2021 Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae

Alfred Tesseron (of Château Pontet-Canet in Pauillac, Bordeaux) was looking for a special terroir outside Bordeaux to work with. He sought out a place where the grape varieties he was familiar with from Bordeaux thrived, and specifically a place where these grapes were at their best. He found that place on the originally volcanic and 500-meter-high Mt. Veeder in Napa Valley. Tesseron stumbled upon the 29-year-old vineyard of actor Robin Williams, who had passed away two years earlier. Tesseron bought the vineyard in 2016 and named the project Pym Rae: the name Williams had given the vineyard, named after the nicknames of his children. Williams had never made wine from this vineyard, but Tesseron saw its great potential. The vineyard is now cultivated using the same biodynamic methods as at Château Pontet-Canet, and with the same precision and dedication.

The Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae is a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In the glass, this top Napa has a deep garnet purple color and reveals deliciously fragrant notes of candied violets, wilted roses, damp earth, and black tea over a heart of red and black currants, black cherries, and warm blackberries, plus a hint of cigar box and camphor wax. Medium to full-bodied with a rock-solid fruit structure on the palate, fine-grained tannins that beautifully support the elegant red and black fruit layers, and a very long, highly perfumed finish.

This Pym-Rae offers aromas of flowers, berries, plums, and cocoa. It is full-bodied with compact fruit and fine tannins, giving it suppleness and finesse, yet remaining very structured and long. The wine is aged in 55% new French barrels and 45% concrete eggs for 18 months. The wine consists of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc.

Ratings: 98 James Suckling, 98 Jeb Dunnuck, 95 Jane Anson, 100 The WIne Palate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

FUN FACT: In the 'Attachments' tab, you will find the official factsheet for this fine wine. We will automatically send this to you upon ordering this wine. You will also find a large number of photos of the unique vineyards of Tesseron Estate. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you come to collect the wine, you will often receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you select 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht, almost next to the A16, with ample parking. Click here for our address.