Pym-Rae

In 2016, Château Pontet-Canet proprietor Alfred Tesseron put down stakes in Napa Valley with the purchase of the vineyard and mansion that had been one of the homes of deceased actor Robin Williams. 

Located at an average altitude of 1,500 feet (500 meters) on Mount Veeder, the estate includes just under 20 acres of mature Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (18%), and Cabernet Franc (7%) vines planted in 1990.

Williams used to sell the fruit to various wineries around Napa Valley, so, until 2016, there had never been a single vineyard bottling of this remarkable place. 

Tesseron named the estate and wine “Pym-Rae,” out of respect for the original name given to the vineyard by Williams (Pym and Rae are the middle names of two of his children). Currently, the wines are made at a dedicated cellar up on Howell Mountain, with plans in place to build a winery on the estate. The first vintage made by Tesseron was 2016, and the current release is 2018.