Alcohol: 12.5%
Grape(s): 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier
Location: Sebastopol, California, USA
Tasting Notes: The Cuvée-Syrah, tasted from tank just prior to bottling, is packed with inky dark fruit, lavender, menthol, licorice, chocolate, spice and a good deal of whole-cluster savoriness. Boisterous and juicy, this is a total delight. A whole range of floral and spice notes punctuates the finish. The winewas done with 100% stems and was aged mostly in neutral 500-liter barrels. It is an astonishingly good wine made in a style meant to be very friendly in terms of both approachability and price.
Winery Story: Pax and Pam Mahle moved to California in 1997 to pursue careers in wine. While sourcing and tasting wines from across the state for Dean & DeLuca, Pax developed a deep appreciation for the role of vineyard site in shaping great wines. That experience ultimately led him to step away from the retail side of the industry and onto the production side, founding Pax Wines in 2000 with a focus on the largely untapped potential of Syrah.
In its early years, Pax Wines became known for bold, powerful expressions of Syrah that helped establish Pax as one of California’s leading voices for the variety. Over time, however, Pax deliberately evolved his approach, shifting toward cooler, coastal vineyard sources and earlier harvests. This transition reflected a growing emphasis on freshness, balance, and transparency, resulting in wines that are elegant, expressive, and increasingly aligned with Old World sensibilities.
Today, Pax’s lineup draws from standout vineyards such as Alder Springs, Castelli-Knight Ranch, and Griffin’s Lair, and has expanded beyond Syrah to include varieties like Chenin Blanc, Gamay, and Vermentino. Central to the winery’s philosophy is the belief that great wines begin in great vineyards, leading to close partnerships with thoughtful growers farming sustainably in exceptional sites.
All Pax wines are crafted with minimal intervention: grapes are crushed by foot and hand, fermentations rely solely on native yeasts, and cellar practices are intentionally restrained. The goal is to preserve the individuality of each vineyard and vintage, producing wines of purity, structure, and longevity that speak clearly of where they come from.
