1995 Peter Michael Clos du Ciel Chardonnay, 1.5ltr

Of the many stories that accompany the founding of Napa Valley wineries, the story of the Peter Michael Winery is one of the most colorful and unexpected. Peter Michael was born in England, where he led several successful technology companies before being knighted in 1989 in recognition of his career in technology and other industries. In the same year he and his wife Maggie founded Peter Michael Winery in Calistoga. From the beginning it was Peter Michael’s mission to produce limited quantities of Chardonnay and a proprietary red that blended Old World winemaking with New World terroir. He has a talent for attracting talent, and some of the best winemakers in the Napa Valley have worked for him, including Helen Turley and Mark Aubert. All Peter Michael’s premier wines are bottled without filtration. There are 112 acres of vines, growing Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. About 100,000 bottles are produced annually. Winemaker is Nicolas Morlet, a native of Champagne and brother of Luc Morlet, Peter Michael’s former winemaker.

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.