Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2018

Professional Ratings

• 97 Jeb Dunnuck

  The 2018 Red Blend Proprietary Red could easily be mistaken for a great vintage from Château Latour, at least aromatically. Blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and a gorgeous sense of minerality all develop in the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, concentrated mouthfeel, building tannins (and plenty of them), and a great finish. This brilliant, world-class Cabernet is going to benefit from 4-5 years or more of bottle age and have 30+ years of longevity. The blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, all brought up in 95% new French oak. Rating: 97+

• 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Blend is fairly shut down to begin. With swirling, it delivers vibrant scents of fresh blackcurrant and black berries plus hints of wild thyme, damp soil, black olives and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with loads of herbal and mineral sparks among the crunchy black fruits, with a firm, grainy texture and a lively backbone, finishing with tons of energy and persistence.
  Rating: 96+
• 94 Wine Spectator

  Dark and winey, with cassis, plum reduction and blackberry paste flavors allied to a singed alder and apple wood backdrop. Delivers dark tobacco and espresso crema accents that line the finish, as the fruit moves through slowly. For fans of the powerful style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

• 94 Wine Enthusiast

  This is a thick, rich blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc that dazzles in dark brooding berry fruit. Concentrated and sublimely textured, it is weighty with hints of gun smoke, iron and leather that last for days. This will do well in the cellar. enjoy best from 2028

  Cellar Selection

• 93 Wine & Spirits
  This wine is a blend from five vineyards, mainly Stagecoach, with a contribution from the Pahlmeyer Estate at 2,200 feet elevation on Atlas Peak. It’s the first Pahlmeyer wine to include fruit from the Upper Range Vineyard, a new planting above the Silverado Trail east toward Pritchard Hill. This 2018 is a lovely, rosy cabernet, the fruit following along with the tannins in a harmony of woodland scents, forest blueberry, tight cranberry and a light, fruity mushroom dimension. It’s bright, full-on joyous cabernet, with a lasting finish that suggests there’s more to come with age.