2021 Pax Wines Sonoma Alta Monte Gamay

It’s a delightful and lip-smacking rendition of the grape, with spicy red fruit, impressive focus and fine length.

Now California is getting its act together with Gamay (most of the state’s original plantings turned out to be a grape called Valdiguié and a Pinot Noir cultivar) this grape will be playing an increasing role in the Pax story. This particular bottling is a blend of fruit from two vineyards. The first is the Black-Knight Vineyard located on Alta Monte Road, above the intersection of the Bennett Valley and Sonoma Coast AVAs. Situated on a ranch that dates back to 1880, the soils are volcanic with cobbly clay loams, and the vines are dry-farmed where possible. The second source is the Rancho Coda Vineyard, a very steep, high vineyard (just over 300 metres) above the Russian River Valley. The soils are sandstone with quartz and schist and a layer of sandy clay loam.

Fermented in the style of Beaujolais, this saw 100% whole bunches and was then aged in neutral French puncheons for 10 months.