I tasted the 2021 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille as a finished tank sample the day before it was bottled. Matured for 12 months in about 40% new French oak, it is youthfully gregarious at this stage, boasting scents of white peach, nutmeg, panna cotta and hints of lime candy and floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is silky and seamless, with its focused acidity energizing the concentrated, spicy fruit, and it finishes with tremendous length, flavor and juiciness that begs you to take another sip. 1,661 cases were made. This will be released in July of 2023.

Matured for 12 months in about 40% new French oak, the 2020 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille gains aromatic intensity as it spends time in the glass, segueing from matchstick, nutmeg and panna cotta to wafts of honey, apricot, lilac and lemon peel. Medium-bodied and ultra silky, it expands in the mouth from bright citrus to more savory, honeyed fruits. It offers generous, juicy acidity and a very long, ethereal finish. Still flaunting a touch of new-oak character, it will benefit from a couple years in bottle or some time in the decanter. 1,636 cases were made.

The highest vineyard, planted to selections from Hudson, Calera and Old Wente, the 2019 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille offers up scents of crushed stone and pencil shavings on the nose but follows those up with lush notes of pear and melon on the full-bodied palate. It's round and rich, yet it comes together in a long, lime-riddled and incredibly elegant finish.

Ma Belle Fille is the highest of the Peter Michael vineyards, located at 1,200-1,800 feet. Planted to a field selection of Hudson, Old Wente, Montrachet and Calera clones, it is also the earliest ripening vineyard. The 2018 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille comes skipping out of the glass with vibrant, youthful scents of lemon tart, mandarin peel, green mango and crystalline citrus peel with emerging nuances of wet slate, candle wax and freshly cracked hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features a satiny sheen and a wicked backbone of freshness galvanizing the mineral and citrusy flavors into an electrifying finish. 2,174 cases were made.

The 2017 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille comes bounding out of the glass with all the joy and energy of a new puppy, featuring pronounced notes of apricot tart, honey toast, ginger snaps and lemon curd over a core of warm pears, apple pie and allspice, plus a hint of beeswax. Full-bodied, the palate is beautifully creamy and opulent with loads of spicy accents supporting the stone fruit layers, finishing with great freshness and minerality. 1,802 cases were made.