Pym-Rae
About Pym-Rae
In January 2016, the Tesseron family bought Pym-Rae, the former property of Robin Williams (named after the middle names of the actor’s children “Pym” and “Rae”).
Pym-Rae is a small 7.5 ha vineyard - mostly Cabernet Sauvignon as at Pontet-Canet - on low yielding sedimentary limestone soils. This is a high-altitude Mount Veeder vineyard planted at 550m where locally cool conditions moderate the warm Californian climate.
Pym-Rae practices organic and biodynamic farming – with 2016 the first vintage going through biodynamic certification (by Demeter). The estate is dry-farmed, with not even vine trimming interfering with nature. The vineyard is now 29 year’s old, divide into parcels which are vinified separately in 40 concrete vats of 10 hectoliters each. Then follows 16 months of ageing in new French oak barrels (70%) and concrete tanks.
The resulting wine is complex, deep, and balanced - full of mineral energy. These attributes are obviously shared to a large extent by Pontet-Canet, which shows why Alfred Tesseron was drawn to acquire the estate and work with this fabulous terroir:
“Pym-Rae is the realization of a dream … another exceptional terroir where Cabernets are also the major grape variety, in a country which has taught and given me so much” - Alfred Tesseron
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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California | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£881.54 |
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James Suckling (98)This is the debut vintage of this wine from the esteemed Bordeaux owner, Alfred Tesseron, who bought the property in the Napa mountains in 2016. Aromas of plums, wet earth, fresh herbs and tobacco. Some green olives. Turns to blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet reserved and layered with chocolate, walnuts and plums. Firm yet polished tannins give a framed sense to the wine. Savory. Racy and beautifully structured, it’s extremely drinkable already. Real wine. |
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California | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£873.68 |
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James Suckling (97)Rather rich, flamboyant and decadent with bright raspberries, mushrooms and bark. Full-bodied, yet very tight and refined, with firmness and length. Racy and fine for a 2017. No cabernet franc in the blend, just cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Drink after 2023. |
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California | 2 | 99 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£852.24 |
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The Wine Independent (99)The 2018 Pym-Rae is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs considerable swirling to unlock evocative, pristine notes of juicy blackberries, ripe blueberries, cassis, and red currant jelly, followed by hints of lavender, crushed rocks, bay leaves, and iron ore, with a fragrant waft of cinnamon and cloves. The densely laden, full-bodied palate bursts with ripe, perfumed black fruits, supported by firm, very finely grained tannins, and fantastic tension, finishing with a long-lasting firework display of red berry and earthy sparks. With a 4–6-hour double-decant, it is delicious now, but if you want that next-level experience, give it a good 5-6 more years in bottle and drink it over the next 40 years+. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
California | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£725.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)This is the debut vintage of this wine from the esteemed Bordeaux owner, Alfred Tesseron, who bought the property in the Napa mountains in 2016. Aromas of plums, wet earth, fresh herbs and tobacco. Some green olives. Turns to blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet reserved and layered with chocolate, walnuts and plums. Firm yet polished tannins give a framed sense to the wine. Savory. Racy and beautifully structured, it’s extremely drinkable already. Real wine. |
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|
|
California | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£718.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)Rather rich, flamboyant and decadent with bright raspberries, mushrooms and bark. Full-bodied, yet very tight and refined, with firmness and length. Racy and fine for a 2017. No cabernet franc in the blend, just cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Drink after 2023. |
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|
|
California | 2 | 99 (WI) |
In Bond
£700.00 |
|||||
The Wine Independent (99)The 2018 Pym-Rae is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs considerable swirling to unlock evocative, pristine notes of juicy blackberries, ripe blueberries, cassis, and red currant jelly, followed by hints of lavender, crushed rocks, bay leaves, and iron ore, with a fragrant waft of cinnamon and cloves. The densely laden, full-bodied palate bursts with ripe, perfumed black fruits, supported by firm, very finely grained tannins, and fantastic tension, finishing with a long-lasting firework display of red berry and earthy sparks. With a 4–6-hour double-decant, it is delicious now, but if you want that next-level experience, give it a good 5-6 more years in bottle and drink it over the next 40 years+. |
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