Synonymous with Pahlmeyer, Proprietary Red is the winery’s raison d’etre.

“All I wanted to do was to create my own ‘California Mouton’ – a rich, powerful Napa Valley Bordeaux blend, a wine that would drop wine lovers to their knees,” says Jayson Pahlmeyer. The 1986 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red was the realization of Jayson’s dream. Anointed 94 points by Robert Parker, it was the first of an extraordinary legacy of critically acclaimed wines.

Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red is a classic Napa Valley Bordeaux blend: roughly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with a good portion of Merlot and smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Each variety is harvested separately and held separately throughout fermentation and barrel aging. The lots are aged an average of 18 months in French oak Bordeaux barrels, blended through a meticulous, time-honored artisanal process, and bottled without filtering or fining.

Produced in limited quantities, the Proprietary Red is a wine of superb power and density with commanding tannins and rich, dark flavors that become increasingly lush and seductive with age. Properly cellared, Proprietary Red will evolve magnificently for at least 25 years.