Michaud Vineyard Chardonnay

The Desert Sun (Palm Springs) - Mark Sontz
2003 Michaud Vineyards Chardonnay, The Pinnacles, Monterey. This Wente Clones Chardonnay is just another tool for Michael to showcase his rare talent. Apple, peach, apricots and nectarines are the lively flavors most evident and there is once again that minerality that makes it all worthwhile. Don't rush to drink this wine. It will drink well now but give it five-plus years and watch it really shine. About $38.

San Francisco Chronicle - March 25, 2004
The Chronicle's Wine Selections -- Here are the panel picks from the Monterey County, Santa Cruz Mountains and Carmel Valley Chardonnays from 2000, 2001 and 2002 tasted for today...
2000 Michaud Vineyard Chalone Chardonnay
Body: Medium-full
Dryness: Dry-semidry
Comments: Nose of butter, hay, spice and mineral, plus flavors of caramelized apple, pineapple, fig and baking spice; it has a ripe, round texture and a long finish.

Novusvinum.com Gayot.com - February 12, 2004
2000 Michaud Chardonnay (Chalone Appellation) 15/20
"The top Chardonnay we've recently tasted."

San Francisco Chronicle - December 7, 2003 Top 100 Wines
2000 Michaud Chardonnay
Whistle and say "nice structure" for this one. Rich and full, with green apple, pear, cinnamon, coriander and vanilla flavors with touches of earth and talc and tangy acidity.

Wine Spectator - July 31, 2003
California Chardonnay Tasting Report: 2000 Michaud Chardonnay (Chalone The Pinnacles) - 88pts

Wine Enthusiast - May 2003
2000 Michaud Chardonnay (Chalone The Pinnacles) - 90 pts.
From high in the mountains above Monterey, crisp, steely acidity frames appley, peachy flavors. Most notable are the winemaker additions of flashy French oak and lees, which make for a creamy, rich mouthfeel. - S.H.

Randy Buckner Newsletter - May 2003
2000 Michaud Chardonnay (Chalone - Monterey County, California)
Green apples, nectarines and French oak intermingle on the nose and expand on the palate, with apricots noted as well. Full-bodied, rich and creamy, there is a touch of heat on the long finish.

San Francisco Chronicle - March 27, 2003
Panel picks Michaud Vineyard Chalone Chardonnay.
Excellent wine. Rich on the palate, structured and balanced; green apple, pear, cinnamon, coriander and vanilla, with touches of earth and talc on the nose; finishes with tangy acidity.

San Francisco Chronicle Magazine - November 4, 2001
100 Top Wines
1999 Michaud Chardonnay
Stone fruits, mineral and oak, aromas; layered fruit, mineral and citrus accents; long toasty finish.

Michaud Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Desert Sun (Palm Springs) - Mark Sontz
2003 Michaud Vineyards Pinot Noir, Chalone Appellation. Tons of black and red cherry, black raspberry, and currants are evident in both the nose and on the palate. The terroir of the pinnacles, crushed rock and spicy minerality, show clearly in the mouth and if you have the patience to decant this wine for about an hour you will "get it" too. About $39 and worth every penny.

Beverage Dynamic - January/February 2004 issue
2001 Michaud Pinot Noir (Chalone) - *****92 pts
Powerful and formidable; rich and complex aromas of black fruits and cinnamon, excellent depth; medium to full bodied, packed on the palate with good grip; rich, black fruit flavors, long finish. - Wilfred Wong

Pinot Report - December 2003
Gregory Walter, Editor and Publisher
2001 Michaud Pinot Noir (Chalone) - 92
Deep ruby purple color; bit closed, some stewed plum and cherry aromas; deep, concentrated cherry flavors a lot of structure, spicy notes and sweet oak dominate the long finish. Big, forward style with complexity and concentration. Michael Michaud spent years as winemaker at Chalone Vineyard. He knows the land and it shows in his wines. A Pinot producer to watch.

Novusvinum.com Gayot.com - October 20, 2003
Wine Pick of the Week
2001 Michaud Pinot Noir
Here is an example of passion and devotion. You'd have to drive to the vineyard to understand the full story. We are pleased to present to you Michael Michaud's coveted baby. He was the winemaker at Chalone for many years. Benefiting from an unusual limestone soil condition, the wine shows its crushed rock characteristic but also reveals black cherry and raspberries flavors. The two assets you'll get from this wine are its ageability and its power against foods like duck and mushrooms.

