Rancho Coda Gamay Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, charcuterie board, grilled salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Pax Mahle's exploration of Gamay Noir in California has been instrumental in reviving interest in this classic Beaujolais variety. Sourced from the high-altitude Rancho Coda Vineyard, perched at over 1,100 feet in the Russian River Valley, this wine benefits from cool coastal breezes and dramatic diurnal temperature shifts. The vineyard's unique soils and elevation allow the Gamay grapes to ripen slowly, retaining their signature high acidity and bright red fruit profile. Pax employs traditional carbonic maceration and whole-cluster fermentation, aging the wine in neutral French oak and concrete to preserve its vibrant, energetic character. This approach yields a wine that pays homage to the crus of Beaujolais while expressing a distinct Sonoma terroir.
🍾 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
Gamay Noir
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
12-13%