1996
Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec
- Winemaker
- Helen Turley
- Alcohol
- 14.3%
- Release Date
- September 1, 1999
Saturated dark ruby. Superripe aromas of blackcurrant, minerals, licorice, oak spice and beefsteak tomato; a bit less flamboyant on the nose than the ’97. Firmer and subtler than the ’96 Merlot, with superb flavor intensity and a more restrained sweetness. Finishes very long and firmly tannic, but the tannins are sweet and even. These are both great successes for the vintage.
Packs in layers of black cherry, anise, blackberry and plum, showing a sense of elegance and finesse. Firms up on the finish, where the tannins are tight and spicy.
The 1996 Proprietary Red is not a very weighty (14.3% alcohol) offering. It has become more delineated with a year of bottle age, offering up classic creme de cassis, smoked meat, coffee, prune, and toasty new oak scents. Concentrated, with fabulously high extract, sweet tannin, and full body, this wine has an elegant feel on the palate, but is still a blockbuster. Anticipated maturity now-2025.
