Pahlmeyer made its debut release with the 1986 vintage garnering a 94 point rating from Robert Parker and has never looked back. Former winemaker Helen Turley, who made this wine, began her 5-year stint at Pahlmeyer in 1993.
The 95-97 vintages of the Proprietary Red and Merlot are truly benchmarks wines. The 96 Proprietary Red is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. The wine is still opaque purple in color and is remarkably rich, lush and concentrated considering it’s 16 years old. Tobacco, currants, prunes, raspberries, smoke, soy sauce and just a hint of vanilla. Well-cellared bottles should age easily for another 5 years. One of the best bottles I have had in 2012 – perfect for Father’s Day.
The current vintage retails for $115 and is widely available.
My rating: 95 points