Description
The 2023 vintage at Peter Michael’s Seaview Estate was shaped by a notably cool and extended growing season, delivering wines of precision, freshness and poise. An exceptionally wet winter replenished the vineyards, while cooler-than-average spring conditions delayed budbreak and naturally moderated vine growth. Uneven flowering limited yields to well below average, concentrating the fruit while preserving vibrancy. Ripening progressed slowly throughout a cool summer and autumn, with harvest concluding significantly later than in recent years, allowing the wines to retain bright acidity and refined balance.
Le Caprice is drawn from some of the estate’s steepest and most elevated vineyard blocks, rising above 1,000 feet with predominantly east and north-east exposures. This dramatic mountainside setting benefits from cooling Pacific influences balanced by a mild, sunlit mountain climate. Soils of clay, silt and volcanic gravels contribute polish, structure and a subtle mineral nuance. Within Peter Michael’s trio of estate Pinot Noir vineyards, Le Caprice consistently offers the most fruit-driven and expressive style.
The 2023 Le Caprice displays a luminous, vibrant hue in the glass. Aromatically, it is lifted and complex, with notes of red rose petal, black and red cherry, dried orange peel, candied plum and blackberry, accented by gentle baking spice and wild strawberry. The palate opens with a supple, rounded entry before tightening into a focused, juicy core, carried through by fine tannins and a long, smooth, harmonious finish.
Elegant, poised and classically proportioned, the 2023 Le Caprice is a refined expression of this high-elevation site. While already beautifully composed, it offers the freshness and balance to reward medium-term cellaring. Stock is expected to arrive shortly, making this an excellent opportunity to secure a new-release vintage from one of Peter Michael’s most distinctive Pinot Noir vineyards.
