Quail Run Vineyard Valdiguie
⏳ Drinking Window
2004 - 2008
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Charcuterie boards, roasted duck, grilled pork chops
✨ Technical Specifications
Valdiguié has a rich and somewhat mysterious history in California, where for decades it was misidentified and bottled as 'Napa Gamay' until DNA testing revealed its true southwestern French origins. Pax Mahle has been a leading figure in reviving this heritage variety, sourcing fruit from the Quail Run Vineyard in the Suisun Valley. This unique terroir benefits from warm daytime temperatures tempered by cool breezes sweeping in from the San Pablo Bay. To highlight the grape's naturally vibrant and energetic profile, Pax utilizes low-intervention winemaking, often incorporating whole-cluster fermentation and neutral aging vessels. The result is a light-bodied, joyful red that bursts with crunchy red fruits, wild bramble, and a subtle cracked pepper spice, paying homage to California's historic viticultural landscape.
🍾 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
Valdiguié