Syrah Walker Vine Hill
⏳ Drinking Window
2005 - 2013
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom ragout
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the cool, fog-influenced Walker Vine Hill Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, this wine is a masterclass in cool-climate California Syrah. The vineyard, planted on classic Goldridge sandy loam soils, benefits from chilly mornings and warm afternoons, allowing the grapes to develop intense aromatic complexity without losing their vibrant acidity. Pax Mahle employs traditional, low-intervention winemaking techniques here, including significant whole-cluster fermentation and aging in neutral French oak. This approach coaxes out the site's signature notes of cracked black pepper, smoked meats, and dark mountain berries, paying homage to the classic Northern Rhone style while retaining a distinct Sonoma footprint.
🍾 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%