Nose: Leather, dark morello cherry, cigar tobacco, sage and mint tea notes. Great depth and cool soil notes. Palate: Plum, dark cherry and quince fruit with notes of spice. Mid palate begins delivering the leather, cherry fruit compote, kirsh and herb notes. Balanced and velvety feel in the midpalate with lift from the acidity. Finish: Lingers a long time with dark cherry, cocoa and sage notes. More tobacco and rustic leather as well.
This is a really nice glass at this point in time. On a great plateau for enjoyment, so dig in if you have these around. Randy Dunn made a great on in the later part of his tenure before Helen Turley joined the team.
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a mature red with still impressive fruit at age 32. The bottle we had says "Pahlmeyer Estate Bottled 1990 Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley". I think we're all drinking the same wine here, but unless I'm mistaken this is not yet the 'Proprietary Red' even though the label looks it.
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Drank from a 750. So much better than expected. On the downslope for sure and less complex than probably 10 yrs ago, but a big upside surprise and still very enjoyable.
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From magnum, the cork and fill level were perfect after thirty years of age, another indicator of the conditions in our cellar for proper aging.
Deep ruby/purple color, medium-full bodied, moderately complex, well-balanced ripe currant and black cherry fruits, aromas of smoke, cassis, tobacco and spicy oak, followed by full tannins and acidity on a lingering finish. At thirty years, I sense the fruits were starting to fall off a slight bit to give way to non-fruit acidic notes of tobacco and smoke.
Repeating notes of a fellow Cellertracker, JIMN, "Probably time to drink up in the normal format, but the Mags should hold well for another few years."
mrd red color, a little acid at first, smoothed out with 1 1/2 hr in decanter, some fruit still there, smokey & leather, should have veen consumed many years ago, drink it uip
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NVMLC. The bottle was unlabeled due to a flood in the cellar. The friend that brought the wine thought it was the 90'. Needed about 30 minutes to really open.
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From a magnum. Decanted for sediment than back into the bottle to settle for five hours. An elegant Bordeaux-like quality. Wouldn't guess Napa if you didn't know. Fully evolved, with very soft tannins and bright fruit that is still hanging in there...barely. Probably time to drink up in the normal format, but the Mags should hold well for another few years.
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Lovely stuff; perfectly mature Cabernet with gentle red and dark fruited flavours framed by developed earthy, cedary and spicy notes. There's a sense of restraint and lightness to the flavours, resolved tannins and bright acids that make it very easy to drink. Wish more Cali Cabs delivered like this.
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Very pleasing subtle but clear fruit. tannins completely of. Wine nicely balanced. Several more years left on win. Very nice now. No need wait but no rush.
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I'm happy with this purchase. Just received four bottles and couldn't help but open one, worried that they would be past their prime. No worries, the wine was enjoyable, with a fresh ruby red color and bouquet of pretty flowers on the nose. First impression on the palate is positive as well with tons of fruit still remaining: Red raspberries, jammy blackberry and some vanilla. The finish is pleasing as well, on the midpalate there is a pleasant velvety feel with a bit of a tannic drying sensation going down and lasting some thirty seconds afterwards. Interestingly, a couple of minutes later you get a sweet glycerin aftertaste that I was unable to catch before, but it is more curious than unpleasant.
>>edit: I added a point on the finish, because I found it really interesting on hindsight.
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Very nice and well resolved. Blossomed with some time in glass and may have been served a bit too warm. Very pleasant on the final 1/3 of the bottle on xmas day
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Initially closed. After about 15 minutes it opened up with complex flavors of plums, tar, cedar and pencil lead. Definitely a mature cab with a long but not overly complex finish.
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This was OK, not fantastic. The cork crumbled when trying to open, so I guess I should have used an Ah-So. Strained through cheesecloth into the decanter. Upon first opening this poured forth some nice plums, a hint of cedar and a nice minty nose, clearly mature Napa Cabernet. The palate still showed nice fruit, and for about 20 minutes I was pleased with this elegant, somewhat leafy Cab. However, this did not react well to air and cracked apart pretty quickly in the glass. Underbrush and forest floor took over, and this got quite weedy. The wine shortened up and showed a thin finish with lightly choppy tannins. My friend Jeff B was pretty pleased with the wine, but I was more critical. It was certainly a nice, mature Napa Cab, but this is not a wine I would be sitting on.
