Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2019 – 750ml Johnson Brothers

98pts James Suckling

Blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of mint. Full-bodied with very fine, velvety tannins. Turns firm and structured with a fine chewiness and a caressing mouth-feel. Lively, too…Very attractive now, but will be better in four to five years. Try after 2026.

95pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Mainly off the estate vineyard and mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Pahlmeyer’s 2019 Proprietary Red spent 18 months in almost all new French oak. Gentle herbal notes accent cherry and cassis on the nose of this full-bodied wine, which manages to be rich and velvety without ever being heavy. Waves of ripe fruit, cedary oak and savory loam linger on the long, elegant finish. This should drink well for up to two decades.

95pts Decanter

A Napa Valley staple, Pahlmeyer was sold to E&J Gallo in 2019 and winemaker Katie Vogt is currently in charge. Decadent black fruit aromas are supercharged with lavish oak, tinged with leather and vanilla. Rich and opulent, with lacy black fruits, fine-grained tannins, pops of minty freshness, chocolate and wet river stones. With Gallo’s resources funneled into this iconic label, it will be one to watch over the coming years.

93pts Wine Spectator

Offers lots of fun, juicy blackberry and dark plum compote flavors tossed with cocoa, licorice root and Black Forest cake. Fruit-driven and frankly toasted on the finish, but has the energy for balance. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2033

Winemaker Notes

The 2019 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red is a rich and finely detailed tapestry of the finest lots across their four mountain vineyards. The bounding aromas flicker between fruity and earthy with an interweaving of wild blueberry, black plum, cassis, saddle leather, and cedar. The opulent palate is layered and expansive with captivating flavors of crushed ripe blackberry and castelvetrano olive. The focused fruit core is framed by generous fine-grained tannins, surging long with an echo of earth and spice.

Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc