Alder Springs Vineyard Grenache
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 3–10 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom tart
✨ wine.spec_sheet
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.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 2000 by Pax and Pamela Mahle, Pax is a pioneering Sonoma County winery celebrated for redefining California Syrah through a lens of elegance and restraint. Based in Sebastopol, California, the winery sources fruit from cool-climate, coastal-influenced vineyards across Sonoma and Mendocino counties, such as the acclaimed Alder Springs and Castelli Knight Ranch. Pax's winemaking philosophy centers on minimal intervention, employing whole-cluster fermentation, native yeasts, and aging in concrete vats and neutral French oak to highlight pure terroir. The estate is highly renowned for its savory, structurally complex Syrahs, alongside vibrant, terroir-driven expressions of Gamay, Chenin Blanc, and Mondeuse.