Cahto Ridge Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from the vintage release, though exceptional vintages can cellar well beyond this window.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted lamb chops, grilled venison, wild mushroom polenta
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Perched in the rugged, remote wilderness of northern Mendocino County, the Alder Springs Vineyard is a testament to extreme viticulture. Planted by grower Stuart Bewley on steep, mountainous slopes near Laytonville, this vineyard sits at the very edge of where wine grapes can successfully ripen. The 'Cahto Ridge' bottling, named after the indigenous Cahto people and the imposing ridge that frames the vineyard, is sourced from high-elevation blocks dominated by decomposed sandstone and gravelly soils. Pax Mahle utilizes traditional, low-intervention winemaking techniques to capture this unique terroir, employing whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts and aging the wine in neutral French oak and concrete. The result is a cool-climate Syrah of remarkable tension, showcasing signature wild blackberry, cracked black pepper, smoked meat, and olive tapenade characteristics that evoke the classic Hermitage style of the Northern Rhône.
🍾 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.