2021 Peter Michael 'Au Paradis' Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

"If one considers the total production of all the Peter Michael cuvées... and the diversity of their wines... Peter Michael Winery may be the best-run winery of its size for world-class quality." ~ Robert Parker.

Planted on Oakville's famed red dirt, Peter Michael's 'Au Paradis' Cabernet Sauvignon is exactly what its name promises: paradise. This Bordeaux-style Cabernet hails from 26 meticulously cultivated acres perched on gently sloping foothills, overlooking the valley floor and the majestic Mayacamas Mountains. A true masterpiece of Napa Valley, the 2021 vintage dazzles with silky tannins, lush red fruit, and a sense of place that can only be described as divine.

Sir Peter Michael didn’t just create a winery—he sculpted a legacy. From the foothills of Oakville to the heights of Mount St. Helena, his family's 100×100 vision ensures this paradise remains in their stewardship for a century. This is more than a vineyard; it’s a sanctuary of elegance, care, and unrelenting pursuit of excellence.

Nestled between 500 and 600 feet above sea level, this Oakville gem thrives on a perfect combination of slope, soil, and sunlight. The hillside vineyard basks in ideal conditions, allowing the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot to ripen to perfection. The result? A wine with depth, structure, and unmistakable elegance.

Today, Paul and Emily Michael carry forward the family’s tradition, joined by the next generation who have grown up with the land in their veins. This wine is a testament to their dedication—a rare gem produced with care, precision, and a touch of magic.

As with all Peter Michael wines, 'Au Paradis' is produced in limited quantities to maintain its pristine quality. This is not just a bottle; it’s an experience, a journey, a celebration of Napa Valley’s greatness.

2021 is looking to be one of the vintages of the decade. Vinous Media blessed this year with a 95-98 point score, and said: "Two thousand twenty-one is a fabulous vintage in Napa Valley. That’s the good news. The not so good news is that production is down sharply, 30-50% in many cases. The wines have tremendous energy as well as finesse. In tasting, the 2021s show some of the savory intensity of other drought vintages – 2013 and 2014 come to mind – but with more aromatic explosiveness and greater inner sweetness."

Aging: 18 months in French oak barrels.

9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot. The brilliant, dark ruby red 2021 ‘Au Paradis’ entices with a beguiling mix of dried rose petals, lilacs, violets, black currant, dark cherry, black plum, and raspberry. The silky entry leads to a burst of extremely fine-grained tannins and a broad, concentrated mid-palate melts into a harmonious, lengthy finish. The well-structured 2021 exhibits beautiful harmony, depth, and powerful elegance. This is a wine that promises to age gracefully for over twenty years.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis is blended with9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Merlot, and its aromas unfold over several minutes in the glass. Blueberry liqueur and a well of cassis give way to bresaola, grilled meats, bitter chocolate, leather, thyme and sage before a singular crescendo of pure violet perfume. The palate offers a seamless structure defined by smooth, velvety tannins and freshnessthat highlights its floral top notes; highly concentrated, detailed fruit; herbal, savory and mineral flavors; and fantastic length. Its ripeness is expertly restrained, and this world-class Cabernet, poised for a slow arc of maturation, is a great candidate for the cellar.1,344 cases were made, and the Au Paradis will be released in July of 2024. ~98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis is sublime. Soaring aromatics meld into a core of dark red/purplish fruit in a Cabernet that captures the magic—all the essence—of this plateau in the eastern hillsides of Oakville.Cabernet Sauvignon (88%)is quite high in the blend this year, but what impresses most is the wine’s dazzling balance and pedigree. What a knockout. This is one of the finest wines I have tasted from Peter Michael. ~ 98 Vinous Media 

A rich and flavorful red with lots of blackberries, dark chocolate, iodine, orange peel, lemon zest, green tobacco and pine needles, Medium-bodied. Tannins are open and then turn fine and polished. Lovely length and consistency. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc and 3% merlot. Drink after 2028. ~98 James Suckling

~98 The Wine Independant

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