2014
Pahlmeyer Raison d’Être
In the glass, this wine displays a deep garnet hue. Aromas range from intensely floral violet and morning sea breeze to ripe berries, cardamom, black licorice and forest floor. On the palate, the wine reveals concentrated blackberry and marionberry supported by supple, linen-like tannins. Rich dark chocolate plays out over an endless finish. The wine’s remarkable structure will allow it to age over the next 15 to 20 years.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Kale Anderson
- Alcohol
- 15.7%
- Harvested Start Date
- September 16, 2014
- Harvested End Date
- October 3, 2014
- Bottled Date
- August 15, 2016
- Release Date
- October 1, 2018
Winemaking Notes
After harvest in the cool morning hours, grapes were hand-sorted, then gently destemmed. The resulting whole berries were hand-sorted and 30% were delivered to ferment in 500L oak puncheons to soften the tannins and deepen the color. The remaining berries were fermented in stainless steel open top tanks to capture a juicy and fresh flavor profile. Once complete, the fruit was gently pressed and moved to barrel to finish fermentation. The wine continued to age in 100% new Seguin Moreau French oak barrels for 22 months. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Raison D’Etre delivers a profoundly scented nose of plum preserves, mocha, crushed black currants and black forest cake with hints of licorice, cedar chest, baking spices and violets. The rich, decadent, full-bodied palate offers a wall of black fruit preserves accented by spicy layers, with soft, rounded tannins and a lively lift on the epically long finish.”
