4/3/2024 - Dave H. Likes this wine:

I bought three of these and thought my previous two were so neutral and devoid of flavor as to be not worth mentioning. But this final bottle is actually interesting. Good fruit. Some drying tannins and secondary notes. Actually quite likable and interesting.

1/20/2023 - PDX-S wrote:

Open 2-3 hours in Zalto burgundy glass.
This, last, bottle is singing at the moment.
Aromatically, intense and intriguing with darker cherry cola aromas, a nice bit of funk, along with carbonic sweetness.
On the palate, this wine has gained some weight over the last couple of years. The fruit has gained some darker edges and richer fleshiness, while maintaining a nice acidic cut and arguing to a relatively lean finish.
All in all a very fun expression of older vine Grenache that remains composed and stips well short of being overly fruited- while having a nice candied fruit appeal. Definitely walks a nice line of balance. I think it is just now hitting a great stride and, sadly, this was the last bottle for me. I definitely opened the others prior to this level of pleasing nuance.

Definitely drink now and over at least what feels like a few years yet.

3/18/2023 - Papies wrote:

Having recently tried the 2011 Syrah ( An exceptional 93 from us) we had to try their Grenache too. Same cellar too at the excellent Compagnie des Vins Supernaturels, Paris.
The Grenache as pretty and welcoming as it is lacks the presence and depth on the palate and is very soft, light and has its best days behind it. That been said ever the old world style of wine as is their Syrah. Pretty 90 and drink sooner than later.

3/12/2023 - klezman wrote:

Nice stuff. Wish he was still making Wind Gap.

2/6/2023 - joraesque wrote:

Drink up. 13.75% ABV.

11/30/2022 - Kleumas wrote:

86

11/25/2022 - maxmanx wrote:

Last bottle, and still good on PnP. Very good value from Garagiste at $14 (+shipping).

4/26/2021 - Oenecnist wrote:

Bought 3b for 14/b from Garagiste 18 months ago; this is #1. Solid cork. Decanted with heavy sediment for its age. Dark ruby; fragrant mature red fruit nose, cranberry, some cherry; cranberry and cherry on the palate, somewhat tart; good mouthfeel. Tasty and interesting, glad to have two more. Stored horizontally in a cool, dark basement since purchase. Quality, price, age: Notable+.

9/2/2022 - maxmanx wrote:

Last bottle and very good QPR from Garagiste at ~$17.

7/31/2022 - tward Likes this wine:

Solidly Very Good last bottle of this. Nice combination of crunchy red fruits and some darker elements.

Though it's time to drink up, this was not tired even though it was stored in good, but not ideal conditions while in my possession for that past 3 1/2 years. So ideally stored bottles probably have several years easily.

13.5% abv

7/23/2022 - klezman wrote:

Good stuff. Earthy fruit, nice acidity, good all around depth and finish. Slightly oxidized on day 2, but not so much as to be spoiled.

6/2/2022 - tward Likes this wine:

Scanning others' TNs, it seems there's been a wide variation in experiences. Perhaps it's style preference, perhaps some bottle variation. I thought this was Very Good++ / Excellent. Great purity of Grenache fruit without being to fruity. I see it was all whole-cluster and partial carbonic maceration. Perhaps this just showed too many high notes and candied fruits when young? I can say now that it retains the best of those approaches to transmit Grenache purity. Soft tannins, medium-bodied and a perfect fit for a meal of lima beans, feta, spinach, lemon, sumac, onion, and garlic. If you're having a red with a dish like that, you need a wine like this or even lighter.

13.5% abv

Sharp QPR at the sub-$20 close-out price

4/17/2022 - maxmanx wrote:

Really good on PnP. Would drink up.

2/11/2022 - klezman wrote:

Light, bright, crunchy, berries, some herbs, and nice with lighter food or on its own.

12/11/2021 - Doc90 wrote:

Some boutique Garagiste bottle. Very spring-time. Roses and strawberry jam, fresh acidity. Simple. A picnic wine.

9/24/2021 - elevwine Likes this wine:

One of the best and most interesting domestic Grenache I have had. So bummed I have only one bottle left.

6/27/2021 - klezman wrote:

Kind of closed down tonight

4/22/2021 - StainedGlass Likes this wine:

I don’t think Grenache gets much better. Light bodied, savory with lightly ripe fresh fruit and refreshing acidity. Very good food wine. 13% abv. Wind Gap is no more. I don’t think Pax is making this wine. Too bad.

3/15/2021 - Leomania Does not like this wine:

This is one of those interesting cases of experiencing a wine differently than most people. It has an odd combination of berry flavors that I don't enjoy, a mix of blueberry and mulberry. On top of that, I find it quite harsh, with very coarse tannins. I didn't even finish the bottle which is rare indeed.

3/18/2021 - Neecies Likes this wine:

Perfect accompaniament for corned beef, but the fruit's fading. Drink soon.

3/10/2021 - subwaysam wrote:

uniquely great. CDP was the jumping off point for this satisfying wine. Our last bottle had depth, some grenache fruit flavor and profoundness that this overachiever shouldn't have had.

2/20/2021 - btock wrote:

Crisp, chipper, bright/tart. Translucent garnet coloring. Served against venison burgers with caramelized onions, bacon and blue cheese and the acidity was a nice foil to the food. Easy drinker, not very complex. Lightweight, tasted blind might have guessed it was Gamay. Pleasant, fun drink.

2/20/2021 - elevwine Likes this wine:

Pax Mahle seems to march to a different drummer. This is a light take on Grenache, light bodied, and bright and fresh flavors even after 8+ years. Raised in concrete eggs, this wine still has lots of bright red fruit (did not expect strawberry from a Grenache) accompanied by lovely floral aromatics like violet and and maybe a bit of lavender. Not what I expected when I bought for a steal, but so enjoyable.

