2019 Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae

2019 Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae is a striking, Bordeaux-inspired red from the heights of Napa Valley’s Mount Veeder, crafted by the family behind Château Pontet-Canet in Pauillac. This is a powerful yet exquisitely detailed Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend that marries Napa’s intensity with Bordeaux’s precision and finesse. Born from the former estate of actor Robin Williams, now farmed biodynamically, it has quickly become one of Napa’s most talked-about new cult wines.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2019 Pym-Rae shows a deep, opaque garnet-purple hue that hints at both concentration and youth. The nose is layered and expressive, opening with candied violets, wilted roses and a touch of damp earth, followed by black tea, cigar box and a whisper of camphor. Beneath these floral and savory tones lies a core of ripe red and black fruits: cassis and redcurrant, black cherries, warm blackberries, plums and a subtle cocoa powder note. On the palate, this is medium to full-bodied with a seamless, stone-solid fruit core and impressive purity. Compact, dark fruit is wrapped in fine-grained, well-integrated tannins that feel both firm and silky, giving the wine a sense of suppleness without sacrificing structure. Layers of red and black berries, plum, graphite and cocoa unfold gradually, leading to a very long, perfumed finish with lingering floral and tea leaf nuances. Built for the long haul, this 2019 has excellent aging potential; it will reward cellaring for 10–20+ years, gaining additional complexity and softness over time.

Production
The fruit for Pym-Rae comes from high-elevation vineyards at around 500 meters on Mount Veeder in Napa Valley, a site of originally volcanic origin that provides well-drained soils, cooler temperatures and marked diurnal shifts. This combination delivers naturally low yields, excellent ripeness and vibrant freshness. The estate is farmed biodynamically, following the same rigorous, detail-focused approach used at Château Pontet-Canet, with meticulous hand work in the vineyard from pruning to harvest. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. After careful hand harvesting and sorting, the wine is vinified with a focus on purity and texture, then aged for 18 months in a combination of 55% new French oak barrels and 45% concrete eggs, balancing complexity and spice with preserved fruit clarity and precision.

Food & Serving
This refined yet powerful Napa red is an ideal partner for richly flavored dishes such as grilled or roasted ribeye, lamb racks with Mediterranean herbs, braised short ribs, or venison with blackberry jus. It also pairs beautifully with truffle-infused dishes, mushroom ragout, or aged hard cheeses like Comté or Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight its aromatic complexity and freshness. Decant for 1–2 hours in its youth to allow the bouquet to open and the tannins to soften; with additional bottle age, a shorter decant of around 30 minutes will be sufficient.

Producer
Tesseron Estate is the Napa Valley outpost of the Tesseron family, renowned owners of Château Pontet-Canet in Pauillac, Bordeaux. When Alfred Tesseron set out to find a unique terroir outside Bordeaux for the grape varieties he knew best, he discovered the former Mount Veeder property of the late actor Robin Williams, acquiring it in 2016 and preserving the name Pym-Rae—derived from the pet names of Williams’ children. Since then, the Tesseron family has transformed the estate into a meticulously farmed, biodynamic vineyard, applying the same philosophy and precision that elevated Pontet-Canet to one of Bordeaux’s most admired estates. In a relatively short time, Pym-Rae has established itself as a significant new voice in Napa Valley, recognized for its distinctive high-elevation expression, its blend of Old World sensibility and New World power, and its rapidly rising reputation among collectors and critics alike.

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