Just in from Pax Mahle. The Griffin’s Lair is $48 ($125 for the mag), and the Armagh is $36. Text of the email follows:
December 2010
Greetings from west Sonoma County,
Here they are, our first two Syrahs from 2008! Both are 100% Syrah, both are sourced from the very cold Petaluma Wind Gap and both were fermented and aged identically. The fascinating part is that the wines couldn’t be more different.
The Griffins Lair is… well it’s Griffins Lair. Rustic yet polished, concentrated and incredibly intense with its trademark savory spice that balances out all of that incredible fruit. The Armagh is going to be a new one for you, a great little site that produced a wine so singular in 2008 that we couldn’t blend these four particular barrels away. I encourage you to take advantage of securing these two limited production wines as production for the Griffins Lair is down 66% in 2008, and The Armagh is so delicious and inexpensive, it will most likely vanish rather quickly.
2008 Wind Gap Syrah, Armagh Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
The Armagh Vineyard is planted on a south-westerly facing slope in Chileno Valley, west of the town of Petaluma in one of the coldest sections of the Petaluma Wind Gap. This tiny block of vines produces a wildly sauvage-filled wine that is a vital component of our Sonoma Coast Syrah bottling. Four of the seven barrels were chosen to represent our first Vineyard-Designated Syrah from this site, while the other three were blended into the 2008 Sonoma Coast Syrah. This 97 case cuvée speaks proudly and loudly of its extreme growing conditions. Naturally low in alcohol from the cold nights and cool windy days and naturally concentrated from the tiny berries and meticulous farming, this is an excellent example of a cold climate Wind Gap wine.Tasting Notes:
Sauvage aromas of iodine, tar, currants, leather and bittersweet chocolate reveal themselves from the opaque surface of this black wine. Nervy and fresh on entry with a concentration of fruit and tertiary flavors that scream Syrah. It is more nimble and light than it first seems as the zesty savory earth driven flavors meld w/ the ripe black and red fruits. The finish brings along some dusty tannins and savory olive notes, with a firm finish of spice and tar.Winemaking:
100% Whole-Cluster, crushed by foot, natural fermentations, never racked, 24 months in all old multiple use French Oak barrels. Bottled without any clarification.3.67 pH
12.7 % alc by Vol
97 Cases BottledDisclaimer:
This is the funky, rustic and wild side of Syrah. This isn’t a tooty-fruity, creamy oak-bomb, crowd-pleaser kind of Syrah… in fact most of the crowd will run in horror back to their Big Macs as you bravely savor the dark rustic side of Syrah…2008 Wind Gap Syrah, Griffins Lair Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
True to the nature of this vineyard, it has bucked the trend and produced a better wine in 2008 than it did in 2007. While that would be the obvious thing for the guy selling the wine to say, truth be known we produced such a tiny amount of wine in 2008 that if it wasn’t so incredibly good, I wouldn’t waste the space in this newsletter to tell you what you already know, you are buying this wine, and regardless of what you buy, you are going to regret not buying more.Tasting Notes:
Deep dark aromas of cured meat, tiny black currants, smoked black olives, creamy blueberries and black pepper. The wine is incredibly intense on the palate and the tiny berry expression really shines through. Tightly wound initially, this wine gains weight and texture with air. Beautifully integrated tannins give this the impression of being one of the most approachable Grifiins Syrahs we have bottled.Winemaking:
100% Whole-Cluster, crushed by foot, natural fermentations, never racked, 24 months in all old multiple use French Oak barrels. Bottled without any clarification.13.6% Alc By Vol
3.63 pH
116 cases bottledDisclaimer:
A more typical California Syrah, it has riper flavors and is more concentrated than our other Sonoma Coast bottlings, while retaining that cool climate character.Please Click here to be automatically logged into your wine offer and to order the current Wind Gap wines release.
Thank you for your continued support,
Pam & Pax Mahle
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