Aphrodite
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted pork belly, Moroccan vegetable tagine, aged hard cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
Pax's 'Aphrodite' is an alluring, skin-contact white wine crafted from Chenin Blanc, representing Pax Mahle's innovative and minimal-intervention approach to heritage California vineyards. Sourced from old-vines in Mendocino County, most notably the Buddha's Dharma Vineyard, this cuv e undergoes extended skin fermentation to extract complex phenolics, deep golden-amber hues, and an exotic aromatic profile. Named after the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite challenges traditional white winemaking boundaries by utilizing ancient amphora or neutral wood vessels to age the wine on its lees, resulting in a textured, cerebral drinking experience that beautifully bridges the gap between white and light red wines.
🍾 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