Syrah Alder Springs The Emerald Pool
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted rosemary lamb chops, grilled venison, wild mushroom stew
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Hailing from the rugged, high-altitude wilderness of northern Mendocino County, the Alder Springs Vineyard is legendary for its extreme viticulture. 'The Emerald Pool' cuvée is named after a pristine, deep-green swimming hole along the Eel River bordering this remote property. Pax Mahle crafts this cool-climate Syrah with a nod to the Northern Rhône, utilizing whole-cluster fermentation and aging in neutral French oak and concrete to preserve the vineyard's intense, wild character. The terroir yields a wine defined by cracked black pepper, smoked meats, black olives, and a distinct forest-floor herbaceousness, showcasing the dramatic, windswept nature of its origin.
🍾 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.