Description
Les Pavots, French for “The Poppies,” was named by Lady Michael after the wild California poppies that colour the landscape of the Knights Valley ranch. The vineyard is planted on the slopes of Mount Saint Helena, delivering distinct aromas and flavors that characterize the proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Rocky, rhyolitic soils created through volcanic activity millennia ago, contribute a mineral richness and add to the wine’s complexity.
The complex bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry, black cherry, crème de cassis, and dark chocolate with floral notes of dried rose petals and violets exude from the glass of the captivating, shimmering deep red-robed 2020 ‘Les Pavots’. A plush, graceful entry builds to a broad mid-palate supported by very fine tannins. Black tea, dark chocolate, graphite, caramel, and savory notes culminate in a late mid-palate burst before resolving in a long, smooth finish. This is a classy, refined Les Pavots.
Scored 95 points by Erin Brooks for Robert Parker on February 16th 2023.