Pax 2017 Syrah, Sonoma Hillsides, Sonoma County

Pax and Pam Mahle decided to make a bold choice by favoring the “untapped potential” of the Syrah grape. The entire lineup of wines came from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma County and Mendocino. The wines were big, rich expressions of Syrah that went on to be highly sought after and quickly established Pax as one of California’s premier producers of Syrah.


2017 Pax Syrah, Sonoma Hillsides is sourced from five vineyards; Castelli-Knight Ranch, Russian River, Griffins Lair Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, Walker Vine Hill, Russian River and Nellessen Vineyard, Sonoma Coast. The wine is whole cluster fermented like many of the wines of St.Joseph that are its inspiration.

The previous vintage of this wine received a perfect 100 point score. No scores yet for this one but it shows fresh aromas of blackberry liqueur, roasted earth, black licorice, black pepper and hickory smoke. It's rich, supple and incredibly textured.  Nothing is out of place here, loads of fruit, Indian spices, savory umami, sweet fruit and a textural lightness.