Inspiration.

One night, after an incredibly extensive tasting of great vintages from the cellar of Raymond Trollat, Pax expressed his interest in creating a wine label designed as an ode to the iconic French winemaker. Raymond immediately led him down to the cellar, shocking everyone by handing him a roll of his very own labels. Fortunately, someone more fluent in French quickly explained the miscommunication, and with that the label for the Sonoma Hillsides Syrah was decided.

In 2016 we finally felt that we had created a wine worthy of the label. Inspired by the flamboyant wines of St.Joseph, this 100% Syrah is one of the most exciting and compelling wines we have ever put into bottle. Just like in St. Joseph, we pulled this blend together from multiple sites and utilized the expositions of these hillside vineyards that show the freshness and vibrancy that Syrah can only achieve on cool-climate hillside slopes. This wine is decadent, delicious and all hyperbole aside, will probably be one of your favorite Syrahs after just one taste. It is without any doubt, one of our finest creations.

Composition.

When all the pieces of the puzzle fit seamlessly together, the result is greater than the sum of its parts. This is what we strive for with the Sonoma Hillsides Syrah, a harmony in integration that transcends the limits of the individual.

Vineyards

Holistic winemaking begins first and foremost in the vineyard. The sites we select for the Sonoma Hillsides blend feature blocks with intriguing hillside expositions and cool climates influenced by the coastal wind gaps of Sonoma County. These vineyards are farmed using organic, sustainable and/or biodynamic methods and are among the most heralded sites of this region for growing Syrah. This blend typically includes wines vinified from Walker Vine Hill, Castelli-Knight Ranch, Griffins, Felix, Nellessen Vineyards, and perhaps others. The health of these vineyards allows us to use indigenous yeast for fermentation.

Whole Cluster

Stems are what separates a classically styled Syrah from a modern Syrah. We ferment all our Syrahs 100% Whole-Cluster. In wet vintages (2010 & 2011) or a vintage with a very poor set (2013) is the last time we were forced to destem a few small lots. Leaving the grapes on the clusters and gently crushing these whole clusters by foot creates a wine loaded with aromas and flavors achievable only by using these methods. These old school methods bring us one step closer to our goal of vinifying classically styled Syrahs from our new world terroirs.

Carbonic Maceration

The process of carbonic maceration adds another dimension that elevates the Sonoma Hillsides Syrah. This anaerobic fermentation process (fermentation without oxygen contact) is known for producing bright fruity flavors in wines, resulting in a certain vibrancy that harkens back to the Old World. We only use carbonic maceration on certain blocks from certain sites for this wine.

Concrete

We blend the components of the Sonoma Hillsides Syrah early in the year into a large concrete cubic tank. This allows the components to harmonize in a vessel that breathes less than an oak barrel and more than a stainless steel tank. This practice enables the wine to evolve slowly as all its parts synchronize to become a seamless expression of pure, vibrant Syrah from the cool-climate, hillside vineyard blocks of Sonoma County that we love.

Reception.

As soon as the very first vintage of this wine was released in 2017 it began making waves in the wine community and we were honored by a 100 point score by Antonio Galloni of Vinous in January 2018. As three more vintages have come and gone, this blend is becoming a reference point of its own for Syrah in the New World. Each harvest brings its own unique challenges and in 2020, plagued by wildfire smoke, we were not able to put this wine into bottle. The following vintages have redeemed this disappointment in every way.

As of September 2023, we are now at the release of the 2022 Sonoma Hillsides. A very good vintage that will probably end up ranked behind 2021, the wines from 2022 have more acidity, redder flavors, less tannin, and plush vibrant personalities. The exception to this is the higher elevation sites which we could hang longer into the season and eke out all of that high elevation exotic aroma and flavor. All told The 2022 Sonoma Hillsides is as umami packed as 2016 with the plushness of 2021 and the aromas of 2018.