Pahlmeyer Wine

Pahlmeyer Wine produced their first vintage in 1986, a proprietary red blend. Their first vintages were made at Merryvale Winery; they began producing wine at Napa Wine Co in 1994, where we first met up with them for a private tasting many years ago soon after Napa Wine Co underwent a huge renovation to accommodate production from wineries who do not actually have their own physical winery. After leaving Napa Wine Co., Pahlmeyer produced their wines at several facilities including The Ranch Winery and Sterling Vineyards until permanently moving into the former William Hill Winery in 2020. Both the Pahlmeyer and Jayson by Pahlmeyer wines are produced here.

Pahlmeyer was started by Jayson Pahlmeyer, a former trial attorney who once his wines started becoming popular, stopped his legal work and dedicated his time to building the Pahlmeyer wine brand. As with numerous other vintners we have met with over the years who worked in other industries before becoming vintners, Jayson started becoming hooked by the wine industry and slowly phased out his law practice. Over the years he made several trips to France to locate specific clones from Bordeaux red grapes.

Pahlmeyer’s initial roots were tied to John Caldwell’s vineyard in what is now Coombsville (east of the city of Napa). He and John were originally going to develop that property for housing but with restrictions set by the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, they soon shelved those plans and opted to plant grapes instead; reference our review on Caldwell Vineyards for the smuggler story of how part of this vineyard was planted. Coombsville is known as a cooler part of Napa Valley and during the 1970s and 1980s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were primarily planted; the historic Haynes Vineyard is a good example of this. But Caldwell successfully planted Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux red varieties; the first few vintages of Pahlmeyer were from Caldwell Vineyard.

In late 2019 GALLO purchased the Pahlmeyer and Jayson by Pahlmeyer brands, but not Water’s Ranch, the flagship vineyard for Pahlmeyer. Pahlmeyer continues to purchase grapes from this vineyard. While no longer running Pahlmeyer (in 2017 his daughter Cleo took over the operations for two years), Jayson stays busy growing champion size pumpkins with several entries in the famed Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Weigh-off, and spending time in both Napa Valley and Hawaii. The well-known master of Howell Mountain wines, Randy Dunn oversaw Pahlmeyer’s initial wine making operations. Others who been their winemaker or have assisted with winemaking include Bob Levy, Helen Turley, Jennifer Williams, and Kale Anderson.

Timing is everything in wine; the producers for Disclosure, a moving starring Demi Moore and Michael Douglas were eating at Spago of Beverly Hills and were served a bottle of Pahlmeyer’s 1991 Chardonnay based on the sommelier’s recommendation; only 40 cases were made of that vintage. They fell in love with this very limited production wine; the sommelier at Spago’s at the time called Jayson who was then living on the outskirts of the city of Napa. He answered the phone in his living room and told him he was sold out of this vintage; the sommelier must have been persistent because eventually Jayson offered him a case of this wine from his personal cellar. A bottle of the 1991 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay was ultimately used in a pivotal scene in the movie which ended up being the perfect tool for their early marketing. Even today, the winery still receives phone calls about the wine when Disclosure shows on prime-time television.

Pahlmeyer works with area growers and purchases grapes from a number of locations, all hillside and all within the eastern part of Napa Valley from the Vaca mountain range. Their vineyards are typically heavily crop thinned; grapes are dropped on the ground ensuring small but high quality yields. Canopies are carefully managed to create just the right amount of sunlight ensuring the grapes ripen but still retain acidity and pH balance. David Abreu is one of Napa Valley’s highly sought out vineyard managers; Pahlmeyer used to source from several of his managed vineyards including one of our favorite vineyards, the Thorevilos Vineyard near Howell Mountain. Although as of 2019, this vineyard is now called Ecotone Vineyard and is no longer managed by Abreu.