Decanter magazine - August 2003
California 2003
Alan Goldfarb's Pick of Pinot
2000 Michaud Pinot Noir (Chalone The Pinnacles)
Meaty, raspberry on a velvet structure with substantial tannins. Hold for a couple of years and then come back to it over the next 10. * * * rating

Randy Buckner Newsletter - May 2003
2000 Michaud Pinot Noir (Chalone - Monterey County, California)
Garnet in color, the aromas speak of black cherries, tobacco, leather and French Oak. The Pinot has atypical flavors, but is tasty nevertheless, finishing on a refreshing note.

Michaud Vineyard Syrah

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine - Volume 28 Issue 5 - March 2004
2001 Michaud Syrah 91
Deep and well-ripened, solidly fruited and smelling of raspberries and dried blackberries with a rich, creamy addition of caramel and vanilla bean oak, this supple, fleshy Syrah is equally inviting on the palate. Open and round at entry, then firming up nicely, the wine is filled with fruit, berry and spice flavors, sweet oak and a touch of a black pepper bite that often accompanies Syrah. It is long and tasty as it finishes and displays enough tannin for a few years of patient cellaring.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - January/February 2004, Issue 112
2001 Michaud Syrah (Chalone, Monterey County)
Good bright ruby. Varietally expressive aromas of black fruits, violet and licorice. Sweet, lush and nicely balanced, with flavors of dark raspberry, violet and spicy oak. Finishes with slightly dry tannins and a flavor of mocha.

Wine Enthusiast/Buying Guide - October 2003
2001 Michaud Syrah (Chalone)- 92 pts.
This is a wonderful Syrah that brings to mind the rich Hermitages of the Northern Rhone. It's dense in the mouth, with layers of cherry-berry fruit accented with peppery spices. Brilliant and evocative. Cellar Selection. - S.H.

Robert Parker, August 2003
2001 Michaud Syrah
This well-crafted, technically proficient Syrah comes across like a French Crozes-Hermitage. A deep ruby/purple color is followed by peppery, herbaceous notes with bacon fat, tapenade and red as well as black currant and cherry characteristics. Drink this spicy, pure 2001 over the next 2-4 years.

Randy Buckner Newsletter - May 2003
2000 Michaud Syrah (Chalone - Monterey County, California)
Sporting a youthful purple-red coloration, the nose is filled with dark fruit and smoked wood. Medium-bodied, tannic and crisp, the straightforward blackberry flavors blend with smoky nuances.

Michaud Vineyard General Reviews

Central Coast Adventures - Holiday 2003
Michaud Vineyard - Wine at the Pinnacle
...the Chalone Appellation identification on a wine label is beginning to signify the character of a unique spot, and not simply the wines from its oldest and most famous namesake. Michael tries to preserve those special qualities in wines that show balance, elegance and complexity, not sheer power. Because of its sparse soils and controlled irrigation, Michael also thinks the vineyard naturally produces wines with typical and expressive varietal character.

The Michaud lineup includes a rich but still crisp Chardonnay; a deep-colored, medium-bodied Pinot Noir with rewarding complexity; a Syrah full of black cherries and blessed with a long finish; and a Sangiovese with bright flavors and good food-matching acidity. As a group, the wines show a nice mix of New World fruit and Old World restraint. They may not bowl you over, but they can do something better-develop in the glass revealing flavors by the end you hadn't noticed in the beginning. - Tim Patterson

Wine Country Living - June 2003
Chalone Again, Naturally
I'm a particularly tough judge of Chardonnay and Sangiovese-one's my first love in wine, the other my least favorite varietal. So it's with pleasure that I recommend a winemaker who gets them both right. Michael Michaud needs no introduction to fans of California's Chalone Vineyards, where he made wine for 17 years. Chalone is so distinctive that it rates its own officially designated growing area, or appellation, and in 1992, Michaud bought some acreage within the zone, which is inland from Monterey. In 1998 he left the Chalone winery to concentrate on making his own wine from the Chalone appellation, and the results are worth seeking out.

In Michaud's Chardonnay, for example, the tangy mouthfeel and aromas that remind me of wet river rocks are as European as they are American. The dusky cherry color of the Sangiovese signals immediately that this is not another overblown cocktail red. Instead it's a vibrant, dimensional food wine that would be perfect alongside a roasted-pepper pizza or mushroom risotto.

Michaud also offers Pinot Blanc, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Order online or by phone. Chalone used to be a one-winery appellation, but Michaud's writing a tasty new chapter in one of California's most distinctive books. - Thom Elkjer

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