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Last night with a simple New Year's dinner of beef & vegetable soup we (myself, Suzi, Mom and Bob) uncorked a bottle of 1990 Pahlmeyer Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley Red Table Wine. The moment I pulled the cork I knew this was going to be fun as the rich smell of plums poured forth. The cork was solid and young with barely a hint of staining--this bottle was in terrific shape! As I decanted the fruit filled the room. After 15 minutes the nose showed plums, coffee, cedar and subtle hints of chocolate and pencil shavings. In the glass it was deep garnet with perhaps a tiny hint of lightening at the rim. Truly lovely! On the palate the wine was a bit thin for the next 15 minutes, but it quickly gained flesh and filled out well. Soft tannins and lovely mouthfeel showed that this was a wine with some maturity. The finish was powerful and danced for 30-40 seconds, although there wasn't a ton of complexity to it. Interestingly about an hour after the bottle was opening the wine very quickly started to peak and fade. The fruit started to fall away and the notes of cedar became more dominant. The tannins and alcohol started to show through and the lovely balance on display for the first hour started to fall apart. All in all this was a lovely bottle that I rated 92 points, but I was surprised at how quickly it fell apart in the decanter. How does that bode for the future of this one in the bottle?
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6 Cabernet Sauvignons and Chateau Angelus (Lafayette, Ca.): Beet red color in the glass, very rich, inky nose with mint and chocolate, same on the palate, fruit forward, more mint and chocolate, long finish, will improve with 3 years in the cellar. My #4 of 7.
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3/1/2024 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Leather, dark morello cherry, cigar tobacco, sage and mint tea notes. Great depth and cool soil notes. Palate: Plum, dark cherry and quince fruit with notes of spice. Mid palate begins delivering the leather, cherry fruit compote, kirsh and herb notes. Balanced and velvety feel in the midpalate with lift from the acidity. Finish: Lingers a long time with dark cherry, cocoa and sage notes. More tobacco and rustic leather as well.
This is a really nice glass at this point in time. On a great plateau for enjoyment, so dig in if you have these around. Randy Dunn made a great on in the later part of his tenure before Helen Turley joined the team.
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8/27/2022 - soyhead wrote:
a mature red with still impressive fruit at age 32. The bottle we had says "Pahlmeyer Estate Bottled 1990 Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley".
I think we're all drinking the same wine here, but unless I'm mistaken this is not yet the 'Proprietary Red' even though the label looks it.
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2/4/2022 - MattB72 wrote: 93 Points
Drank from a 750. So much better than expected. On the downslope for sure and less complex than probably 10 yrs ago, but a big upside surprise and still very enjoyable.
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6/27/2020 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 90 Points
From magnum, the cork and fill level were perfect after thirty years of age, another indicator of the conditions in our cellar for proper aging.
Deep ruby/purple color, medium-full bodied, moderately complex, well-balanced ripe currant and black cherry fruits, aromas of smoke, cassis, tobacco and spicy oak, followed by full tannins and acidity on a lingering finish. At thirty years, I sense the fruits were starting to fall off a slight bit to give way to non-fruit acidic notes of tobacco and smoke.
Repeating notes of a fellow Cellertracker, JIMN, "Probably time to drink up in the normal format, but the Mags should hold well for another few years."
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/06/pahlmeyer-caldwell-vineyard-napa-valley.html
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2/14/2020 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 88 Points
mrd red color, a little acid at first, smoothed out with 1 1/2 hr in decanter, some fruit still there, smokey & leather, should have veen consumed many years ago, drink it uip
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11/21/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 91 Points
NVMLC. The bottle was unlabeled due to a flood in the cellar. The friend that brought the wine thought it was the 90'. Needed about 30 minutes to really open.
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12/30/2012 - JimN Likes this wine: 92 Points
From a magnum. Decanted for sediment than back into the bottle to settle for five hours. An elegant Bordeaux-like quality. Wouldn't guess Napa if you didn't know. Fully evolved, with very soft tannins and bright fruit that is still hanging in there...barely. Probably time to drink up in the normal format, but the Mags should hold well for another few years.
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6/16/2011 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 92 Points
All of the features of a great aged cab: bright plums, cedar, mint. Mild tannin, well-balanced med acidity, great finish.
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6/16/2011 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Lovely stuff; perfectly mature Cabernet with gentle red and dark fruited flavours framed by developed earthy, cedary and spicy notes. There's a sense of restraint and lightness to the flavours, resolved tannins and bright acids that make it very easy to drink. Wish more Cali Cabs delivered like this.
