Pax Mahle Wines
Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah
Sonoma County, California, USA
Hits all the notes for Syrah I'd expect from the Rhone plus some fleshy valor fruit. Good freshness. One of the better examples of the grape from CA.
Hits all the notes for Syrah I'd expect from the Rhone plus some fleshy valor fruit. Good freshness. One of the better examples of the grape from CA.
Feb 13th, 2024
Good concentration, clean herb-accented dark red fruit. Shows the vegetal and non-meaty side of the varietal. Some leaf litter and dried brush. Dark licorice.
Good concentration, clean herb-accented dark red fruit. Shows the vegetal and non-meaty side of the varietal. Some leaf litter and dried brush. Dark licorice.
Nov 11th, 2022
Very good. Not super sweet in a good way . Smooth
Very good. Not super sweet in a good way . Smooth
Oct 9th, 2022
2019 vintage. Truthfully, I have underscored this wine the last two times I’ve had it (this last Nov and 3 weeks ago). Scored it 9.3 both times but it’s a 9.5. It just keeps impressing. Body is biggish but never syrupy/overwhelming. Flavors and textures come hurtling into your palate. This is so well made and delicious.
2019 vintage. Truthfully, I have underscored this wine the last two times I’ve had it (this last Nov and 3 weeks ago). Scored it 9.3 both times but it’s a 9.5. It just keeps impressing. Body is biggish but never syrupy/overwhelming. Flavors and textures come hurtling into your palate. This is so well made and delicious.
Apr 25th, 20222019 vintage. Front-loaded power, back-loaded elegance. Medium/medium-heavy body.
2019 vintage. Front-loaded power, back-loaded elegance. Medium/medium-heavy body.
Apr 4th, 20222019 vintage. Soft nose currently but explosive front-end palate of bleached white paper, massive plum, balsamic and bacon fat. Hevvy bod. Some welcome acidity/tannins on the back end clean(s) things up nicely. Waay too young but not shy about trying out for the varsity squad. Makes you wonder where we would be if Napa/Sonoma had put as much time, effort and acreage into Syrah as they have Cabernet Sauvignon over the last six decades...
2019 vintage. Soft nose currently but explosive front-end palate of bleached white paper, massive plum, balsamic and bacon fat. Hevvy bod. Some welcome acidity/tannins on the back end clean(s) things up nicely. Waay too young but not shy about trying out for the varsity squad. Makes you wonder where we would be if Napa/Sonoma had put as much time, effort and acreage into Syrah as they have Cabernet Sauvignon over the last six decades...
Nov 30th, 2021
Totally agree w previous description. This is a complex, layered, delicious Syrah.
Totally agree w previous description. This is a complex, layered, delicious Syrah.
Nov 13th, 2021
It must be my lucky week, because I’ve had two spectacular California Syrahs back-to-back (and it’s often months between good showings). Of course, given the hoopla surrounding this wine, anything less would be a dissapointment. This was an equally good, but very different wine from the Presq’uile: where that wine was pretty, finessed, peppery and heavy on the savory, tapenade notes (California’s homage to the N Rhone), this wine has brawn and bravado (unapologetically new world, but in a good way): rich, ripe, concentrated dark fruit, meat on the smoker, cedar, charcoal, underbrush. The tannins are ripe, but substantial and drying on the finish, cutting it short. This will be a much better wine in 5+ years to give those little guys some time to chillax…
100% whole cluster. 0% new oak. 12.5% ABV (!)
It must be my lucky week, because I’ve had two spectacular California Syrahs back-to-back (and it’s often months between good showings). Of course, given the hoopla surrounding this wine, anything less would be a dissapointment. This was an equally good, but very different wine from the Presq’uile: where that wine was pretty, finessed, peppery and heavy on the savory, tapenade notes (California’s homage to the N Rhone), this wine has brawn and bravado (unapologetically new world, but in a good way): rich, ripe, concentrated dark fruit, meat on the smoker, cedar, charcoal, underbrush. The tannins are ripe, but substantial and drying on the finish, cutting it short. This will be a much better wine in 5+ years to give those little guys some time to chillax…
100% whole cluster. 0% new oak. 12.5% ABV (!)
