Syrah Cuvee Keltie
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–15 years from the vintage.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted rosemary lamb, grilled venison, wild mushroom stew
✨ Technical Specifications
Named in honor of Pax and Pamela Mahle's daughter, Cuvée Keltie represents the pinnacle of Pax's exploration of cool-climate California Syrah. This cuvée is not tied to a single vineyard but is instead a meticulous barrel selection of the most powerful, structurally complex, and savory Syrah lots from acclaimed, wind-swept sites across Sonoma County. Embodying a deeply traditional, Northern Rhône-inspired philosophy, the wine is crafted using 100% whole-cluster fermentation, foot-treading, and native yeasts, followed by extended aging in neutral French oak puncheons. The result is a dramatic, multi-dimensional red that balances wild mountain berries with classic savory elements of cracked black pepper, cured meats, and crushed stone, standing as a testament to the heights California Syrah can achieve when guided by restraint and patience.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2000 by Pax and Pam Mahle, Pax Wines emerged as an influential champion of cool-climate California viticulture, initially earning renown for single-vineyard expressions of Syrah. Operating out of an urban winery and tasting cellar in Sebastopol's Barlow district, the domaine collaborates closely with growers across coastal Sonoma County, Mendocino, and the Sierra Foothills. Viticulture centers on organically and sustainably farmed heritage plots, frequently anchored in fractured shale, marine sandstone, and decomposed granite. While early vintages leaned rich and assertive, Pax evolved toward an uncompromising low-intervention ethos characterized by whole-cluster foot stomping, spontaneous fermentations driven by ambient yeasts, neutral French oak aging, and minimal sulfur. Beyond benchmark Syrah bottlings such as Alder Springs, Griffin's Lair, and Castelli-Knight Ranch, the portfolio explores esoteric and heritage white varieties, notably old-vine Chenin Blanc, Vermentino, and Pinot Blanc, celebrated for their tensile acidity, savory transparency, and mineral cut.
🍇 Grapes
Syrah