Alder Springs Vineyard Grenache
⏳ Drinking Window
2005 - 2012
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom tart
✨ Technical Specifications
Perched on the rugged, wind-swept ridges of northern Mendocino County, the legendary Alder Springs Vineyard is one of California's most extreme viticultural frontiers. Rising up to 2,700 feet above sea level, this remote site features steep sandstone slopes and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts. Pax Mahle harnesses this unique terroir to craft a Grenache of exceptional elegance and restraint, defying the typical warm-climate California paradigm. By employing whole-cluster fermentation and aging the wine in neutral French oak, Pax coaxes out a highly aromatic, translucent red that emphasizes bright alpine red fruit, white pepper, and wild mountain herbs over heavy extraction.
🍾 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
Grenache