Pax Mahle is one of the great masters of Syrah. His 2019 Hillsides Syrah opens with beguiling aromatics. The aromas and flavors of white pepper, graphite, tapenade, rich baking spices, plums, and blueberries all add to the character of this superbly concentrated wine. This typifies the vibrancy that Syrah can achieve on cool-climate slopes. However, it could use a few years of further cellar aging if one wants to experience this wine’s deeply savory side.
Pax, Sonoma County (California) Syrah 2019
By Miranda Franco