Pahlmeyer Red is one of Napa Valley's most iconic wines. This 2016 is the 30th Anniversary release. Produced under the discerning eye of Jayson Pahlmeyer and his winemaker Kale Anderson, it's a wine that continually receives rave reviews and accolades. This wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec sourced from the Pahlmeyer Estate, and Rancho Chimiles vineyards. The grapes were all triaged and selected by hand at the winery. The fruit underwent five days of cold maceration and two to six weeks of primary fermentation before gentle basket press. The wine then aged in 85% new French Oak barrels for 20 months.
Tasting Panel Magazine scored this 96 points saying "This vintage—a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec—marks the winery’s 30th anniversary. Winemaker Bibiana González Rave vinifies each variety separately in more than 50 lots and ages the wine in 85% new French oak for 20 months. Fruit and acid play magnificently together, invigorating vivid aromas and flavors of blue fruit and white pepper. A layer of graphite keeps dark cherry and a vanilla-tinged toastiness in check. Leather, licorice, and blueberry lead the way to a juicy finish."
James Suckling scored this 96 points saying "A concentrated and essence-like nose of elderberries, blackcurrant compote, peppermint and forest floor, but also hot stones, pressed violets and fresh eucalyptus. So complete and complex on the palate, which is full-bodied and layered with super velvety tannins, wrapping the seamless fruit together. A mouthful of pure silk. Drink in 2025."
Jeb Dunnuck scored this 96 points saying "A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Proprietary Red is a modern-day classic that has tons of crème de cassis, graphite, tobacco, and earth-driven aromas and flavors. It's deep, pure, layered, and elegant on the palate, with a great finish. Feel free to drink this beauty any time over the coming 20-25 years."
The Wine Advocate scored this 96+ points saying "Composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Proprietary Red Wine gives up bold notes of fresh blackcurrants, black cherries and wild blueberries with hints of cigar box, tilled soil, dried bay leaves and smoked meats plus a hint of lavender. Medium-bodied and fantastically intense in the mouth, it has a wonderful core of muscular fruit and a firm, ripe, fine-grained frame to match, finishing very long."
Vinous scored this 97 points saying "The 2016 Proprietary Red is another superb wine from Pahlmeyer. Bright floral notes and hillside tannins confer energy and tension to play off the intense red fruit. Powerful and voluptuous in the glass, the 2016 is shaping up to be a beauty."