Peter Michael “L’Apres Midi” Sauvignon Blanc 2021

This might be the first time ever that I’ve managed to snag a small amount of Peter Michael’s world-class Sauvignon Blanc. It’ll certainly cost you, but that’s because it’s easily amongst the best made in the world each year.

The estate vineyards rest on steep hillsides ranging in elevation from 1100 to nearly 2000 feet. Of the nearly 600 estate acres, only about 20% are planted to grapes.

The 2021 L’Après-Midi is light gold in the glass as the bouquet of lime zest, lemon curd, pear tart, and gooseberry mixes with accents of jasmine and baking spices. A lively, juicy entry leads to flavors of fresh peach, grapefruit, apricot, and guava. The plush, textured mouthfeel frames this medium- to full-bodied wine, which finishes with accents of lemon meringue pie, acacia honey, and key lime.

With a 10% helping of Semillon added to this wine, it’s pretty complex and full-bodied for a Sauvignon Blanc and a very serious expression. It’s meant to rival the best of single-vineyard Sancerre and you can certainly see why. There’s a reason these bottles are so hard to come by. It’s age-worthy American SB that stands atop the national podium.