The Atlas Peak estate (Waters Ranch) was planted by David Abreu in the mid 1990s; today 72 acres of vines grow ranging in elevation between 1,500 feet and 2,100 feet. Approximately 80% of the vineyards on this site are within the Atlas Peak Appellation while the remainder is in the Napa Valley appellation. Unlike most Atlas Peak vineyards whose access is via either Atlas Peak Road or Soda Canyon Road – the Pahlmeyer estate (while able to be seen from select parts of the southern Napa Valley floor) is only accessible via long and winding roads leading up to the east side of Atlas Peak. Based on its location, the vineyard is sometimes blanketed in fog in the mornings during the growing season.

Pahlmeyer produced their first Pinot Noir in 2005, a bottling we were able to try in 2007. Their last Pinot Noir was produced in 2011 from non estate vineyards; it then transitioned to being bottled under Wayfarer. The Pahlmeyer’s founded Wayfarer Estate Vineyard, a prime 30-acre site in the coveted Fort Ross-Seaview appellation of western Sonoma County. This brand is not to be confused with Wayfarer Wines based in the United Kingdom. The Wayfarer Estate Vineyard is the source for the Wayfarer Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. And this brand and vineyard were also not included in the sale to GALLO and continue to be operated by Cleo and Jayson. Wayfarer’s offices are located in downtown Napa.

In 2024 William Hill Winery stopped seeing visitors for tastings at the winery and the hospitality space has since transitioned into appointment only tastings of Pahlmeyer wines. Visits are hosted indoors in a private room; note the painting here by Penelope Moore, an artist known for her Abstract Expressionist paintings in which she translates flavors in wine to colors on the palette. Or weather permitting, visits are hosted outdoors overlooking rolling hills covered with vineyards with views looking to the west in a space referred to as “the bench”, a name that describes vineyards in this part of Napa Valley, locally referred to as the Silverado Bench. After Pahlmeyer took over the operations of the hospitality spaces, the outdoor pergola was torn down and rebuilt with a more contemporary look and feel. And additional seating space was also added.

Select Wines
Pahlmeyer, Whites
The 2023 Pahlmeyer Sauvignon Blanc is 100% varietal from Stagecoach Vineyard. The grapes for this wine were previously being purchased by Spottswoode, one of Napa Valley’s top Sauvignon Blanc producers. This wine is medium gold in color; the distinctive and attractive bouquet offers aromas of bosc pear, nectarine, apricot, star jasmine and chamomile. On the palate there are flavors of white grapefruit, not fully ripe pineapple, yellow nectarine, pear, golden apples and limeade. This bottling has plenty of zest but without being overly herbal as wines from this variety from cooler sites are often expressed as. Superbly balanced, its voice is soprano, the song being Puccini: O mio babbino caro sung by Renée Fleming. This wine was aged in used Pahlmeyer Chardonnay barrels for 10-12 months prior to bottling. The 2023 is only the second vintage of this variety ever bottled by Pahlmeyer, although Jayson by Pahlmeyer has produced Sauvignon Blanc since 2017. This wine is highly worth seeking out for premium Sauvignon Blanc enthusiasts.

The 2022 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay is their 31st vintage, sourced from the following vineyards: Waters, Stagecoach, Hyde and Antinori. This wine is deep gold in color; the bouquet is clearly California Chardonnay but with restraint on both the bouquet and palate in terms of its oak and butter influence. It offers scents of hazelnut, walnut skin, toasted oak, melting butter, butterscotch, vanilla, apricot, and some citrus influences including a lemon zest. On the palate there are flavors of popcorn butter, Golden delicious apples, papaya, mango, yellow nectarines, yellow peaches and ripe cantaloupe. It’s mouth feel is supple, satiny, rounded and perfectly balanced with a bright attribute. This wine drinks nicely by itself, but has the character, balance and acidity to pair with a variety of foods including a ravioli, or as recommended to us by Pahlmeyer, a lobster risotto. Production is usually around 2,000 cases annually and is fermented in 100% new French oak barrels for 12 months.

