Pahlmeyer Jayson Red Napa Valley is made from 51% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc.
Voluptuousness meets vibrance in this classic Bordeaux-inspired blend. Ripe Merlot-dominant aromas of juicy macerated raspberry unfurl with hints of pencil lead, clove, cedar, and fresh sage. The compact fruit core, flanked by fine, polished tannin, surges open on a full, silky palate, giving way to complex underpinnings of earth and spice. A beam of bright acidity keeps the fruit fresh and focused through a soft, lingering finish of dusty plum and cocoa.
It’s best to serve this rich, layered wine at a temperature between 60°F and 65°F. Open and opulent in its youth, this wine is ready to match with a range of flavorful summer dishes such as Carolina-style pulled pork, bánh mì sandwiches, or bacon cheddar burgers.
Review:
This is a very polished wine in 2022, well-built with neatly knit tannins that form a solid foundation for the dark currant and blackberry fruit that floods the mid-palate. Good depth of concentration and driving energy create a sense of tension and vibrancy. Indeed not a shy wine, yet more approachable, with tannins almost melting away on the finish—very characteristic of the warm vintage. Grape sources include William Hill and Broken Rock in Napa, Stagecoach, Waters, and Round Pond in Rutherford, along with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the iconic Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma. Grapes are sorted by hand, fermented in stainless steel with a small percentage in oak tanks, and then aged for 15 months in 80% new French oak. (JC)
-Decanter 94 Points
When we set out to produce Pinot Noir at Donelan Family Wines, we wanted to make a wine that embraces our favorite aspects of great Pinot from Sonoma County. The journey has taken us to the Two Brothers Pinot Noir where we believe terroir and technique have met at a beautiful crossroads. The composition of the Two Brothers wine is rooted heavily in Bennett Valley and Russian River Valley lending spice and earth to the nose, while the Sonoma Coast fruit gives an aromatic lift to the wine and brings length to the palate.
Named after siblings Tripp and Cushing Donelan, the Two Brothers Pinot Noir has become a fan favorite of our customers. It’s an extremely versatile wine. For one, it’s ready to drink upon release, but will also age beautifully for years if you throw a few bottles in your cellar. Our preferred food pairing with the Two Bros is always a game bird. Turkey, wings, quail, dove, or duck recipes are all super complimentary with this Pinot Noir’s dark fruit, spice, and freshness. We tend to recommend this wine for Thanksgiving every year.
Aromas recall a bouquet of rose petals and gingersnaps. A full, fleshy mouth-feel on the mid-palate with a beautiful fruit composition of plum sauce, cranberries, and fresh flowers.
Review:
Always a super-expressive wine, and in 2023 it truly delivers, showing pure, vibrant red fruit laced with brown baking spices and smoky clove. The palate is beautifully deep and penetrating, carrying impressive flavour intensity through to a long, mineral-driven, medium-bodied finish. Apple-skin tannins and savoury brown spice notes linger effortlessly, giving the wine both grip and persistence. Two Brothers is sourced from prime vineyard sites across Sonoma County, including Mardikian, Devoto, Bucher and Klopp in the Russian River Valley, along with Henry David Vineyard in Bennett Valley. The wine undergoes native fermentation, with 39% new French oak, and is aged for 17 months, incorporating approximately 16% whole clusters. - Jonathan CRISTALDI"
Decanter (January 5th 2026), 95 points