2013
Pahlmeyer Raison d’Être
Intense aromatics of dark cherry and sarsaparilla guide you into this opulent, unctuous wine. Rich with notes of ripe blackberry and juicy blueberry, the freshness is stunning and carries through the fine, strong tannins with hints of graphite.
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot
- Winemaker
- Kale Anderson
- Alcohol
- 15.2%
- Harvested Start Date
- September 14, 2013
- Harvested End Date
- October 8, 2013
- Bottled Date
- September 22, 2015
- Release Date
- October 1, 2017
Winemaking Notes
Still cool to the touch from the early morning harvest, these grape clusters were hand-sorted, then gently destemmed. The resulting whole berries were hand-sorted and 30% were delivered to ferment in 500L oak puncheon, in order to soften the tannins and deepen the color. The remaining berries were fermented in stainless steel open top tanks, to capture a juicy and fresh flavor profile. Once complete, the fruit was gently pressed and moved to barrel to finish fermentation. The wine continued to age in 100% new French oak — a combination of Taransaud and St. Martin barrels — for 24 months. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Nearly its match is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Raison d’Etre, a blend of 100% estate fruit consisting of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. There is not much difference in power, massive extract, richness, length and profound aromatics and flavors, as this is just a prodigious wine. Perhaps the dosage of Merlot gives this more chocolate and espresso than the Pièce De Résistance, but it is a stunningly big, thick, juicy wine that somehow maintains balance and delineation. Drink it over the next 35+ years.
