Lauterbach Hill Syrah
⏳ Drinking Window
2005 - 2012
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb with rosemary, grilled venison, wild mushroom stew
✨ Technical Specifications
The Lauterbach Hill Syrah is a landmark expression of cool-climate California Syrah, sourced from a premier vineyard site in the Russian River Valley. Lauterbach Hill is renowned for its steep, vine-clad slopes and cool, fog-influenced microclimate, which allows the Syrah grapes to ripen slowly while retaining vibrant acidity and developing complex aromatic profiles. Winemaker Pax Mahle utilizes traditional, low-intervention techniques to craft this wine, including significant whole-cluster fermentation and aging in neutral French oak puncheons. This approach coaxes out the vineyard's signature savory characteristics, yielding a wine defined by notes of cracked black pepper, smoked meats, lavender, and dark forest fruits, reminiscent of the Northern Rhône but with a distinct Sonoma footprint.
🍾 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
Syrah