Jayson by Pahlmeyer Red Blend 2021
(Napa Valley, California) - [JS 94] [WE 93] [DM 93] [WS 92] [WA 90]

About Jayson:
Jayson wines are born from two of the most renowned winegrowing regions in the world – the iconic Napa Valley and the pioneering Sonoma Coast. Every vintage is meticulously made with the attention to detail for which Pahlmeyer is known and trusted, while capturing the spirit of its founder whose huge personality, humor and joy for living are an integral part of the Pahlmeyer legacy.

Notes from the Winemaker:
Balance in the vineyard is crucial for our red varietals, and I carefully restrict yields and manage canopies to create just the right dappled sunlight to achieve ideal ripeness. In the cellar, I start with a core of ripe, concentrated mountaintop fruit, and seek out blending components to turn up the wine to its fullest potential – really plush, concentrated, and fruit driven. Like that first ’93 blending session, I’m going by feel, achieving a complete wine with nuance and intricacy, a rich, approachable texture, and impeccable balance. Heavily toasted Taransaud imparts counterpoised structure and texture while retaining fruit purity.
—Katie Vogt, Winemaker

Vintage Notes:

2021 was a remarkable growing year. All of our vineyards expressed themselves in their purest form. There was a lot of distinct character, block to block, which allowed us to create truly unique, interesting, and compelling wines. An arid year resulted in meager yields throughout our vineyards, fewer clusters, and tiny berries giving us gorgeous concentration. While it was an early vintage, gentle weather throughout the growing season allowed the vineyards to develop steadily and fully, resulting in intense, complex fruit. The berries retained naturally high acidity levels, and with low yields and small berries, they achieved a concentrated tannin profile. That ideal combination of acidity and tannin – with a pure, powerful fruit core – indicates this will be an age-worthy vintage.

Blend: 76% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

Ageing: Aged 15 months in 72% new Taransaud barrels, 28% one-year-used Pahlmeyer Merlot and Proprietary Red barrels

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - James Suckling:
"Aromas of blackcurrants come through clearly along with hints of lead pencil. It’s medium- to full-bodied with fine velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Caressing texture and not overdone. Lovely now to drink as a young wine but it will be even better in three to five years." (Jun 2023)

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"This mouthfilling and gentle-textured blend based on 76% Merlot floods the palate with late-picked blueberries and cherries that are layered with vanilla and milk chocolate nuances for an almost sweet effect on the palate and finish. The wine is luscious enough to drink soon, and through 2032." - Jim Gordon (Dec 2023)

93 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Spiced black currants, plums, leather, and tobacco with rich boysenberry fruit. This is a tightly wound Merlot, savoury and special, with very fine-grained tannins and a firm spine of grippy acidity, finishing with slivers of chocolate. The blend is rounded out with 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Sourcing for this is Stagecoach, Waters Vineyard, Shifftlett Ranch in the Oak Knoll area, and Broken Rock at the base of Soda Canyon, along with William Hill fruit from the Napa AVA." - Jonathan Cristaldi (Nov 2023)

92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Rich and handsomely structured, this blend is generous, with black cherry, toasty spice and licorice flavors as this builds tension toward refined tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2031. 6,077 cases made." - Tim Fish (Nov 2023)

90 Points - Wine Advocate:
"A blend of 76% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Jayson Red Wine offers up seductive scents of black cherries, mocha and cassis. It's medium to full-bodied, silky and refined, but it's also a bit modest in intensity, much like the Jayson Chardonnay." - Joe Czerwinski (Dec 2023)