2017 Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae Mount Veeder Napa Valley

Think of Harlan Estate. Think of Bond and Hundred Acre. Think of the few Napa Valley red wines that, guided by ambitious vintners and sourced from singular terroirs, have become undisputed California classics and worldwide cellar must-haves. 

The 2017 Pym-Rae Proprietary Red is sure to claim a place in that Cabernet pantheon. “Possessing loads more weight and mid-palate density than a lot of 2017s, this second showing is an absolute knock-out,” said the Wine Advocate, which laid on a 97-point score that matched California icons like PlumpJack Reserve, Eisele, and Schrader. First and second Napa releases rarely ever get this kind of top acclaim, and we wouldn’t be one bit surprised to see Pym-Rae as an auction-house regular in the coming years.

Crafted by Thomas Comme—son of Pontet-Canet’s Jean-Michel Comme—and the legendary consultant Michel Rolland, the 2017 Pym-Rae is boundlessly aromatic, with intricate notes of black and blue fruit, spearmint, vanilla, clove, espresso, licorice, and pipe tobacco. Firm tannins support expansive black fruit and depths of wild herb, toast, and baking spice on an ultra-long finish.

The Tesserons are not prone to rash decisions. After 70 years in the cognac business, they purchased Bordeaux estate Château Pontet-Canet in 1975. Since Albert took over in 1994, the estate has grown to rival the First Growths, tallying two perfect scores from Wine Advocate since 2009. 

That result is no mystery, considering the ethos that Alfred expressed when we visited him: “Throughout history farmers have been laboring, innovating, to get the most fruit possible from their land,” he told us. “All that interests me is what we need to do to get the best quality.”

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 15.70%
• 2 hours
• Now – 2045
• 80% Cabernet Sauvignon20% Merlot
• Serving temperature – 62°
• Cork