2022
Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
New Release
The 2022 Proprietary Red is an expansive and energetic expression of Napa Valley mountain terroir — rich with lifted aromatics and finely structured tannins. The wine opens with savory notes of green and black peppercorn, tobacco leaf, and forest floor, layered over a core of macerated cherry, blackberry, and plum. As the wine evolves in the glass, a dynamic streak of black licorice, chai spice, and cocoa emerges across the mid-palate, balanced by mouthwatering acidity and a long, generous finish. The tannins are already beautifully integrated, lending a velvet texture through the mid-palate. This wine is a compelling reflection of site, vintage, and thoughtful farming — beautiful upon release with the structure to evolve over the next 10–12 years.
— Katie Vogt
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet France, 3% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot
- Winemaker
- Katie Vogt
- Alcohol
- 15.1%
- Harvested Start Date
- September 8, 2022
- Harvested End Date
- September 30, 2022
- Bottled Date
- May 2024
- Release Date
- May 2025
Winemaking Notes
Over 22 days, individual blocks in our mountain vineyards were hand-harvested at night — selected only once the fruit reached optimal ripeness. The fruit underwent both hand and optical sorting before being gravity-fed to tank. Fermentations were carried out separately for each lot, with gentle extraction tailored to preserve aromatics and structure. Juice is gently extracted with a basket press before its final rack to barrel for cellaring. Dozens of individual lots were aged for 18 months in 90% heavily toasted new Taransaud French oak barrels. Cabernet Sauvignon is the heart of this wine; the finest Cabernet of the vintage was assembled from the many distinctive lots, and the blend was completed with the addition of other Bordeaux varieties. The final blend was bottled unfined and unfiltered in May 2024, enjoying additional bottle age before release.
Winemaker Katie Vogt knocked it out of the park with the 2022 Pahlmeyer Red Wine. It stands right alongside the 2021—an incredible achievement given the heat challenges of the vintage. Yet, this wine delivers depth, structure, and power. Most of the fruit comes from the Upper Range Vineyard above Rutherford, farmed by the Bettinelli family. Katie Vogt described the incoming grapes as looking “like caviar”—perfect. On the nose, fragrant wild sage and thyme intertwine with rose petals, black cherry, and blackberry, all carrying onto the full-bodied palate. Hefty tannins are velvety, framed by a vibrant core of juicy blood orange acidity. The finish is long, layered with toasted baking spices and scorched herb character. This Cabernet and Merlot blend includes Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Aged for 15 months in 90% new French oak, using heavy-toast Taransaud and Darnajou barrels. Hillside sources include Waters, Stagecoach, and Vangone.
