The Bench Vermentino
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Best enjoyed fresh, typically within 1 to 3 years of vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Grilled sea bass, linguine with basil pesto, fresh goat cheese
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Pax's exploration of Mediterranean varieties shines in 'The Bench' Vermentino, sourced from the gravelly, alluvial soils of the Clement Hills in Lodi. Inspired by the crisp, coastal white wines of Liguria and Sardinia, winemaker Pax Mahle crafts this expression to capture the grape's natural, vibrant acidity and distinctive saline minerality. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral vessels to preserve its fresh fruit profile, this wine represents California's modern embrace of alternative varieties, delivering a beautifully textured palate balanced by bright citrus and stony undertones.
🍾 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.