Pahlmeyer Merlot 2019
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Robert
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Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The commanding concentration of this Napa Valley Merlot is evident from first swirl, as bold aromas of crushed wild blackberries dominate the bouquet. The palate abounds with silky layers—an abundance of ripe black cherry and currant unfurl to earthy, savory notes of leather, camphor, and prosciutto, finishing long with an echo of anise, almond brittle, and tea leaf. Gorgeous structure and mid-palate focus suggest this cellar-worthy wine will evolve beautifully for a decade or more.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe plums and blueberries with slate, sweet tobacco and bark, Full-bodied, yet very fresh, with firm, layered tannins and a rich finish. Spices at the end. Juicy. Better in two or three years. Try after 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pahlmeyer's 2019 Merlot comes mainly from the estate vineyard, with smaller proportions from the Rancho Chimiles, Broken Rock and Stagecoach Vineyards. It's all Merlot this year, with aging in barrels from Taransaud (75% new). Beautiful notes of loamy earth and mocha accent black cherries and plums on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is somewhere between velvet and silk in texture, and the lingering finish adds savory hints of cocoa and black olive.
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Wine Spectator
Flamboyant yet impeccably structured, with rich and detailed black cherry and red currant flavors accented by mocha espresso and toasty oak. Finishes with rich, supple tannins.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe black fruits, graphite, plums, and darker cherry notes all emerge from the 2019 Merlot, another terrific, rich, concentrated, and full-bodied effort from Pahlmeyer. I love its purity, it has ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish.
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Pahlmeyer was founded in 1986, by a desire to be great by its eponymous creator Jayson Pahlmeyer. With a dream to create a California Mouton, Jayson and his partners spared no resource to make this dream a reality. Whether it was finding the perfect piece of land high atop Napa Valley’s Atlas Peak or covertly smuggling in Bordeaux cuttings, all pieces of Pahlmeyer’s history have led to its place as one of the top brand names from Napa Valley. From the very beginning, Pahlmeyer has been dedicated to crafting fine wines from the best fruit sources possible. In California, this means high elevation mountain sites, where the grapes are afforded more sunlight, cooler temperatures, and less fertile soils, which together create ideal conditions. Pahlmeyer sources the majority of their fruit from four key locations: Pahlmeyer Estate (Atlas Peak), Stagecoach (Atlas Peak / Pritchard Hill), Rancho Chimiles, and Antica.
As Napa Valley’s third most planted grape, Napa Valley Merlot shows time and time again its potential to produce exceptional results. Napa’s vaunted combination of climate, soil and the human factor of winemaking expertise lead to big, ripe, cellar-worthy and world-class versions.
Whether made by itself in single varietal bottlings or as an important role in Bordeaux Blends, Merlot continues a prominent role in this famous region. While Cabernet typically takes the lead role, Merlot’s contribution—even at 10% to 20% or so—is significant indeed. Often described as “the flesh on Cabernet’s bones,” Merlot lends a soft, round and plush character that beautifully complements Cabernet’s linear, full-throttle structure. Its flavors of plums plus subtle herbs and mint also dovetail nicely with Cabernet’s blackberry and cassis.