Benchmark Wines by

Pax

The Winery

Pax

There has been some subtle shift, but Pax is still for the bigger wines from the warmer sites. In the end it’s about site, not style, and working with what the vineyard gives you. I’m trying to make subtle perfections as I tweak things, not huge pendulum changes in style. Still, that notwithstanding, I’d rather pick on the underripe side than the overripe side of things. There’s always decision making in the process, and I’d rather not go over ripe, then have to water back or acidify or manipulate it in some way to fix the wine. But on the flip side, wines don’t just make themselves. Even deciding not to do something is a decision, and thus interventionist in a way.
– Pax Mahle, Proprietor

Pax Wine Cellars began with Pax and Pam Mahle when they moved from the East Coast to California after Pax got a corporate position sourcing wine for Dean & Deluca. After a couple of years in that position, Pax decided to begin winemaking as a profession and launched Pax Wine Cellars in 2000. Pax Wine Cellars is known for cool climate Syrah bottlings from vineyards in Sonoma County and Mendocino, and well received by critics as well as connoisseurs.

www.paxwine.com/

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Tasting Notes

WA94
The 2002 Syrah Castelli-Knight Ranch is a black beauty. No wimpish wine at 16.9% alcohol, it is made from very low yields, and crushed in open top small bins, the alcohol is totally concealed by the wealth of fruit and intensity. From a cool hillside vineyard with a northeast exposure, it exhibits an inky/purple color as well as aromas of roasted meats, black currants, and blackberries. It is a muscular, big, powerful Syrah that keeps it all together with good intensity and a structured feel. This sensational 2002 requires 2-3 years of cellaring, and should age nicely for 12-15 years.
WS93
Fully ripened, with a rich, concentrated core of blackberry, wild berry, pomegranate and huckleberry, it firms up and exhibits dusty oak, fresh earth, mineral, sage and spicy nuances, only to have the rich fruit return on the finish. Chewy tannins are there too, making it a good candidate for a year or so in the cellar.

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