Peter Michael Les Pavots Estate Bordeaux Red Blend 2016

Robert ParkerA blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, the very deep purple-black colored 2016 Les Pavots Proprietary Red Wine sings of crushed blackcurrants, blueberry preserves and blackberry pie with hints of camphor, black soil, truffles, crushed rocks and red roses plus a touch of garrigue. Full, rich and with wonderful finesse in the mouth, it has very finely grained tannins and plenty of vivacity, finishing long and earthy. 3,700 cases produced, to be released in the spring of 2019.

James SucklingBlackberries, blueberries, raspberry kir, sweet tobacco and black truffle. Full bodied with chewy tannins and superb texture and length. Extremely poised and powerful. Finishes with so much fresh leather and blueberries. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2023.

Jeb DunnuckA solid step up, the 2016 Les Pavots comes from vines planted in 1989 and is a mix of two separate sites in Knights Valley. This straight-up phenomenal Cabernet offers a powerful nose of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and spring flowers, and it has a Margaux-like complexity and elegance. Full-bodied on the palate, it has a multi-dimensional, seamless texture, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s a baby of a wine that needs 4-5 years of bottle age, but it will probably merit a triple-digit score in 7-8 years and keep for three decades.

VinousThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots is a dense, powerful wine endowed with tons of raciness and class. Today, the 2016 is a bit shy, though. The aromatics are not as expressive as they can be. On the palate, the Pavots is much more giving. I sense a bit less heft than in the in recent past, which is not a bad thing at all. Time in the glass brings out attractive scents of grilled herbs, rose petal and mint to round things out.