2022 Pahlmeyer Jayson Red Wine Napa Valley

Winemaker Notes: Voluptuousness meets vibrance in this classic Bordeaux-inspired blend. Ripe Merlot-dominant aromas of juicy macerated raspberry unfurl with hints of pencil lead, clove, cedar, and fresh sage. The compact fruit core, flanked by fine, polished tannin, surges open on a full, silky palate, giving way to complex underpinnings of earth and spice. A beam of bright acidity keeps the fruit fresh and focused through a soft, lingering finish of dusty plum and cocoa.

Balance in the vineyard is crucial for our red varietals, and I carefully restrict yields and manage canopies to create just the right dappled sunlight to achieve ideal ripeness. In the cellar, I start with a core of ripe, concentrated mountaintop fruit, and seek out blending components to turn up the wine to its fullest potential – really plush, concentrated, and fruit driven. Like that first ’93 blending session, I’m going by feel, achieving a complete wine with nuance and intricacy, a rich, approachable texture, and impeccable balance. Heavily toasted Taransaud imparts counterpoised structure and texture while retaining fruit purity.

51% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine Spectator - "A handsomely structured version, with refined black currant, espresso, tomato leaf and toasty spice flavors that persist toward medium-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 5,812 cases made."