2023
Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
The 2023 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red opens with a rush of layered aromatics: deep herbal notes with lilac and lavender leading to a core of plum and dark cherry. Sagebrush and a fine thread of graphite minerality lend savory depth, a hallmark of the wine’s high-elevation mountain fruit. The palate reveals the paradox of the vintage: elegant and restrained on entry, then unfolding with building power and remarkable intensity. Fine tannins frame dark concentrated fruit bolstered by a beam of fresh acidity, as the long finish echoes with toasty spice and a dusty cocoa. Tightly wound in its youth, the 2023 promises exceptional evolution over the next two decades. – Katie Vogt, Winemaker
91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Malbec, 1.5% Petit Verdot
- Winemaker
- Katie Vogt
- Alcohol
- 14.9%
- Harvested Start Date
- October 7, 2023
- Harvested End Date
- October 30, 2023
- Bottled Date
- May 2025
- Release Date
- September 2026
Winemaking Notes
Across the even-paced 2023 harvest, individual blocks of our high-elevation mountain vineyards were hand-harvested at night, each picked at optimal ripeness. The extended, temperate season afforded unhurried hang time, allowing each site to express distinct character in its purest form. At the winery, the fruit was hand and optical-sorted before being gravity-fed to tank, where each lot was fermented separately with gentle extraction tailored to preserve aromatics and structure. Dozens of individual lots were aged seventeen months in 84% new, heavily toasted Taransaud French oak. The finest Cabernet Sauvignon of the vintage is the heart of this wine, anchored by the savory, classic mountain character of Upper Range vineyard. It was assembled from the many unique lots and completed with the addition of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. The final blend was bottled unfined and unfiltered in May 2025, enjoying additional bottle age before release.
A pure, powerhouse 94% cabernet sauvignon that’s full-bodied, tannic and deep. Dark cherries, blackcurrants, graphite, tobacco leaves and green olives with a mineral accent. Fresh in acidity but super concentrated, deep and primal. Meaty, sagey and age-worthy. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.
