“The 2006 Red has a dense purple color with extracted, toasty aromas of blackberry reduction, black currant and bittersweet cocoa. It is firm and beautiful on the palate with fruit flavors, firm tannins and phenolic balance for longevity. This concentrated wine leaves a long, lingering finish.” – Erin Green, Winemaker October 2009
Composition
81% Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Merlot
6% Cabernet Franc
2% Petit Verdot
1% Malbec
Vineyards
- Pahlmeyer Estate Vineyard,
- Rancho Chimiles,
- Stagecoach
Proprietary Red: An Iconic Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend
Jayson Pahlmeyer's "California Mouton" - a rich, powerful Napa Valley Bordeaux blend called Proprietary RedRead More
Critics
95 Points
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #180, December 2008
Sweet, smoky, meaty aromas interwoven with melted asphalt, camphor, blackberry, cassis, and charcoal scents emerge from the complex aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, displaying sweet tannin, a concentrated mouthfeel, and a long, heady finish with substantial fruit, glycerin, and extract. It should drink beautifully for 20+ years.
93 Points
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2009
Good medium ruby. Musky aromas of black raspberry, mocha and smoke. Ripe, lush, seamless and deep; broad for the vintage, with plenty of mid-palate stuffing to support its tannins.
90 Points
James Laube, Wine Spectator, November 2009
Firm and structured, with a taut mix of dried currant, anise, sage, dusty berry and cedary oak. Full-bodied, concentrated and marked by chewy tannins, this is closed and needs time. The best of two bottles tasted.
Winemaking
- Winemaker:
- Erin Green
- Alcohol:
- 15.2%
- Harvested:
- September 28 to October 28, 2006
- Bottled:
- April 7, 2008
- Released:
- September 1, 2009
The grape clusters were sorted by hand, and once de-stemmed, the berries were hand-sorted again on the way to the tank. This was followed by a four to five day cold soak, depending on flavor extraction. The fruit was then allowed to ferment with 100% native yeast in small open-top fermentors for two weeks. Near the end of fermentation, the must was gently pressed and the wine was moved to barrels where it finished its primary and secondary fermentations. Ageing continued in 80% new French oak, a combination of Taransaud and St. Martin barrels, for close to 18 months. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
