The Knob Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5-15 years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted lamb chops, grilled venison, wild mushroom stew
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Hailing from the rugged, remote northern reaches of Mendocino County, 'The Knob' is a prized, high-altitude block within the legendary Alder Springs Vineyard. Planted on steep, windswept slopes of fractured sandstone and decomposed granite at nearly 2,700 feet elevation, this extreme terroir forces the vines to struggle, yielding tiny, intensely concentrated berries. Winemaker Pax Mahle utilizes traditional, low-intervention methods, including whole-cluster fermentation and aging in neutral French oak, to preserve the site's unique signature. The resulting Syrah is a masterclass in cool-climate complexity, echoing the classic profiles of the Northern Rhone with its signature cracked black pepper, smoked meats, wild lavender, and deep, dark fruit, all framed by a vibrant, mineral-driven acidity.
🍾 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.