Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Proprietary Red (2018)

Exquisitely cellar-worthy, the 2018 Proprietary Red Napa Valley will reward patience over the next decade or more. This Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend opens with aromas of wild blackberry, cocoa and supple leather. Deep and beautifully structured, with elegant, lengthy tannins matched by ideal balance. Dark and opaque, the concentrated, complex palate brings generous notes of forest berries and black currant, layered with hints of freshly turned earth, aromatic herbs and dark spices, evolving into a long, energetic finish.

Blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc

Tasting Notes

98 James Suckling
Blackberries and wild berries on the nose with hints of incense and ink, following through to a full body with super integrated tannins and a long, linear finish. It’s structured, yet so polished and integrated, the tannins spreading beautifully across the palate. Caressing, like silk. This has a higher percentage of Stagecoach Vineyard. Drinkable now, but better in 2024 and onwards.

97 Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Red Blend Proprietary Red could easily be mistaken for a great vintage from Château Latour, at least aromatically. Blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and a gorgeous sense of minerality all develop in the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, concentrated mouthfeel, building tannins (and plenty of them), and a great finish. This brilliant, world-class Cabernet is going to benefit from 4-5 years or more of bottle age and have 30+ years of longevity. The blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, all brought up in 95% new French oak. Rating: 97+

96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Blend is fairly shut down to begin. With swirling, it delivers vibrant scents of fresh blackcurrant and black berries plus hints of wild thyme, damp soil, black olives and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with loads of herbal and mineral sparks among the crunchy black fruits, with a firm, grainy texture and a lively backbone, finishing with tons of energy and persistence. Rating: 96+

94 Wine Spectator
Dark and winey, with cassis, plum reduction and blackberry paste flavors allied to a singed alder and apple wood backdrop. Delivers dark tobacco and espresso crema accents that line the finish, as the fruit moves through slowly. For fans of the powerful style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023

94 Wine Enthusiast
This is a thick, rich blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc that dazzles in dark brooding berry fruit. Concentrated and sublimely textured, it is weighty with hints of gun smoke, iron and leather that last for days. This will do well in the cellar. enjoy best from 2028

93 Wine & Spirits
This wine is a blend from five vineyards, mainly Stagecoach, with a contribution from the Pahlmeyer Estate at 2,200 feet elevation on Atlas Peak. It’s the first Pahlmeyer wine to include fruit from the Upper Range Vineyard, a new planting above the Silverado Trail east toward Pritchard Hill. This 2018 is a lovely, rosy cabernet, the fruit following along with the tannins in a harmony of woodland scents, forest blueberry, tight cranberry and a light, fruity mushroom dimension. It’s bright, full-on joyous cabernet, with a lasting finish that suggests there’s more to come with age.