Pahlmeyer Merlot Napa Valley 2017 750 ML

Pahlmeyer 2017 Napa Valley Merlot is a cellar-worthy wine that will age beautifully for a decade or more. The wine opens with aromas of preserved marasca cherries, rose petal, anise and a touch of soft, supple leather. The well-textured palate brings fruit-forward notes of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and black cherry that blend seamlessly with spicy, earthy undertones of allspice, sautéed sage, black tea leaf and hints of clove before a lengthy, memorable finish.\n \n The 2017 Proprietary Red is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 13% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, all aged in roughly 90% new French oak. This rich, full-bodied, structured wine has lots of tannin and concentration yet stays beautifully balanced, with ample currants, graphite, truffle, loamy earth, and toasted spice-like aromas and flavors.\n Producer Information\n \n Pahlmeyer is a Californian wine estate, founded in Napa Valley in 1986 by attorney Jayson Pahlmeyer and owned by E. & J. Gallo Winery. It is particularly known for its eponymous proprietary red wine, prized for its dense, dark rich fruit and full body. The estate is famous for its involvement with some of the greatest winemaking names in California. Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards made the first vintage of the proprietary red in 1986, Bob Levy of Harlan Estate launched Pahlmeyer Chardonnay in 1991 and prominent Napa winemaker Helen Turley was in charge of winemaking through most of the 1990s. Pahlmeyer's aim at the outset was to create a "California Mouton" – California's version of the famed Château Mouton-Rothschild wines of Pauillac, in Bordeaux. The project got off to a good start, with the proprietary red getting a 94-point rating from famed US wine critic Robert Parker on its first release. The label proceeded to establish itself as one of Napa Valley's standard-bearers, commanding high prices and a cult following. The brand has not established a home winery and has a history of making wines in other facilities.