2001 Pax Syrah, Mendocino County Alder Springs Vineyard

This is our second attempt to capture the essence of this truly spectacular vineyard. The primary component of this wine comes from the ‘west block’ or ‘mother block’. Planted in the south - western quadrant of the vineyard on a south-facing slope, Most of the vines are own-rooted in order to propagate the cleanest material possible for future plantings. Our 2001 is more concentrated than our 2000, but it also seems much more complex at the same time. Once again, this wine isn’t about brute force, but balance and complexity. That’s not the way we make it, that’s just the way that it is.

Tasting Note:
Explosive aromas of licorice, gunflint and orange rind on the nose. Sappy black currant and intense cherry liqueur are delineated with minerals, stone fruits and roasted coffee. The mouth has a surreal ‘fineness’ to it, which must be tasted to understand. Intensely concentrated but not at all ponderous, more about finesse and balance. The wine unfolds slowly in the mouth and continues to well into the exceptionally long finish.