Wind Gap Griffin's Lair Vineyard Syrah 2009 Magnum

Grape: Syrah
Vintage: 2009
Type: Red

This red wine is Pax Mahle's Wind Gap syrah from Griffin's Lair Vineyard, planted by Jim and Joan Griffin in what later became the Petaluma Gap AVA, an area the Griffins themselves helped establish. Petaluma Gap is defined by wind funneling in from the Pacific, which keeps the fruit cooler and the wine leaner than syrah grown further inland.

It displays a dark violet color that has held its density after more than a decade, opening with cracked pepper, black olive, and dark berry fruit. On the palate, the medium-bodied frame is cool and savory, balancing dark fruit against a peppery, meaty edge typical of the site. Tannins have softened into a fine, resolved grip. Acidity remains bright and has kept the wine from tiring. It finishes long and savory, pepper and salinity carrying past the fruit.