This step in winemaking is always the most thrilling, that moment our wines are ready to share. I am pleased to introduce the 2024 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay and the 2023 Pahlmeyer Merlot as our debut 2026 offering. With 2024 delivering a beautifully classic Napa Valley vintage and 2023 perhaps the most dynamic and captivating vintage I’ve ever worked with, this release offers a chance to experience the best of our mountain vineyards across two singular growing years.

The 2024 growing season was about as textbook as Napa can get: steady, balanced, and defined by plentiful sunshine. It was warmer than 2023, but never excessive — just enough heat, not too hot, not too cold. The translation in the glass is a Chardonnay that is quintessential Pahlmeyer, beautifully defined in that intense mountain-fruit style. Ultra-rich and concentrated, yet beautifully balanced with lively freshness, it reveals a brilliant juxtaposition of opulence and bright acidity with striking aromatic intensity and pure, focused fruit at its core. 

By contrast, 2023 demanded patience. It was a very cool vintage, which is always a point of tension when growing red varieties at elevation. But our mountain sites give us certain advantages: low crop load, vineyards above the fog line, and fruit that reliably achieves ripeness when given time. As a result, we really saw the distinct character of each mountain site come through. And when we sat down to blend, it felt like all these personalities had arrived at the table in their purest form. Vintages like this make you realize what these ranches are capable of in their best year — and that becomes what we strive for. It set a new benchmark for us.

The 2023 Merlot captures this vividly. It was a late harvest; we deliberately extended hang time, allowing the fruit to fully articulate its mountain identity. Stagecoach, in particular, showed beautifully in this vintage, though each site contributed something distinct and essential to the whole. The result is a Merlot that defies expectation — layered and nuanced, revealing its power and depth over time.

I hope these wines become prized additions in your collection and look forward to hearing your impressions.

With gratitude,

Katie Vogt,Winemaker

Should you have questions, please contact us at (707) 255-2321 or info@pahlmeyer.com, Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm PT. If you contact us outside of office hours, we will respond the following business day.

Thank you for including Pahlmeyer in your collection. Your passion and enthusiasm inspire our work, and we are grateful to share these remarkable new releases with you.
— The Pahlmeyer Concierge Team