Pax Wines Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California 2022
Pickup available at DECANT Napa - 2999 Solano, Napa, CA
Usually ready in 1 hour
Founded in 2000 by Pax and Pam Mahle, PAX has established itself as one of California's premier producers of cool-climate Syrah and Rhône varietals. After working as corporate wine buyer for Dean & Deluca, Pax discovered Alder Springs Vineyard and felt a kismet connection that launched the PAX brand. Initially known for rich, powerful expressions of Syrah from cool-climate sites in Sonoma and Mendocino, Pax's winemaking style has evolved toward fresher, lower-alcohol profiles with Old World elegance and balance. Based in Sebastopol, PAX sources exclusively from organically and sustainably farmed vineyards. All wines are foot-crushed, fermented with native yeasts, and crafted with minimal intervention to showcase terroir. Pax believes that "great wines can only be made from great vineyards," which guides his highly selective decision-making process in choosing sites that will produce healthy grapes with balanced acids and sugars. Today PAX's portfolio includes not only Syrah but also Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Vermentino, and this compelling coastal Chardonnay
- WINEMAKER: Pax Mahle FARMING: Practicing Organic. Vineyard farmed sustainably with hand-farming practices, no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
- VARIETY: 100% Chardonnay, primarily Mt. Eden clone TERROIR: Sourced from a dramatic high-elevation vineyard on the Sonoma Coast—one of the most striking Chardonnay plantings on the California coast. The site features rocky rhyolite-filled soils of volcanic origin. Rhyolite is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks, essentially compressed volcanic ash, providing excellent drainage and imparting distinctive mineral characteristics to the wines. The vineyard is surrounded by majestic century-old Pepperwood Trees. The lower portions of the vineyard contribute richness and decadent yellow fruit character, while the higher, rockier sections provide the chalky, salty characteristics that make this site unique. The Sonoma Coast AVA stretches along the Pacific coastline and is defined by cool maritime influences—persistent fog, coastal breezes, and dramatic diurnal temperature swings that preserve natural acidity and prevent overripeness. These conditions are ideal for elegant, mineral-driven Chardonnay with tension and verve.
- VINIFICATION: 100% whole-cluster pressed. Native yeast fermentation only—no commercial yeast, no additives. Fermented 50% in French oak barrels, 50% in Stockinger puncheons. Minimal intervention winemaking allows the purity of the fruit and volcanic terroir to express itself fully.
- AGING: Aged in 20% new French oak, balance in neutral French oak and Stockinger puncheons. Crossflow filtered before bottling.
- TASTING NOTES: Bright, focused, and alive. The nose offers aromas of chalk, white peach, white pear, nectarine, white flowers, and sea air. The palate is richly textured and supple with decadent yellow fruits—white peach, yellow plum, nectarine. However, it is the salt, sand, and chalk that keep the laser-beam focus of this wine in the forefront. Mineral-driven throughout with notes of wet stones and coastal salinity. Medium-bodied, carrying its texture and weight effortlessly. Lush yellow fruit is perfectly framed by salty, sandy minerality and refreshing coastal verve. Bright acidity provides structure and energy. The wine balances richness with precision—simultaneously indulgent and refreshing. Long, clean finish with persistent minerality. Purely Californian but undeniably a coastal wine framed by its cool-climate character. 13.0% alcohol. 3.33 pH, 30ppm free SO2.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Skillet gnocchi with miso butter and asparagus, grilled Dover sole with lemon and capers, lobster with drawn butter, Dungeness crab, seared scallops, roasted halibut, oysters on the half shell, chicken piccata, creamy risotto with spring vegetables, aged Gruyère or Comté, charcuterie.
Pax Wines Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California 2022
Founded in 2000 by Pax and Pam Mahle, PAX has established itself as one of California's premier producers of cool-climate Syrah and Rhône varietals. After working as corporate wine buyer for Dean & Deluca, Pax discovered Alder Springs Vineyard and felt a kismet connection that launched the PAX brand. Initially known for rich, powerful expressions of Syrah from cool-climate sites in Sonoma and Mendocino, Pax's winemaking style has evolved toward fresher, lower-alcohol profiles with Old World elegance and balance. Based in Sebastopol, PAX sources exclusively from organically and sustainably farmed vineyards. All wines are foot-crushed, fermented with native yeasts, and crafted with minimal intervention to showcase terroir. Pax believes that "great wines can only be made from great vineyards," which guides his highly selective decision-making process in choosing sites that will produce healthy grapes with balanced acids and sugars. Today PAX's portfolio includes not only Syrah but also Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Vermentino, and this compelling coastal Chardonnay
- WINEMAKER: Pax Mahle FARMING: Practicing Organic. Vineyard farmed sustainably with hand-farming practices, no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
- VARIETY: 100% Chardonnay, primarily Mt. Eden clone TERROIR: Sourced from a dramatic high-elevation vineyard on the Sonoma Coast—one of the most striking Chardonnay plantings on the California coast. The site features rocky rhyolite-filled soils of volcanic origin. Rhyolite is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks, essentially compressed volcanic ash, providing excellent drainage and imparting distinctive mineral characteristics to the wines. The vineyard is surrounded by majestic century-old Pepperwood Trees. The lower portions of the vineyard contribute richness and decadent yellow fruit character, while the higher, rockier sections provide the chalky, salty characteristics that make this site unique. The Sonoma Coast AVA stretches along the Pacific coastline and is defined by cool maritime influences—persistent fog, coastal breezes, and dramatic diurnal temperature swings that preserve natural acidity and prevent overripeness. These conditions are ideal for elegant, mineral-driven Chardonnay with tension and verve.
- VINIFICATION: 100% whole-cluster pressed. Native yeast fermentation only—no commercial yeast, no additives. Fermented 50% in French oak barrels, 50% in Stockinger puncheons. Minimal intervention winemaking allows the purity of the fruit and volcanic terroir to express itself fully.
- AGING: Aged in 20% new French oak, balance in neutral French oak and Stockinger puncheons. Crossflow filtered before bottling.
- TASTING NOTES: Bright, focused, and alive. The nose offers aromas of chalk, white peach, white pear, nectarine, white flowers, and sea air. The palate is richly textured and supple with decadent yellow fruits—white peach, yellow plum, nectarine. However, it is the salt, sand, and chalk that keep the laser-beam focus of this wine in the forefront. Mineral-driven throughout with notes of wet stones and coastal salinity. Medium-bodied, carrying its texture and weight effortlessly. Lush yellow fruit is perfectly framed by salty, sandy minerality and refreshing coastal verve. Bright acidity provides structure and energy. The wine balances richness with precision—simultaneously indulgent and refreshing. Long, clean finish with persistent minerality. Purely Californian but undeniably a coastal wine framed by its cool-climate character. 13.0% alcohol. 3.33 pH, 30ppm free SO2.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Skillet gnocchi with miso butter and asparagus, grilled Dover sole with lemon and capers, lobster with drawn butter, Dungeness crab, seared scallops, roasted halibut, oysters on the half shell, chicken piccata, creamy risotto with spring vegetables, aged Gruyère or Comté, charcuterie.