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4/3/2011 - Michael wrote: 92 Points
Very pleasing subtle but clear fruit. tannins completely of. Wine nicely balanced. Several more years left on win. Very nice now. No need wait but no rush.
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12/15/2010 - Sailquik wrote: 89 Points
I'm happy with this purchase. Just received four bottles and couldn't help but open one, worried that they would be past their prime. No worries, the wine was enjoyable, with a fresh ruby red color and bouquet of pretty flowers on the nose. First impression on the palate is positive as well with tons of fruit still remaining: Red raspberries, jammy blackberry and some vanilla. The finish is pleasing as well, on the midpalate there is a pleasant velvety feel with a bit of a tannic drying sensation going down and lasting some thirty seconds afterwards. Interestingly, a couple of minutes later you get a sweet glycerin aftertaste that I was unable to catch before, but it is more curious than unpleasant.
>>edit: I added a point on the finish, because I found it really interesting on hindsight.
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1/9/2010 - nvitols wrote: 89 Points
Bottle was in great shape. Round and slightly sweet, nice drink but on the down hill.
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12/26/2006 - Mr T wrote: 91 Points
Very nice and well resolved. Blossomed with some time in glass and may have been served a bit too warm. Very pleasant on the final 1/3 of the bottle on xmas day
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10/14/2006 - Michael wrote: 91 Points
Still needs an hour in the glass or another couple years in the bottle. strong, pleasant nose, good balance just a bit much tannin until opened up.
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10/7/2006 - winefool wrote: 90 Points
Big, rich blend with medium complexity and finish. Still somewhat tannic, but opened nicely
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5/9/2006 - shine wrote: 89 Points
Initially closed. After about 15 minutes it opened up with complex flavors of plums, tar, cedar and pencil lead. Definitely a mature cab with a long but not overly complex finish.
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9/20/2005 - Eric wrote: 86 Points
This was OK, not fantastic. The cork crumbled when trying to open, so I guess I should have used an Ah-So. Strained through cheesecloth into the decanter. Upon first opening this poured forth some nice plums, a hint of cedar and a nice minty nose, clearly mature Napa Cabernet. The palate still showed nice fruit, and for about 20 minutes I was pleased with this elegant, somewhat leafy Cab. However, this did not react well to air and cracked apart pretty quickly in the glass. Underbrush and forest floor took over, and this got quite weedy. The wine shortened up and showed a thin finish with lightly choppy tannins. My friend Jeff B was pretty pleased with the wine, but I was more critical. It was certainly a nice, mature Napa Cab, but this is not a wine I would be sitting on.
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12/31/2002 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Last night with a simple New Year's dinner of beef & vegetable soup we (myself, Suzi, Mom and Bob) uncorked a bottle of 1990 Pahlmeyer Caldwell Vineyard Napa Valley Red Table Wine. The moment I pulled the cork I knew this was going to be fun as the rich smell of plums poured forth. The cork was solid and young with barely a hint of staining--this bottle was in terrific shape! As I decanted the fruit filled the room. After 15 minutes the nose showed plums, coffee, cedar and subtle hints of chocolate and pencil shavings. In the glass it was deep garnet with perhaps a tiny hint of lightening at the rim. Truly lovely! On the palate the wine was a bit thin for the next 15 minutes, but it quickly gained flesh and filled out well. Soft tannins and lovely mouthfeel showed that this was a wine with some maturity. The finish was powerful and danced for 30-40 seconds, although there wasn't a ton of complexity to it. Interestingly about an hour after the bottle was opening the wine very quickly started to peak and fade. The fruit started to fall away and the notes of cedar became more dominant. The tannins and alcohol started to show through and the lovely balance on display for the first hour started to fall apart. All in all this was a lovely bottle that I rated 92 points, but I was surprised at how quickly it fell apart in the decanter. How does that bode for the future of this one in the bottle?
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4/13/1994 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
6 Cabernet Sauvignons and Chateau Angelus (Lafayette, Ca.): Beet red color in the glass, very rich, inky nose with mint and chocolate, same on the palate, fruit forward, more mint and chocolate, long finish, will improve with 3 years in the cellar. My #4 of 7.
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1/8/1994 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Three Great Reds 1989 and 1990 vintages (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Hi-Time Cellars Tasting, big, thick, rich, fruity nose, nice, ripe, berry, fruity taste, big body, lots of berry taste, long finish.
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10/2/1993 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
1990 Cabernet Sauvignons (Hi-Time Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, Ca.): Very rich, intense cabernet nose and taste, lots of concentration, lots of tannins, well balanced, long, long finish.
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