Jason Pahlmeyer understood that making wines with exceptional concentration, complexity, and ageability required venturing to extremes. That’s what drew him to the rugged parcel of vines on the ridgeline of Atlas Peak that would become his iconic estate vineyard. That is why, more than 35 years later, Pahlmeyer remains defined by mountain fruit, possessing the soulful character born of demanding terroir and exacting fieldwork.
More hours of sunlight lead to greater ripeness and complexity.
Cooler temperatures result in more complete phenolic ripeness and greater fruit intensity.
Low-Fertility, low-vigor soils yield smaller berries with greater concentration.
We farm responsively for balance and depth.
We vinify gently for honest and vivid expression.
Vineyards above 1,400 feet—such as our Water’s Ranch, Stagecoach, and Antica parcels—typically benefit from three more hours of sunshine per day compared to lower altitudes that are often cloaked in morning fog. This additional sunlight ensures the berries achieve a deep, rich color and complex flavor compounds.
With daytime temperatures averaging 5-10 F cooler, our mountain vines respire less acidity to produce energy; the acidity retained in the grapes results in greater freshness and balance in the wines. Cooler temperatures also prolong the growing season, allowing the clusters to hang longer on the vine and achieve optimal flavor development. Our Rancho Chimiles parcel, while slightly lower in elevation, sits close to the San Pablo Bay and enjoys cooling afternoon breezes that moderate temperature.
Thinner, rockier, poorer, and better-drained high-elevation soils naturally stress the vines, reducing yields by generating fewer shoots with limited clusters and smaller, thicker-skinned berries. The higher skin-to-juice ratio brings higher acidity, more tannin, and greater flavor concentration.
Farming our mountain parcels vine-by-vine, we can achieve a careful balance between broad structure and phenolic maturity. Dramatic mountain terrain challenges us with various slope grades, sun aspects, and microclimates. Through meticulous fieldwork, we optimize hang time and reach optimal ripeness, moderating Brix levels (e.g., 26.7 Brix for Cab and 24.5 for Chardonnay) so that our wines possess focused fruit and tremendous finesse.
From vine to barrel, we handle the fruit with extreme care. We hand harvest, block by block only when each vine has reached optimal ripeness. The fruit, picked before sunup when skins are cool and firm, are gravity-fed to tank. Throughout the fermentation process, we employ little to no pumping, extracting juice gently with a basket press and bottling unfined and unfiltered to retain the purist, most eloquent expression of the wine.
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Domaine Meo-Camuzet Corton Les Perrieres Grand Cru 2020
Your first impression of Les Perrieres is that of a typical Corton, as it is so frequently described: austere, slow to mature, tannic. But that impression should be moderated because the wine is apparently multifaceted: frankness, certainly, but also an underlying structure that lines the palate and a finish marked by minerality. There's no heaviness, which facilitates the expression of this complexity. A long ageing period is certainly beneficial.
Review:
One of the highlights of the range this year is the 2020 Corton Grand Cru Les Perrières, a vibrant, mineral wine evocative of wild berries, forest floor, rich spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant, with beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it's well worth seeking out.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 93-95+ Points
Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc (40% Caillottes, 40% Grosses Terres, 20% Silex)
The wine displays an exotic nose with a touch of smoke and licorice. On the palate, peach and watermelon dominate with citrus zest and chalk notes.
Aged on the lees for a few months (no oak).
Soil type: Clay, limestone, sedimentary rock Pairs with seafood, fish, goats cheese.