2008 Peter Michael Winery Chardonnay La Carriere

Pro Reviews

Vinous Media (VM)

Pale gold with a green tint. Pure, penetrating aromas of orange, lime zest, minerals, iodine and white pepper. Racy, sharply focused citrus and floral flavors gain flesh and sweetness with air, picking up a juicy nectarine quality while maintaining their vivacity. The peppery note returns on the clean, stony, very persistent finish. Offers the raciness of the Mon Plaisir but this is deeper and more tactile. (Jun 2010)

Wine Spectactor (WS)

Young, raw and vibrant, yet rich and concentrated. Still coarse and leesy, but with a rich, solid core of fig, melon, pear and spice. Full-bodied, focused and persistent, gaining depth. Drink now through 2015. (Jun 2010)

Wine Advocate (WA)

The super-concentrated 2008 Chardonnay La Carriere (2,100 cases produced) exhibits that tell-tale greenish hue to its straw color (which I always consider a positive sign), boisterous alcohol (15.5%), deep, concentrated, buttery flavors of nectarines, oranges, honeysuckle and subtle earth as well as oak, and excellent acidity. This is a superb Chardonnay to drink over the next 7-8 years. This is another winery where the stylistic differences between the 2009s (lower in alcohol, lighter-bodied, yet still intense) and the 2008s (powerful, rich, concentrated and deep because of tiny yields) are dramatic. I tended to rate the 2008s slightly higher because there is more to them and they will undoubtedly last longer, but the cool harvest 2009’s larger crop size has produced wines with stunning elegance and finesse without the luxurious tactile impressions possessed by the 2008s. (Feb 2011)