Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah 2018

This stunning Syrah from Sonoma Hillsides may just be the best North Coast expression of this savoury grape. Pax Mahle launched his eponymous domaine two decades ago with the goal of diving deeper into the ‘untapped potential’ of Syrah. Today, he is one of the top pioneers of the grape in California. The wine is all things dark fruit, smoke, and earthy spice. Rich and exotic, with notable depth, the Hillsides is quite a bit brighter than the other Syrahs in the portfolio. Red cherry, plum, pomegranate, mocha, spice, leather and tobacco abound. The whole clusters are present, but nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. As always, the Hillsides is a blend taken from several sites, done with 100% whole clusters and aged in concrete.