Pahlmeyer - Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2021 (750ml)
Price: $224.00
| Producer | Pahlmeyer |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Napa Valley |
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 8827 |
| Size | 750ml |
Wine Advocate: 96+ Points
The components of the 2021 Proprietary Red barely changed relative to the barrel sample I tasted last year with 61% of the fruit being estate grown (Stagecoach and Waters Ranch) with the remainder coming from Upper Range (35%) and Vangone (4%). Dominant scents of cassis mark the nose joined by hints of dark chocolate black cherries and pencil shavings. This full-bodied wine is firm and muscular but with enough baby fat that you could try one now if you had a big steak on hand. The lingering dusty finish adds savory tones of black olive and dried herbs. 2605 cases produced. Pahlmeyer under the leadership of Winemaker Katie Vogt since 2019 has emerged as the undisputed keystone in the Gallo firmament with high pricing and limited production even relative to the other luxury brands in the family company's portfolio. The top-end wines?Savoir Faire (Chardonnay) Raison d'Être (Cabernet Franc) and Pièce de Résistance (Cabernet Sauvignon)?are limited even by Napa Valley standards with production numbers amounting to less than 200 cases of each in 2021. The 2021s appear to be substantially more successful than the 2022s here?a common theme throughout Napa Valley. "I keep remembering monster tannins" said Vogt referring to the 2021 reds. "But now I can't believe how refined they're feeling. It's a vintage with plenty of acid and tannin plenty of aging potential. A vintage that suits Pahlmeyer." In 2022 Vogt made the decision not to produce any of the special cuvées and just focus on three wines: Chardonnay Merlot and the Proprietary Red. "We had some really interesting lots but I needed them for the core blends" said Vogt. "Up until the heat wave it was a picture-perfect vintage. ... It's one of those vintages?some years you just have to work a little harder to get things where you want them to be." She was helped by the deeper soils and ability to irrigate at Waters Ranch Pahlmeyer's estate vineyard and by her working relationship with Upper Range. "They have overhead misters that'll drop the temperature 10 degrees [Fahrenheit]. We didn't have a single raisin on that ranch. That helps us significantly and we leaned on them to carry the blends" said Vogt. "I tend to leave a little more canopy anyway. I like a dappled light. So that helped us incrementally. "The heat effects are all about timing. Later sites benefited by being further behind [at lower Brix] when the heat hit" said Vogt. "I have been pleasantly surprised by how these wines are headed." As many winemakers will say it's simple enough to make tiny quantities of great wine just by picking the best barrels and bottling them separately. What's more impressive is when there are thousands of cases of the Chardonnay Merlot and Proprietary Red that also excel. Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise given the immense resources of the Gallo company but it is always a pleasure to taste success. Published: Jul 03 2024
