Pax Syrah, El Dorado County 2022 (750 ml)

100% Syrah
100% Whole Cluster Fermentation
Aged in neutral 500L French Oak Puncheons for 6 months.
Free SO2 @ Bottling 10 ppm
3.66 pH
12.5% Alc by Vol

El Dorado County is California gold country in the Sierra Foothills. The gold found here in 1848 started the Gold Rush, but the gold we seek out are the golden granitic covered hillsides. This 100% Syrah was fermented using 100% Whole-Clusters and was crushed entirely by foot.  Vibrant and high toned, we aged this wine for 6 months in very old neutral French Oak 500L Puncheons to preserve the vibrancy and verve of this high altitude Alpine inspired wine.

Tasting Note:
Herbaceous alpine notes highlight the silky ripe strawberry and dense blackberry aromas. Taut black cherry skins, blackberries, black pepper and cherry pits keep things in focus. Bottled to be consumed in its youth it will be a thrilling alpine styled Syrah with lip smacking freshness and vibrancy. This wine will form sediment in the bottle as it ages and should be decanted and served at 55 degrees.

Pax Wines:

Pax and Pam moved to wine country in 1997 to create a lifestyle that involved working with wine. After a few years of tasting and sourcing wine from all over California, Pax finally found a vineyard in which he felt a kismet connection. Alder Springs Vineyard was the site and subsequently led to the launch of the PAX brand in 2000.

The Mahles made a bold choice by favoring the “untapped potential"  of the Syrah grape. Their entire lineup of wines came from cool climate vineyards in  Sonoma County and Mendocino. These wines were big, rich expressions of Syrah that went on to be highly sought after. As a result, Pax quickly became established as one of California’s premier producers of Syrah.

Presently, Pax Wines has evolved to include new and exciting varieties in addition to Syrah. This includes Trousseau Gris, Chenin Blanc, Gamay Noir, and Mission, along with a host of others recently planted. 

At Pax Wines winemaking is approached holistically. This is done by taking care to use only grapes that are grown without the use of chemicals and by hand making their wines with as little intervention as possible. As a result, all of their wines are crushed by foot and hand, and fermented using only natural yeasts. To taste these wines visit the urban winery and tasting room in the outdoor Barlow market in downtown Sebastopol.

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