Peter Michael L'Esprit des Pavots 2013

JS95:  Exotic aromas of fresh herbs, flowers, truffle and strawberries. Full body, round and velvety tannins. Savory and decadent. Fabulous mouthfeel. Why wait on this? So pleasing already but will age wonderfully. A blend of 56% cabernet sauvignon, 22% cabernet franc, 21% merlot and 1% petit verdot.

VM91: The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon L'Esprit des Pavots is a gorgeous, modern Knights Valley red. Dark, sumptuous and racy. with considerable aromatic complexity from the Cabernet Franc in the blend, the 2013 Esprit is striking. Black cherry, plum, espresso, mocha and leather are all pushed forward. Les Pavots gets most of the attention among the Bordeaux reds at Peter Michael. I often find the Esprit nearly as compelling. More importantly for many consumers, it drinks well pretty much upon release. The Esprit is a very beautiful Knights Valley Bordeaux-blend with forward fruit, soft contours and plenty of near to medium-term appeal.