These are two CA syrahs that I have held for a long time in high regard, both coming from syrah producers that I have been supporting and drinking for many years. The depth, accent from whole cluster and darker-tinged fruit really shows terrific here in both bottles. The Copain is 2 years less aged than the Pax, and it shows with the Pax starting to smooth out, yet I expect the Copain to last longer than the Pax when the final chapter is written. I continue to hold both bottles in high regard, with large formats of each still in the cellar to enjoy in the years to come. Thanks for reading.
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2005 Pax Syrah Castelli-Knight Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/19/2014)
This bottle followed the 2007 Copain James Berry syrah, which is stylistically in the same camp for me. Here, this Castelli gets a little less stem focused from the Copain, instead giving off a more camp-fire, smoke and lavender. The fruit here is reaching the stage where is has become quite suave, integrated and smooth with the acidity and stems now melded in very nicely. Accenting the fruit expression, there is bbq meat, soy sauce, dark berry. This wine has really rounded out and yet it doesn’t seem to me that it’s faded, still quite lively and spot-on balance. If I look hard, I can find some light tannin the finish and with that tone, I’d say the wine has 1-2 years more to reach peak, then it’s a guess as for how long it will hold but I’d guess another 3-5 years. I still have one 750 and a mag of this left, it should be a great future for both bottles.
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2007 Copain Syrah James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (7/19/2014)
Opened this about 24 hours ago, didn’t decant nor aerate, simply left in the bottle under open cork. Aromatically, like the bottle this past February, the stem inclusion accents the aromatic, joining the purple flower note. Those same stems add a savory, herbal quality to the fruit, that shows both red and black. What I notice about the wine this time is the intensity in the core, with a lot of licorice in this bottle that really adds energy. Along with the licorice, there is the tar and chalk that I have found in past bottles. Then to the finish, which is peppery, a bit savory, a molten, rocky quality with bitter chocolate. I’d probably be best suited to leave the last glass for another few days but we’ll finish it today. As to a drink window, the intensity and youthful structure here keep me thinking this won’t peak for another 3 years, then go another 5 more. All together, a very good James Berry and savory enough to really captivate my attention.
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Great note Frank. I know that both Wells and Pax toned down their styles because they were concerned about aging potential. In my experience, these wines continue to age well.
Mikey, the wines evolved with more air as you would expect. The Pax stayed pretty true to my note above, while the Copain got more blue in tone with a rocky note, showing the ageworthy sense that I see this wine will carry for many more years.
Fabulous notes my friend!
Heaping on the praise for 05 Pax Castelli. Based on a bottle last night – in a wonderful spot and perhaps not even at peak.
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2005 Pax Syrah Castelli-Knight Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (4/8/2016)
Gorgeous, full nose is exotic and layered with Northern Rhone goodness – black olives, cracked black pepper, smoked meat – that is interwoven with savory, substantial black fruit. Palate has medium-to-full body of polished, exuberant fruit. Medium acidity, but there is a definite tanginess that keeps this wine fresh and gliding across the palate. Flavors echo the nose. 11 years old, but drinking youthfully. Terrific stuff – my favorite Pax vineyard as it struts the old world complexity with new world fruit. (94 pts.)
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Older Paxes on the secondary market are quite a buy right now. I was stunned to find they are not close to the goop monsters they are professed to be. Maybe they aged into balanced wines after being goopy when released, but they’re great.
Have loved every 05 Pax we ever uncorked, still haven’t gone for an Obsidian yet.
I think the older PAX wines continue to be one of the biggest ‘surprises’ out there - along with some older Aussie ‘fruit bombs’. I’ve had a few of the older Paxs recently and yep, they have held up pretty well - but not in every case.
The old adage that there are not good wines, just good bottles might hold here. Also, I think a lot has to do with what your ‘expectations’ would be going into tasting the wine - my guess is that most would be looking for the alcohol to stand out, or the fruit not to have held up.
Just another data point that shows that sometimes, yep sometimes, things are NOT what we expect them to be 
Cheers!
We uncorked the 05 Castelli-Knight Syrah last night. Just fantastic, resolved domestic Syrah with Au Jus galore and a heady viscosity. Maybe a whiff of anise and some baker’s chocolate among the easily discerned brine & tamponade. Glorious and honestly completely top-shelf among the not/shy producers. Really close to the 2003 Walker Vine Hill in terms of being our best Pax ever.
Glenn, thanks for digging up this thread. Week over week, I keep looking for a bottle of this to pop up on Winebid, as I’d grab another for kicks to simply enjoy it again. Your word ‘resolved’…should I take that to mean that the structure is disappearing and that it’s peaking?
I can’t imagine this is getting better Frank.
I can’t find any notes, but I remember that 05 Castelli being a huge wine, tons of structure, and approaching port-like intensity.
It’s still big, but not like port.
Turns out I still have several 05 Paxes, along with a few 04s and a bunch of 06s. I just don’t think about Pax much anymore so they just keep sitting there, even though I was buying so much back then I had part of the cellar built to accommodate the stupid big bottles. Time to move them up in the queue.
The 2003 Walker Vine Hill was my favorite Pax as well, so now I’m really looking forward to opening the 05 Castelli-Knight.
I am partial to the 2004 Walker Vine Hill, which is the first one I ever bought, but overall the Walker VH is my favorite from year to year. I have not written any formal notes recently, but every time I open a Pax 1.0, my first thought is, “Ha! And some idiot thought these were going to fall apart?”
Had a 2005 Pax Obisidian last night that was just terrific. Last of my Pax stash and one of the best. These wines seem to age very, very well. Wish I had more!
Hi Frank,
Thanks for the note. Had a '06 Pax Obsidian a few weeks ago and many of your descriptors apply to that bottle. Very elegant and not at all over the top.
Friends,
Nice to be surprising so many people, but mostly just happy that the wines are being enjoyed… that is after all the entire point of all of this.
Jay & Glen, we are working w/ Walker Vine Hill again and plan to use it as a foundation for a beautiful new wine.
Alan, as you may recall 2005 was a very cool year, the 2005 Castelli-Knight is rich and dense, but never had any port like qualities (unlike 2003 & 2004) which were warmer vintages.
Larry, I disagree with the Aussie ‘fruit bombs’ aging well line of thinking… our wines have nothing in common with those kind of wines and I have never heard anyone say that they were happy to have aged their mollydooker…
Glen, if you like the 2005 PAX wines I recommend you try a current PAX wine… they are quite similar, although I no longer use new oak barrels for Syrah.
Frank, The soils @ James Berry Vineyard grow wines with so much natural acidity, I agree that the 2007 Copain JBV will outlive the 2005 PAX CKR
M. Dildine, That is one of the reasons, but the main reason was to make wines that tasted better…
Thanks and drink more Syrah!
~Pax
The last older Pax I had (2005 Keltie) was quite excellent and a blast to drink. I am unfortunately down to my last two bottles. More fortunately, the newer ones taste good, too.
I think for Frank, we ned to change the words to the famous song from Que Sera Sera, to CA Syrah Syrah…