Over 40 Years On, Pahlmeyer Still Pursues Excellence

Available and Tasted Now, at Table 13, Addison

Wild Boar Ragu on hand torn papperdelle with Jager Sauce

by Andrew Chalk

It’s a familiar story. Oakland trial lawyer thinks there is more to life than practising law and goes to Bordeaux. Comes back with suitcases full of First Growth vines. Changes lifelong goal of prosecuting Mr. X to make First Growth wine in Napa Valley.

At least, that is what happened to Jayson Pahlmeyer in 1986. Pahlmeyer announced his retirement some 30 years later in 2017 but his brand and wine continue to this day after a sea-change in global wine events. I was fortunate enough to have a media seat at a tasting of some current vintages at a wine dinner last week at Table 13. 

Recall, Table 13, in Addison, I previously discovered has one of the best wine lists in Dallas. Not only is the long, multipage list of 100s of wines full of names and vintages that you cannot just run down the street to buy at the liquor store, but the prices are unlike any other restaurant in Dallas. It's a wine lover’s treasure trove! On top of that the New American menu covers complimentary food from ribeye to sea bass.

Back to Jayson Pahlmeyer’s journey. It isn’t recognised as widely as it should be, but he did everything important in crafting a first growth, first class. From asking Bordeaux soil scientists for comment on soil samples he came across, to asking Randy Dunn to make his first wine from the sequestered grapes (and score 94/100 points from Robert Parker), to deferring to Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer when they advised “If you want to be a first-growth, you have to have your own vineyards” and purchasing the first of several vineyards on Atlas Peak, to having David Abreu plant the wines and develop the vineyards there.

Where there were corners, they remained. None were cut. The legacy is one of the best cabernet sauvignon wines of California and complementary red wines from Bordeaux blends. Additionally, excellent white wines came from sauvignon blanc and chardonnay plantings. 

Output, of course, has remained ludicrously small (some 13,500 cases total each year) so most people can’t have the best wines unless they are on the winery mailing list. Plus, demand has pushed prices of Pahlmeyer wines well into three figures per bottle. The pricing dilemma has been partly ameliorated with the creation of a second label ‘Jayson’. This encompasses wines made from younger vines, sometimes with less stringent yields     

A Table 13 we tasted through a selection of the current offerings alongside a full meal from Table 13’s kitchen.

Order any of those below by calling 972-789-9558 or email Events@Table13Addison.com. 

PAHLMEYER WINES AVAILABLE
WINE NAME	Price/750ml bottle	Price 6 or more/750ml bottle	Quantity	Total (Price x Quantity)
Pahlmeyer Jayson Chardonnay 2022	$47	$42
My note: Nose and palate of tropical fruit. Delicate new oak bouquet. Complex flavors. Savor on its own or with fish or poultry.
Pahlmeyer Jayson Sauvignon Blanc 2024	$37	$32
My note: Crisp and clean with bright citrus flavors. Recommended with oysters, shellfish, fish.
Pahlmeyer Jayson Red Blend 2022	$57	$69
My note: Raspberry fruit, a tannic grip that speaks to the cabernet franc in this blend make it ideal for ribeye or other juicy steaks.
Pahlmeyer Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon 2022	$75	$69
My note: Classic Napa cabernet with herbaceousness, forward fruit. Serve with red meat. Will age for a decade if you wish.
Pahlmeyer Merlot 2022	$92	$85
My note: California merlot in its best representation. Complex, powerful fruit. Powerful chewy tannins. Long finish. Excellent.

Seared Duck Breast with braised red cabbage, fingerling potatoes and cherry sauce