Pahlmeyer, Proprietary Red, Napa Valley, California, USA 2021

Flashy and fragrant aromatics of ripe blackberry fruit, graphite, tobacco, purple florals, herbs, and slivers of dark chocolate. Fabulously rich, dense dark black and blue fruit notes, tobacco leaf, and black olive atop a sea of ultra-fine velvety tannins. It’s a seamless red with no rough edges. Winemaker Katie Vogt blends the Cabernet and Merlot but waits to blend in the Malbec later, while 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc round out the cuvée. It's aged in heavy toast Taransaud and Darnajou barrels for 18 months. Hillside sources include Waters, Upper Range, Stagecoach, and Vangone.