Pym Rae

The Tesseron family, owners of Château Pontet-Canet and Tesseron Cognac, purchased Pym-Rae, a 7.5-hectare vineyard at Mount Veeder in Napa Valley, in January 2016. Named by late actor Robin Williams after his children, the vineyard’s limestone soil and 550 metre altitude bring depth and freshness to the wines. Using a natural, vineyard-focused approach and adapting certain biodynamic practices, the Tesseron family produces distinctly plush, opulent wines from this unique terroir.

The 2021 vintage reveals grapes of great concentration, developed during a dry yet steady season, which allowed for a beautiful balance between ripeness and freshness. In the vineyard, there was low intervention: nature guided the vines with precision. The harvest unfolded calmly, offering grapes of great intensity. At Pym-Rae, this vintage unveils the power of its Napa Valley terroir, shaped by the balance between tension and control.

The wines are typically a composite blend mirroring vineyard plantings which currently stand at 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and are made by winemaker Jérôme Ledit who previously worked with the Tesseron family at Château Pontet-Canet in Bordeaux. Michel Rolland serves as consultant.

Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae 2021, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, 15% Abv.

Aged 50% in new oak barrels and 50% in concrete vats, the 2021 vintage displays fragrant blue and black berry fruit aromatics with hints of Christmas spices, chocolate praline and sweet hoisin plum sauce nuances. Classical elegance on the palate with silky fine tannins, notes of graphite and liquid minerality alongside ripe red and black berry fruits, black cherries, creme de cassis and a spicy, pithy plum skin phenolics on the delicately saline finish. Drink from 2026 to 2038+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Bordeaux, like Burgundy, is a pretty congested market place. There are no practical opportunities to expand empires on prime terroir that make commercial sense, or that are affordable. So it’s great to see the Pontet Canet Tesserons branching out to Napa Valley with the acquisition of the estate of the deceased actor Robin Williams in Mt Veeder.

The first vintage is still in barrel and has another +-12 months elevage to go in French oak, 50% of which was new. This exciting new biodynamic wine is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot from vineyards at 500+ meters altitude. The estate fruit was trucked to a facility in Howell Mountain in Northern Napa and vinified there. There may be plans for a winery in Mt Veeder later in the game.

The cattle grazing in the vineyards converted to biodynamics

If this project is as successful as Pontet Canet, then the fine wine world is in for a very big treat indeed. Jean-Michel Comme travels there as often “as is required”, with his son Thomas on the ground in the US living on the estate in Mt Veeder. This is a new Napa venture to watch very closely.

Thomas Comme, who lives on the estate, showing the wine at Pontet Canet where his father Jean-Michel is the winemaker.

Tasting Note: Pym Rae Napa Valley Red Blend 2016, 14 Abv. (Barrel Sample)

Super intense saline fragrant nose with plenty of cranberry, loganberry, red apple, incense spice, and cherry zest. The palate is dense, opulent, harmonious and creamy but retains fine freshness and an exotic damson plum allure. Sleek soft tannins and lovely graphite and gravelly mineral spice linger on the powerful finish. This wine is not bottled yet but shows excellent potential.

(Wine Safari Score: 94-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)