Syrah Alder Springs The Terraces
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from the vintage release, as its dense structure and high acidity evolve beautifully over time.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, roasted duck, wild mushroom ragout
✨ Technical Specifications
Perched in the rugged, remote wilderness of northern Mendocino County, the Alder Springs Vineyard is a testament to extreme viticulture, pioneered by Stu Bewley in the late 1990s. Within this legendary site, 'The Terraces' represents some of the steepest, most challenging blocks, carved directly into decomposed sandstone soils at high elevations. Pax Mahle harnesses this dramatic terroir to craft a Syrah of striking intensity and Northern Rhône-like complexity. By employing traditional whole-cluster fermentation and aging in neutral French oak and concrete, the wine preserves the raw, wild character of the vineyard. It is celebrated for its savory profile, marked by cracked black pepper, cured meats, olive tapenade, and a profound mineral core, representing the pinnacle of California's cool-climate Syrah movement.
🍾 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
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
12.5-13.5%