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Whether you appreciate top-rated Bordeaux or simply aspire to, the Tesseron family is one to know. The Tesserons have owned Pauillac’s Château Pontet-Canet since the 1970s, and long before that, have been top-rated producers of Cognac, as well. Under the helm of Alfred Tesseron, they’ve made big strides to improve their wines, and the lands they farm, including the move to switch to a completely biodynamic and organic operation in 2005.
After years of looking for the right piece of property in Napa Valley, the Tesserons landed a legendary one—in 2016, they scooped up an estate previously owned by the late comedian Robin Williams, who had named the vineyard after the middle names of two of his children. The Tesserons have kept the name in his honor, and the first bottling of Pym-Rae Napa Valley, a Bordeaux-style blend, arrived in Nashville last month.
The Mount Veeder estate doesn’t have its own winery (yet) but the family was able to produce their first vintage shortly after purchasing the land—which features the same mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc vines found on their property in Pauillac—and quickly got to work turning the 29-year-old vineyard into a biodynamic operation. Château Pontet-Canet winemaker Jean-Michel Comme is contributing to the blend but his son, Thomas, is the Napa Valley estate manager—together, they’re dedicated to coaxing out a pure expression of the terroir.
Even at a young age, the wine shows big promise: The tight structure and bold, earthy aroma are well on their way to greater depth. Drink it now, or hold onto a few bottles and see how it grows. In the meantime, its 100-point Bordelaise cousin, the Château Pontet-Canet Grand Cru 2010, is a gem if you can find it.
$379.99 per bottle. Available at The Wine Chap and Midtown Corkdorks.