Lot Overview
- Region: 89% Knights Valley (Sonoma County), 11% Oakville (Napa Valley)
- Vintage: 2023
- Varietal: 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot
- Oak Aging: Not disclosed (NDA)
- Alcohol: 15.5%
- Cases Available: 225
- Cam Price: ~$16.50/bottle ($199/case)
- Retail Estimate: $85–100/bottle equivalent
- Claude’s Source Guess: Peter Michael Winery — L’Esprit des Pavots
- Wine Berserkers Guess: Peter Michaels
- Drink Window: 2026–2040 (peak 2029–2037)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Pretty tight NDA here folks so not much I can share other than the appellations involved (Knights Valley and Oakville) and the final Bordeaux blend. No discussion of price points, locations, or vineyards. This is not a flagship wine, but I believe it would be unfair to call it a “second wine.” What I CAN tell you is that it is fantastic wine, and we are bottling the blend as it was received.
Lot 5 comes to us from a legendary winery. Produced in a lush, open-knit yet beautifully structured and utterly seamless style, this 2023 Knights Valley Meritage captures the 2023 vintage in all its glory. With tremendous upfront appeal and the capability to go another 15+ years, Lot 5 is not just a sensational wine, but an amazing value.
Tasting Notes
Dark and inky in the glass, Lot 5 features a hedonistic bouquet of plum reduction, graphite, cigar leaf and cocoa powder. The complexion of the bouquet darkens as it complexes, adding crème de mûre, red rock, powdered violets with hints of garrigue. Uber-plush on the palate, cascading purple and black fruit, chocolate, and toasty French oak all riding a deliciously chewy tannin structure. Succulent and perfectly integrated with lush, concentrated fruit supported by fresh acidity in a long, glorious finish. Exquisite in every way.
⏳ Bottle Shock Status
Bottled late July. Allow 60–90 days minimum — 15.5% alc and a serious tannic structure need integration time.
Claude’s Source Guess: Peter Michael Winery — L’Esprit des Pavots
The combination of Knights Valley and Oakville fruit is the decisive clue, and only one legendary California winery routinely blends these two specific appellations: Peter Michael Winery. Their estate spans Knights Valley (Les Pavots vineyard, planted 1990) and Oakville (Au Paradis vineyard), and since 2016 they have produced L’Esprit des Pavots — literally “The Spirit of the Poppies” — by blending lots from both estates.
Cam’s description of “not a flagship, not a second wine” is almost word-for-word how Peter Michael positions L’Esprit: explicitly “the little brother” of Les Pavots, more accessible and fruit-forward than the flagship but not a declassification. The blend profile — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot — is identical to L’Esprit’s composition across every vintage. The 15.5% alcohol also tracks with Peter Michael’s house style in warm Knights Valley years.
Les Pavots retails at $175–200/bottle, Au Paradis at $200+, and L’Esprit at $85–100. Cam’s NDA preventing any discussion of “price points, locations, or vineyards” is entirely consistent with Peter Michael’s known approach to protecting producer identity in their surplus arrangements.
✅ Confidence: High — the Knights Valley + Oakville combination is unique to Peter Michael among legendary California producers, and L’Esprit des Pavots matches the “not flagship, not second wine” description precisely. This is one of the stronger identifications in the CAM X catalog.
Drink Window
Early: 2026 — needs time for the 15.5% alc and tannic structure to integrate post-bottling.
Peak: 2029–2037. L’Esprit des Pavots consistently shows best 6–12 years from vintage.
Hold: 2040. The Knights Valley volcanic soils and Oakville structure give this exceptional longevity.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2026–2040 (peak 2029–2037)