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2010 Pax Grenache James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (6/23/2014)
This is a really pretty wine. Looking at others notes, I’d say size is relative. This wine doesn’t come close to Saxum or Pax 1.0 in wieght or intensity, although this is no AFWE Wind Gap either. This falls somewhere in between. This needs lots of air today. On initial open, the nose is reticent and the body, quite lithe. I confess, I was a bit disappointed with my first pass through the new line up. I was hoping for something reminiscent of Pax’s earlier efforts and didn’t find it - at first. What I found, is that pouring into a decanter, and shaking the heck out of it, repeatedly (this could probably benefit from time in a blender), and the wine gains great weight and the nose explodes. There is incredible purity of fruit, with a clean mineral character dominated by berry fruit, mostly in the red spectrum, raspberries, but with a hint of blackberry. Decidedly berry though. This wine is most notable for its powerful nose. It has a very rose like quality - if I hadn’t tasted it, I’d guess Barolo on aroma alone. Very interesting. This will be a great diversion from your stylistic preference, regardless of which end of the spectrum your preference lies.