dense mid-palate show the depth created by our oldest Chardonnay vines.  Hints of orange peel, pastry, and lemon curd lead to a long, polished finish.  Belle Côte can be enjoyed in its exuberant youth or after decades of cellaring.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

RP98, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"I tasted the 2021 Chardonnay Belle Côte as a finished tank sample the day before it was bottled. From vines planted in 1990, it was matured for 12 months in 40% new French oak. It offers lush aromas of baked apples and apricots, jasmine, biscuit, nutmeg and cream with spicy, floral nuances arising as it airs in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive with streaks of flint and focused acidity to balance its generous fruit. Expressive and inviting, it's a pleasure to drink now, yet the way it transforms in the glass suggests it will also develop positively in the cellar over the next decade or more."

750ml Bottle