2010 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
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Tasting notes
Deep medium ruby to the rim. Musky nose melds currant, plum, tobacco leaf, milk chocolate and licorice. Fat, plush and sweet on entry, then quite full and ripe in the middle palate, with savory redcurrant, plum, spice, tobacco and mocha flavors dominating. Conveys a high-pH texture and a whiff of beefsteak tomato leavened by an herbal element. A bit unrefined, this is a plush, large-scaled 2010. Finishes with nicely buffered tannins and very good length--ready to go now! This may lose its spring if you wait too long.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2010 Proprietary Red bursts from the glass with dark red cherries, plums, menthol, licorice, tobacco and incense. Rich, layered and explosive, the 2010 boasts gorgeous depth and poise. Sweet grilled herbs, tobacco and new leather flow through to the intense, textured finish. Ideally, the 2010 is best left alone for another few years. The super-ripe, racy finish is a bit uncharacteristic for the year, but it is nicely balanced by the 2010 tannins. This is another terrific showing from Pahlmeyer. (AG)
(82% cabernet sauvignon with 9% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot and 1% malbec): Good ruby-red. Much more vibrant on the nose than the merlot, offering scents of blackberry, flowers, graphite and licorice. Dense but juicy, conveying lovely intensity without weight. A bit youthfully aggressive today but boasts sound acidity and good salty extract. Still a tad tight and dry on the back end, but finishes with sneaky rising length.