Medium to deep garnet in color with a hint of purple, the 2007 Proprietary Red Wine absolutely sings of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries, star anise and cinnamon stick with a core of cassis, spiced blueberries and warm red plums plus a touch of unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied and jam-packed with opulent black fruit, the palate has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

The sensational 2007 Proprietary Red Wine (a 7,000-case blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec) is slightly more restrained aromatically than the Merlot, but there is no doubting its extraordinary bouquet of subtle smoked meats, oak, mountain wild flowers, blueberries, blackberries, coffee, and cassis. Super-rich and full-bodied with noticeable, but stunningly sweet tannins, it possesses a rare minerality and definition, characteristics that seem to be found across the board in Napa’s 2007s. This dense, powerful red needs 3-5 years of cellaring, and should have 25 years of life ahead of it. One of California’s super-star producers, Pahlmeyer’s wines have a fabulous track record of aging well. This estate was one of Helen Turley’s first clients, and since she departed one of her assistants, Erin Green, has continued to turn out sumptuous reds as well as exquisite Chardonnays. The 2007 reds appear to be the finest Pahlmeyer has produced in a decade ... and that includes some top-flight wines.Tel. (707) 255-2321; Fax (707) 255-6786

A rich, explosive style, packed with layers of currant, blackberry, wild berry and black cherry fruit woven together in a tight way. Full-bodied, turning supple and polished on the finish, where the fine-grained tannins are ripe and let the fruit flavors flow freely. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Drink now through 2020. 6,400 cases made. -JL