The 2005 Pahlmeyer Chardonnay is a delicious wine sourced from the Ritchie Vineyard located in the Russian River Valley of neighboring Sonoma County. Ritchie Vineyard is one of Sonoma County’s top sites for Chardonnay. This wine was fermented with 100% wild yeast and went through 100% malolactic fermentation. It is well-balanced between acidity and fruit. The nose is very floral showing an immediate hit of honeysuckle. Drinks well by itself.

Pahlmeyer, Reds
The 2021 Pahlmeyer Merlot is 100% varietal from both Stagecoach Vineyard and Waters Ranch. This wine is deep ruby and completely opaque; looking for a Merlot with depth and complexity, look no further than its aromatic profile. Layered, it offers aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, Santa Rosa plum, violets, old cedar box which is an aromatic that reminds us of our grandmothers old jewelry box she gifted to us before she died, coffee grinds and a note of dried herbs including sage. The palate offers dark fruited and fresh flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, Persian mulberry and dark plum. The grainy and gravelly tannins linger with a firm and persistent grip, outpacing the fruit on the finish. We keep circling back to the word layered when compiling our notes for this wine, a word we don’t often associate with California Merlot, but is an adjective that perfectly describes both the bouquet and the palate on this bottling. This vintage was listed as number one in James Suckling’s Top 100 wine in U.S.A. publication released in late 2024. And Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon enthusiasts who seek out but often cannot find a robust Merlot will certainly gravitate towards and be excited about this beauty.

The 2021 Pahlmeyer ‘Right Bank’ Red Wine is 90.5% Merlot and 7.5% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. This wine is not produced every year. It is deep ruby and opaque; the bouquet offers immediate florals including violets, lilacs and rose petals, with its dark fruit core not far behind including of blackberry, boysenberry preserves, plum along with toasted cedar. Juicy, bright and full of life, the palate sports flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, Pakistani mulberry and plum. Its gravelly and dusty tannins persist on the brightly lit and mouth watering finish for quite some time. Lingers with additional notes of dried herbs, an earthy character and toasted oak. Savory. This is an ideal example of this particular year in Napa Valley for red wines showcasing power, structure, richness and acidity -it is clearly built to age. Total production this year was approximately 350 cases. This wine is rarely produces – the first vintage was in 2009; this is only the second vintage.

The 2021 Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 1.5% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Malbec The grapes for this wine were sourced is from Upper Range, Waters, Stagecoach and Vangone vineyards; this is their flagship bottling. The initial light dusty note blows off as this wine evolves in the glass. It offers additional scents of dried earth, toasted cedar including smoked sage, dried herbs, violets, lavender, plum, blackberry and boysenberry. The bright, brambly and lively palate is filled with both flavor and texture. It offers notes of blackberry, plum, boysenberry, dark cherry and black licorice. This wine’s texture is a hallmark character; sporting firmly gripping, still edgy, tightly woven and dusty textured tannins. Their lingering drying character far outpaces the fruit at this age (we tasted this three years post vintage). We would love to revisit this bottle in 10 and then again in 20 years.

Jayson by Pahlmeyer
The first vintage of Jayson by Pahlmeyer was in 1992 and are created by blending mountain grown grapes with valley floor grown grapes. These wines are meant to be consumed in their youth and are produced in much larger quantities than the Paylmeyer wines. As a result, they are distributed nationally, we have often seen them in various Total Wine & More stores, and are often served by the bottle or glass at restaurants.

The 2023 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley is 100% varietal with grapes from both valley floor and hillside sites. This wine is pale to medium gold in color; the balanced bouquet is neither too green/grassy nor overly tropical. It brings scents of pineapple, honeycomb, baked apples and plenty of orchard fruits including peach, nectarine and apricot. Not overly intense, but it doesn’t need to be. Minerally with a chalky character, on the palate there are flavors of honeydew melon, green apple, kiwi, white nectarine, white pomelo and a lingering hint of white pepper and tarragon/dill. The fleshy palate carries some rounded weight, a result of its battonage during aging; this texture is balanced nicely by its bright and lingering acidity. There is a lot to love about this wine in its youth. Shellfish please.

