Pax Syrah, Sonoma Hillsides 2022 (750 ml)

100% Syrah

100% Whole-Cluster

10 months in neutral French Oak Puncheons & Concrete Tanks

3.77 pH

12.5 % Alc by Vol

Free SO2 – 20ppm

Tasting Note:

Sweet purple flowers, pink peppercorns, blueberry liqueur, white pepper, and exotic high toned fruit pastilles. Plush blue fruits on the pallet, spicy with high toned red fruits and swirling aromas of earth, umami and fresh summer fruits. Intense and vibrant, this is going to stay fresh and lively for many years into the future and improve with time in your cellar.

This blend of our favorite sites is popular for a reason.  It is neither too big nor is it too light.  Packed with fruit, but never sweet or overbearing. One hundred percent Syrah grown on organically farmed hillsides in Sonoma County along with classic winemaking creates this delicious classically styled and extremely pure Syrah. Steep rocky sites blended with high elevation decomposed soils, blended with old vines grown in sand, these diverse terroirs combine to create a wine of balance and purity. We continue to add exceptional sites to this blend to make a better-balanced wine with more density and power while retaining its lightness and impeccable harmony.

Vintage 2022 – A very good vintage that will probably end up ranked behind 2021, the wines from 2022 have more acidity, redder flavors, less tannin, and plush vibrant personalities. The exception to this is the higher elevation sites which we could hang longer into the season and eek out all of that high elevation exotic aroma and flavor. All told The 2022 Sonoma Hillsides is as umami packed as 2016 with the plushness of 2021 and the aromas of 2018.

Inspiration

One night, after an incredibly extensive tasting of great vintages from the cellar of Raymond Trollat, Pax expressed his interest in creating a wine label designed as an ode to the iconic French winemaker. Raymond immediately led him down to the cellar, shocking everyone by handing him a roll of his very own labels. Fortunately, someone more fluent in French quickly explained the miscommunication, and with that the label for the Sonoma Hillsides Syrah was decided.

In 2016 we finally felt that we had created a wine worthy of the label. Inspired by the flamboyant wines of St. Joseph, this 100% Syrah is one of the most exciting and compelling wines we have ever put into bottle. Just like in St. Joseph, we pulled this blend together from multiple sites and utilized the expositions of these hillside vineyards that show the freshness and vibrancy that Syrah can only achieve on cool-climate hillside slopes. This wine is decadent, delicious and all hyperbole aside, will probably be one of your favorite Syrahs after just one taste. It is without any doubt, one of our finest creations.

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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