Alder Springs Vineyard Chenin Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh oysters, roasted chicken, goat cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the rugged, high-altitude wilderness of northern Mendocino County, the Alder Springs Vineyard Chenin Blanc is a testament to extreme viticulture. Founded by Stuart Bewley in 1993, Alder Springs is legendary for its steep, fractured sandstone slopes and intense maritime influence, sitting just miles from the Pacific Ocean. Pax Mahle harnesses this unique terroir to craft a Chenin Blanc of striking purity and tension. Utilizing native yeast fermentation and aging in neutral French oak and concrete, the wine preserves the vineyard's signature flinty minerality, vibrant acidity, and textured mouthfeel. It stands as a brilliant California homage to the classic, bone-dry styles of the Loire Valley.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 2000 by Pax and Pam Mahle, Pax Wines is an acclaimed artisanal producer based in Sebastopol within Sonoma County, California. Recognized as a pioneer of the New California wine movement, the winery focuses on cool-climate coastal terroirs across Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Pax champions a minimalist, old-world approach to vinification, utilizing whole-cluster fermentation, indigenous yeasts, and aging in neutral French oak and concrete tanks to preserve purity and freshness. The estate is widely celebrated for its benchmark, savory Syrah bottlings—such as the Sonoma-Hillsides and Alder Springs Vineyard designations—as well as dynamic, terroir-driven expressions of Gamay, Chenin Blanc, and heritage varieties.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Chenin Blanc
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
12% - 13%