2004 Pax, Sonoma Hillsides

Never a wine we "plan" on making, but always a tremendous everyday bottle of wine that we love to share with our friends. Once again we utilized components from our vineyard-designated Syrah program to a small degree and for the first time some "left-over" Grenache Barrels from our Cuvee Moriah program. The backbone of this blend is from a dynamic new vineyard on the Sonoma down slope of Spring Mountain that is showing tremendous potential at this early stage. The resulting blend is continuing to wow us as it comes together in bottle and we anticipate this wine will give you immense drinking pleasure immediately on release and well into 2009. The 2004 Sonoma Hillsides is indicative of the 2004 vintage (big-fruit), but at the same time, this blend shows a bit of restraint and is mellowed by leather, earth and bergamot tea aromas and flavors.

Tasting Note:
Kirsch liqueur, pink & green peppercorns, saddle leather and raspberries fill the aromatics of this lovely wine. Medium bodied and richly textured, this fruit filled wine has delicious acidity and ripe tannins that insure this wine will to stand up to all but the richest of foods. Rich and full but lively and precise, the mid-palate and finish add more spice, creamy toasty elements and a fresh wisp of pomegranate. Think Gigondas w/ more fruit and riper tannins.