Bottle Notes, Cabernet Sauvignon

1995 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red – Bottle Notes

1999 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay

The 1995 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red was the winning bottle of the June installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for 30 minutes and served with grilled flank steak.

Pahlmeyer was founded in the mid-1980s when Jayson Pahlmeyer, a Bay Area lawyer, decided he preferred thinking about wine over reading legal briefs. Pahlmeyer produced its debut vintage in 1986. The winemaking team is comprised of Kale Anderson who is Director of Winemaking for the Napa Valley vineyard and operations, and Bibiana González Rave as Consulting Winemaker overseeing the Sonoma Coast vineyard and operations.

Crimson in color with a hint of bricking on the edges. 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot , 4% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. 14.1% ABV. Black fruits, leather and a healthy dose of mint on the nose. Currants, cassis, chocolate, eucalyptus, tobacco, spice, cherries and plums on the palate. Layers upon layers of gorgeous Cabernet fruit. Great extraction. Lush and sexy. This wine is absolutely great right now. I’d be inclined to drink over the next year or so.

My rating: 96 points.

The wines made by Helen Turley at Pahlmeyer from ’95-’97 are truly monumental. I am not a big advocate of buying wines this old at auction, but… if you are sure of the provenance of bottles from these years, then they are worthy of your attention. The 2009 version of this wine is available via the winery website.

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