Our 2019 Proprietary Red is a rich and finely detailed tapestry of the finest lots across our four mountain vineyards. The bounding aromas flicker between fruity and earthy with an interweaving of wild blueberry, black plum, cassis, saddle leather, and cedar. The opulent palate is layered and expansive with captivating flavors of crushed ripe blackberry and castelvetrano olive. The focused fruit core is framed by generous fine-grained tannins, surging long with an echo of earth and spice. –Katie Vogt
Composition
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Vineyards
- Pahlmeyer Estate Vineyard,
- Rancho Chimiles,
- Stagecoach,
- Upper Range
Proprietary Red: An Iconic Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend
Jayson Pahlmeyer's "California Mouton" - a rich, powerful Napa Valley Bordeaux blend called Proprietary RedRead More
Critics
98 Points
James Suckling, JameSuckling.com, April 7, 2022
Blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of mint. Full-bodied with very fine, velvety tannins. Turns firm and structured with a fine chewiness and a caressing mouth-feel. Lively, too. 77% cabernet sauvignon and 15% merlot, the rest petit verdot and cabernet franc. Very attractive now, but will be better in four to five years. Try after 2026.
Winemaking
- Winemaker:
- Katie Vogt
- Alcohol:
- 15.2%
- Harvested:
- September 21 to October 25, 2019
- Bottled:
- June 2, 2021
- Released:
- September 19, 2022
The 2019 vintage offered us a broad spectrum of stellar lots to consider for our Proprietary Red blend. We hand harvested each of our high-elevation sites in the cool of night and meticulously hand sorted and destemmed at the winery before fermenting and aging each lot separately. We meticulously evaluated each lot, first on its individual merit and then in the context of the blend. Upper Range, a newer vineyard in our lineup, was a standout out in the group, possessing a signature savory character that elevated the intense fruit profile of the Pahlmeyer Estate —the heart and soul of the wine—and created a beautiful interplay between fruity and savory components. The individual lots were aged in nearly 100% new French Oak for 20 months. After blending, the wine was bottled in June, 2021 for additional bottle-aging before release.
