2004
Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
- Winemaker
- Erin Green
- Alcohol
- 15.2%
- Harvested Start Date
- September 9, 2004
- Harvested End Date
- October 28, 2004
- Bottled Date
- May 11, 2006
- Release Date
- October 1, 2007
Winemaking Notes
The grape clusters were sorted by hand, and once de-stemmed, the berries were hand-sorted again on the way to the tank. This was followed by a four to five day cold soak, depending on flavor extraction. The fruit was then allowed to ferment with 100% native yeast in small open-top fermentors for two weeks. Near the end of fermentation, the must was gently pressed and the wine was moved to barrels where it finished its primary and secondary fermentations. Ageing continued in 80% new French oak, a combination of Taransaud and St. Martin barrels, for close to 18 months. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
… a wonderful monster in the making. It boasts a dense purple color as well as notes of beef blood, creme de cassis, licorice, incense and spring flowers. It looks more like a 2-year-old wine than one that has seen its tenth birthday…a spectacular Proprietary Red that is even greater than I remember it in its youth.
Bright medium ruby. Black fruits, violet, graphite and wild spices on the nose. Sweet and lush, with concentrated flavors of crushed dark berries and spices; a whiff of menthol adds freshness. The long finish features sweet, broad, tongue-coating tannins and a suggestion of sour candy. This was a bit awkward from barrel a year ago but has turned out very well.
Well-focused on a rich, vibrant core of ripe blackberry and wild berry fruit. This is elegant, balanced and deep, yet well-structured, ending with a long, complex finish that’s trim and tight.
