2011
Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
With its brooding dark purple color, we characterize the 2011 Proprietary Red as a Bordeaux-lover’s vintage: silky, smooth and complex, with a striking balance of power and natural acidity. Captivating flavors of rich black cherry, ripe raspberry, and vivid orange peel deepen into fragrant earth, aged leather, sweet rosemary and Dutch cocoa. The enduring finish is silky, with fine-grained tannins and layered ribbons of espresso and slate.
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
- Winemaker
- Erin Green
- Alcohol
- 15.2%
- Harvested Start Date
- October 19, 2011
- Harvested End Date
- November 2, 2011
- Bottled Date
- June 20, 2013
- Release Date
- May 5, 2014
Winemaking Notes
The grape clusters were hand-sorted, and once de-stemmed, the berries were sorted again by hand on the way to tank. After four to five days of pre-fermentation cold maceration in small open-top fermentors, the fruit began 100% native yeast fermentation. Two to three weeks later, the fruit was gently pressed and moved to barrel where it finished primary and secondary fermentations. The wine continued to age in 85% new French oak – a combination of Taransaud and St. Martin barrels – for eighteen months, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
A beguiling, layered wine, the 2011 Proprietary Red impresses for its nuance, vibrancy and delineation. Grilled herbs, graph- ite, smoke, new leather and incense meld together in a vibrant wine endowed with gorgeous depth and intensity. The tannins are just a bit firm, hardly a surprise for a wine made from mountain fruit and the year, but the 2011 stands out for its impeccable balance and pure class.
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 Proprietary Red exhibits Pahlmeyer’s tell-tale suppleness as well as a sexy, upfront display of ripe fruit, flowers, black currants, cherries and a hint of espresso. It is not the biggest or richest blend made, but it is well put together with no hint of herbaceousness. Enjoy it over the next 10-12 years.
