Bottle Notes, Cabernet Sauvignon

1997 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red – Bottle Notes

Pahlmeyer was founded in the mid-1980s when Jayson Pahlmeyer, a Bay Area lawyer, decided he preferred thinking about wine over reading legal briefs. Pahlmeyer produced its debut vintage in 1986. Bibiana González Rave is the current winemaker. Wines produced at Pahlmeyer include the flagship Proprietary Red, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2%…

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Bottle Notes, Chardonnay

2011 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay Sonoma Coast – Bottle Notes

Pahlmeyer was founded in the mid-1980s when Jayson Pahlmeyer, a Bay Area lawyer, decided he preferred thinking about wine over reading legal briefs. Pahlmeyer produced its debut vintage in 1986. Bibiana González Rave is the current winemaker. Wines produced at Pahlmeyer include the flagship Proprietary Red, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Bright gold in color. 14.9% ABV. Brilliant nose of…

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Cellar Management

Pick My Next Bottle – 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon

The December installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2002 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. 2002 was a better than average vintage in both Washington and California. The contenders in this…

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Bottle Notes

New Releases from Wayfarer Vineyard

Wayfarer Vineyard, located on the remote Sonoma Coast, was planted by David Abreu in 2002. In 2005, Jayson Pahlymeyer started blending Wayfarer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with fruit from Russian River Vineyards and bottling it under the Pahlmeyer label. By 2012, the vineyard’s exceptional fruit presented an irrefutable case for a namesake label. Jayson’s daughter, Cleo Pahlmeyer, runs the estate…

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Cellar Management

Pick My Next Bottle – A Wine for Thanksgiving

The November installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on some special bottles that might grace the table at Zinfandel Chronicles Headquarters this Thanksgiving. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle on Thanksgiving…

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Bottle Notes, Merlot

2004 Pahlmeyer Merlot – Bottle Notes

Pahlmeyer was founded in the mid-1980s when Jayson Pahlmeyer, a Bay Area lawyer, decided he preferred thinking about wine over reading legal briefs. Pahlmeyer produced its debut vintage in 1986. The winemaking team is comprised of Kale Anderson who is Director of Winemaking for the Napa Valley vineyard and operations, and Bibiana González Rave as Consulting Winemaker overseeing the Sonoma…

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Bottle Notes, Merlot

In Defense of Merlot

It’s become fashionable to bash Merlot. Will Lyons of the Wall Street Journal wrote: “What struck me was how different the vintages were in style, how poorly some of the Merlots showed and just how stunning the Cabernet Sauvignons were.” From Tim Fish of The Wine Spectator: “The 2010 California Merlots just aren’t much fun to taste. Another tough day…

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