Description
From the very beginning, Sir Peter Michael had a clear vision—he wanted to create wines of genuine calibre, wines that could stand proudly alongside the greats of the old world while expressing something unmistakably Californian. That journey began back in the 1970s when he first set foot in California, and it led him, eventually, to a stretch of rugged, unplanted land in Knights Valley known as Sugarloaf Ranch. There was something about the place that spoke to him immediately. Remote, wild, and beautiful, it had the right bones—and so he planted vines, and five years later, in 1987, the first vintage was made. What followed was not just success, but something far rarer: a consistent pursuit of excellence that has only deepened over the decades.
The Peter Michael philosophy has always been rooted in a respect for both tradition and place. By combining classical winemaking techniques with the complexity and tension that come from mountain-grown fruit, they’ve created something quite special. Over the years, the estate has benefited from the hands and minds of some of the most revered winemakers in the business—Helen Turley, Mark Aubert, and the Morlet brothers among them—and while they continue to consult, the day-to-day winemaking is now led by Robert Fiore, who is quietly steering the ship into its next chapter with great assurance.
The L’Après-Midi Sauvignon Blanc comes from the very first vineyard planted on the estate—Les Pavots—a steep, high-elevation site that climbs to almost 1,400 feet. The fruit is picked and sorted entirely by hand, then whole-cluster pressed before undergoing natural fermentation in barrel. There’s no malolactic fermentation, which helps to preserve that fresh, vivid edge that gives the wine such lift. Each individual lot is matured separately on its lees for around nine months, with gentle bâtonnage throughout, and then carefully blended to bring out the best of the vintage.
As for 2023—well, it was a cooler year from the start. Substantial winter rains pushed budbreak back by nearly a month, with flowering and fruit set not arriving until early June. That delay brought smaller clusters and a reduced crop, but it also allowed for a remarkably long and temperate growing season. With no major heat spikes to speak of, ripening was slow and steady, resulting in small, intensely flavoured berries with excellent natural acidity. The Sauvignon Blanc came in between September 21st and October 13th, a full month later than the previous year, while the Sémillon hung on until early November—testament to how drawn-out and balanced the harvest really was.
In the glass, the 2023 L’Après-Midi is immediately expressive—an aromatic fanfare of passionfruit, white peach, apricot, and ripe pear, layered with floral notes of jasmine, lemon blossom, and a hint of white rose. On the palate it opens with a vivid, juicy freshness, then broadens into something more textural and refined—there’s creaminess and weight here, but it’s underpinned by an electric line of acidity and a real sense of energy. It’s a wine of generosity and restraint, power and poise—and it finishes with a length that reminds you just how seriously this estate takes its whites. One of the finest expressions of mountain Sauvignon in California, and easily one of the most elegant.