Every Pahlmeyer wine is built to be excellent; that is the standard, not the distinction. What sets Les Élus apart is something more elusive, more ethereal, and ultimately even more exciting.
We farm some of the most compelling mountain vineyards in Napa Valley and cultivate each site to its full potential. We pick each block at its optimal expression and ferment it individually. By the time the wines go to barrel, I have dozens of exceptional lots to work with, each with a distinct character. We then follow every barrel closely across its élevage, tasting regularly and watching what each one becomes.
At some point, certain barrels begin to elect themselves. They say something so clearly, so specifically about where they grew and what that year gave them. And month after month, they only become more compelling. These are the wines that let me be at my most interpretive, where my work becomes even more translation than composition. These are the wines that become Les Élus, “The Chosen,” the solo stars or soulful components of our rarest bottlings.
Savoir Faire is often a single puncheon of Chardonnay that distinguishes itself over the course of élevage, ultimately demanding to stand on its own: one extraordinary lot at the intersection of site, vintage, and the choices made in the cellar.
Pièce de Résistance is one Cabernet Sauvignon, one site, one pick: a portrait of what a single remarkable block expressed in a specific year, given the stage to articulate its voice in a complete and soulful solo.
Raison d’Être is a small-lot Bordeaux blend without prescription, allowing me to cherry-pick compelling lots from different varieties and vineyard sites. It requires a rare convergence: multiple standout lots that distinguish themselves individually and achieve something even more in concert. It is “Bordeaux Inspired, Mountain Born” in its most revealing form.
— Katie Vogt, Winemaker
