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Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits
9.9
No one in Colorado drinks more Pax than I do. From the "glou-glou" Wind Gap label to the 100 point Hillside Syrah, I love these wines. My favorite vineyard is Griffin's Lair and I think I've had every single vintage. The older bottles can be quite big, intense; while some of the newest have converged toward the leaner Wind Gap style, but either way the terroir has always shined through any stylistic trappings to reveal some of the best Syrah in California.
This 2012 is a perfect example of just how good it can get. More "Cornas" than "Cote Rotie", it's not as elegant as the most famous French Syrahs, but it doesn't have to be! Instead, the power is simply stunning. There's absolutely no fat. No extra ripeness. No over blown oak. No decadent opulence or gimmicky fruit. This is pure, unadulterated wine that gives everything great about Syrah in a sublime fashion. Unique to this vintage is amazing tannin structure, making me think this will be the longest lived vintage I've tasted.
I know that Pax recently got a 100 point score from Galloni on his Hillside Syrah - and Iove that wine too - but how did this only get 94 points? I understand the ideological importance of awarding a perfect score to a low alcohol, lighter extracted wine, but I'm afraid it's going to discourage this classic style. I love powerful syrah and I hope it never goes away. To me, this is basically perfect.
#PaxWine#NaturalWine#Sonoma#PetalumaGap — 6 years ago
Mason Balistreri
Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits
No one in Colorado drinks more Pax than I do. From the "glou-glou" Wind Gap label to the 100 point Hillside Syrah, I love these wines. My favorite vineyard is Griffin's Lair and I think I've had every single vintage. The older bottles can be quite big, intense; while some of the newest have converged toward the leaner Wind Gap style, but either way the terroir has always shined through any stylistic trappings to reveal some of the best Syrah in California.
This 2012 is a perfect example of just how good it can get. More "Cornas" than "Cote Rotie", it's not as elegant as the most famous French Syrahs, but it doesn't have to be! Instead, the power is simply stunning. There's absolutely no fat. No extra ripeness. No over blown oak. No decadent opulence or gimmicky fruit. This is pure, unadulterated wine that gives everything great about Syrah in a sublime fashion. Unique to this vintage is amazing tannin structure, making me think this will be the longest lived vintage I've tasted.
I know that Pax recently got a 100 point score from Galloni on his Hillside Syrah - and Iove that wine too - but how did this only get 94 points? I understand the ideological importance of awarding a perfect score to a low alcohol, lighter extracted wine, but I'm afraid it's going to discourage this classic style. I love powerful syrah and I hope it never goes away. To me, this is basically perfect.
#PaxWine #NaturalWine #Sonoma #PetalumaGap — 6 years ago