Producer's Notes:

L’Esprit des Pavots translates to “The Spirit of the Poppies.” First produced in the 2002 vintage, the wine was sourced from the younger vines on our estate. As the vineyard matured, “L’Esprit” has evolved into a more frankly Californian expression of our Les Pavots vineyard’s terroir. This bottling is now a full-fledged member of the Peter Michael family of wines. The blend for L’Esprit is a bit more free-form than Les Pavots, varying more from vintage to vintage. The wine is typically a bit more fruit forward and early drinking than Les Pavots but remains a true expression of the estate’s terroir.

Generiously rich and intense, the 2014 L’Esprit des Pavots displays all the features which characterize the Les Pavots terroir: blueberry, vanilla bean, licorice, chocolate, cedar and coffee. The fruit of younger vines brings additional aromas of black cherry, black currant, plum, leather, tobacco and gray and white pepper to the complex bouquet. The palate is full-bodied, and concentrated, exhibiting savory elements and abundant, supple tannins with a lingering finish. Fruit forward and enjoyable at release, this wine should age for a decade or more.