2010 Pax Syrah The Hermit

(made from fruit grown in the Castelli-Knight Ranch, Griffin's Lair and Alder Springs vineyards; 100% whole clusters and 18 months in oak, 30% of it new): Inky purple. Sexy, highly perfumed scents of red berry compote, cherry-cola and Indian spices, with a hint of white pepper emerging with air. Shows excellent energy and focus, offering vibrant raspberry liqueur and allspice flavors that gain sweetness with air. Soft tannins build on a long, silky finish, which strongly repeats the raspberry note. This wine has a fairly high pH of 3.85 and carries 14.7% alcohol but comes off lively and precise, with no undue weight.

Pax’s 2010 Syrah The Hermit wraps around the palate with serious depth, richness and power. Dark cherries, plums, tobacco, incense and licorice all emerge from the glass in a Syrah that is quite rich and full-bodied for the year. There is no shortage of stuffing of material in the glass. As good as the Hermit is, I don’t quite find the same soul I see in many of the Pax Mahle’s Wind Gap wines. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. These are the first new releases from Pax Mahle’s Pax Wine Cellars label following Mahle’s separation from Joe Donelan a few years back. Mahle describes 2010 and 2011 as both challenging, but the difference, he notes, is mostly that in 2011 growers were better prepared, as they had the experience of dealing with the cool, damp conditions from 2010. That keen observation may explain why the two 2011s I tasted were clearly more interesting than the 2010s. Tel. (707) 591-0782