The 2017 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Sauvignon Blanc is highly aromatic and appealing on the bouquet; it is highly fruit forward initially with tropical aromas including pineapple and honeysuckle as well as ripe yellow peach. Balanced, but with noticeable texture, the palate delivers loads of flavor. Offers a sweetness of fruit, mineralities and flavors of lime along with bright but not bracing acidity. There is no tartness often associated with cooler weather wines of this variety. The finish persists for quite some time.

The 2016 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon shows plenty of fruit on the bouquet in its youth with both blackberry and blueberry; the bouquet is briary. Soft on the entry, this wine quickly gains in structure and showcases its youthful, muscular and still tightly wound tannins. The palate packs loads of flavors including red and dark cherry.

—

Pahlmeyer is distributed nationally as well as in select markets in Asia and in Europe. As of our latest update to this review, select Pahlmeyer wines are available for tasting and purchase at the upscale RH Wine Vault tasting room in Yountville. The ‘vault’ recommends calling ahead to make sure their wine is available as the tasting room does rotate their wines from time to time. They are also found in select local wine shops in Napa Valley including V Wine Cellars in Yountville.

And we will leave you with a quote from Jayson Pahlmeyer, “Everything worth doing is worth doing to excess”. And to this we can add, is where there is a fine line between passion and obsession.

For more information, to purchase wines, to schedule a tasting or to join one of their two membership levels (Collector or À La Carte), visit: www.pahlmeyer.com

Winery

Vineyards

The Gallo Family, GALLO
The original winery under Gallo family ownership was founded in 1933 in Modesto, California immediately following the repeal of Prohibition by two brothers, Ernest and Julio Gallo. The initial seed money of $5000 to start the company came from Ernest’s mother-in-law, Teresa Franzia who had founded her family’s winery, Franzia Wine Company in 1906. They made their first wine in 1933 at a rented warehouse built in 1928 at 401 11th Street (on the northwestern corner of the often very busy 11th and D Streets in Modesto (less then a mile from both downtown Modesto and Gallo Glass and GALLO). Remarkably this warehouse building is still standing; the exterior almost completely covered in some sort of aggressive vine growth. The site is owned by GALLO.

Interestingly this is the same year that Louis M Martini purchased his property in Napa Valley, and perhaps opening within weeks apart as both wineries began operations later in the year during the 1933 harvest. Ernest and Julio’s parents immigrated to the USA from northern Italy and both brothers were born near Modesto. Tragically Julio was killed in a jeep accident in 1983 involving his wife and his two granddaughters including now winemaker Gina Gallo (the three women survived the accident).

A milestone in the company’s rich history was the founding of Gallo Glass Company in 1958 which now the largest glass manufacturing plant in North America. A visit to the exterior of this site shows an impressive campus with trucks pulling in and out of several entrances (less than a mile from downtown Modesto) and next to the enormous bottling and shipping facility of GALLO. Along with two other production wineries located in the central valley, Fresno and Livingston (small community along the 99 freeway south of Modesto), these three winery facilities are the largest in the world. GALLO is among the top 100 highest grossing private companies in the United States.

Other milestones include the launching of the Carlo Rossi brand in 1975 and Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers in 1984. The purchase of Louis Martini Winery in 2002 was just the beginning of GALLO’s acquisition of numerous brands, wineries and vineyard properties, accelerating around 2011 and continuing today.

And in 2007 the Gallo Arts Center opened in downtown Modesto, a state-of-the-art performing arts center hosting both local, national and internationally recognized talent in one of two theatres. Owned by Stanislaus County with its namesake chosen after the Gallo family donated $10 million to the original endowment fund.

Within Napa Valley, GALLO owns the former William Hill Estate Winery in the southern part of Napa Valley (purchased in 2007), The Ranch Winery (purchased 2015), Orin Swift Cellars (purchased in 2016), Franciscan Winery (purchased 2019), Pahlmeyer (purchased 2019), Rombauer Vineyards (purchased 2023), Massican (purchased 2023) and the iconic Stagecoach Vineyards on Atlas Peak (purchased in 2017).