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2016 Pahlmeyer Merlot

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

December 31, 2023 - $81

Estimate

RATINGS

97James Suckling

This super-concentrated Merlot is brimming with blueberry, bilberry and bitter-chocolate aromas. Plush tannins provide a deep and firm foundation for the rich body.

94Vinous / IWC

...fabulous. Rich, deep and explosive, with tremendous structure... Black cherry, graphite, chocolate, lavender, mint, spice and savory herbs imbue the Merlot with stunning nuance.

94Jeb Dunnuck

Black cherries, smoked earth, graphite, dark chocolate, and licorice notes all emerge from this rich, full-bodied, concentrated Merlo...displays a supple, seamless balance style that’s a joy to drink.

93+ The Wine Advocate

...offers exuberant notions of crushed red and black plums, warm blackberries and Indian spices with hints of cardamom, sautéed herbs, garrigue and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling plum-laced flavors with a velvety frame and loads of freshness on the long, spicy finish.

93Wine Spectator

Hedonistic, featuring dark plum, kirsch and cherry tart flavors... Shows a plush texture throughout, with creamy notes and a long finish filled with dark chocolate, mocha and Asian spice details.

REGION

United States, California, Napa Valley

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

TYPE

Red Wine, Merlot

The Merlot grape is such a deep blue that it is named for the blackbird. It’s an early ripening grape and one of the primary varietals used In Bordeaux. Merlot is also grown in the "International style," which is harvested later to bring out more tannins and body.