2/9/2021 - maxmanx wrote:

Really enjoyed. Works on PnP and in the Decanter. Would buy again for ~$17.

1/19/2021 - wineismylife wrote:

WIML90

Tasted double blind.

Garnet color in the glass, slightly dusty looking. Nose of dust, black pepper, black berries and anise. Flavors of cranberries, red tangy berries and red raspberries. Seems a little hot on the finish. Tart acidity, drying tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.

Smells a looks like it might be an older wine.

My guess was Nebbiolo (0), Piedmont (0), Italy (0), Vintage (0). Missed that one by a country mile!

12/15/2020 - lelandinmichigan Likes this wine:

Pretty light red color, has some depth to it at the core.
Aromas of sun kissed red fruit, sagebrush and acetone.
Smooth and mouth filling. Has some depth and richness while maintaining a balance and palate cleansing fresh character. Fruit flavors are somewhat muted, but the overall balance and texture of the wine make it pleasant. I will drink any remaining bottles soon, they don't seem like they will improve.

12/6/2020 - HistorianChris wrote:

Opened 2 bottles that had been impeccably stored. Both were on their way to vinegar. Shocking how much they changed in a year.

12/4/2020 - Neecies Likes this wine:

Benefitted greatly from a 90 minute decant before pouring. Crunchy red fruit with plenty of spice, medium body, good acidity. Well paired with spicy lamb burgers.

11/27/2020 - mtaczak Likes this wine:

Juicy but with a robust tannic backbone. Really nice example of new world fruit done in a restrained style.

11/26/2020 - blcarter3 Likes this wine:

PnP, drank over three. Nose of raspberry, tart cherry, dried plums, maybe some very dark strawberries, and a dusty leather note. On the palate, quite tart but also quite sweet: hard candy or cherry liqueur, dried plums, also a bit of mocha. Still very fresh, and very food friendly. Should continue to drink well for at least another few years, perhaps much longer.

10/16/2020 - thalver wrote:

Ok...I don't know that blind I'd have recognized this as grenache , unless you'd told me it was grenache picked under-ripe in pursuit of a concept.

9/28/2020 - davidspieker wrote:

Clear red color. Lighter style grenache that typical. Warm cherry aromas. Juicy dark cherry and slate flavors with silky tannin on the finish. Good with food.

9/23/2020 - IAmVintage wrote:

Nice bright savory red fruit that paired nicely with butternut squash ravioli with cripsy sage in brown butter. Yummy stuff is the technical term I think. LOL

9/19/2020 - 560 B&W Likes this wine:

Still drinking really well. My kind of Grenache. 13.7%

9/18/2020 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:

Shy nose of strawberry jam. Palate shows the same. Ripe candied fruit but lots of acid and light-bodied/low abv. A chalky grip. Blind, I'd probably call this as Beaujolais

*edit: with air/the next day this really opens up into a fragrant, elegant beast. large bowled glass also really helps.

9/4/2020 - PDX-S wrote:

Smells like black cherry cola and black tea.
On the lighter side of medium bodied, it enters the palate fairly lean and angular. There is plenty of acid to play off of the lean fruits and foliage, finishing with a nice astringency that lays over a core of moderately coarse tannins.

The dominant impression is that of cherry fruit and green bark with a nice back end of white pepper.

Days two and three see the wine remaining composed and the acid carrying through. Nice enough wine, if relatively simple. Served chilled, it makes for a nice lightweight and slightly snappy and crunchy red wine, more reminiscent of a Grenache from Spain than CA. Great with chicken and light, earthy fare.

Drink now and over the next year or two for the fresh edge that is likely this wine’s strong suit.

9/10/2020 - OaktownRush Likes this wine:

Liked this more the second time I had it, just felt like it was a little more aromatic and defined than the first time I had it. Red plums, raspberry, mint, fennel fronds. Medium+ acid, lithe palate with a really nice sense of refinement. Quite a bit of charm here.

9/4/2020 - rogernn@aol.com wrote:

A bit light for a Syrah. Pleasant.

8/22/2020 - Neecies Likes this wine:

Best by a mile of three bottles opened so far. Good color and density, more savory than fruity, with red raspberry and cherry fruit, cactus pear, rhubarb, wild undergrowth, bay leaf, allspice, cassia bark and pepper. A whiff of watermelon on the nose says Pax, not Rayas, but this bottle otherwise has high end complexity closer to CdP than California. An exciting counterpoint to a Cayuse Horsepower from the same vintage.

8/21/2020 - fingers Likes this wine:

Another perfect representation of the (sadly, former) house style. Light ruby color with a wide rim, clear and sediment-free. Profound dark sweet berries in the bouquet and the palate is fully awash in flavor and acidity and minerality. Proof that certain California winemakers know how to craft wines in elegant and restrained fashion, too. Might be close to its prime window, in my humble estimation.
5+11+17+8= 91

8/21/2020 - Aparritz Likes this wine:

This was a real treat. Out of the normal California 100% Grenache — fruit, zest, and a little earth. Really nice.

8/5/2020 - RDHudak wrote:

The fruit was stripped on this bottle, leaving a dry, oaky and tannic drink. Not bad, but I wouldn't seek this out. I guessed $17 price point.

8/1/2020 - Snoski62 Likes this wine:

Delicious, light summer red. Chilled for about 20 minutes prior to drinking. Great value as well.

8/1/2020 - Cadby Likes this wine:

Yeasty, fungi, barnyard. Lacking grace but tasty

7/25/2020 - btock wrote:

Punchy, snappy, tart (in a good way). Red cherry notes, more translucent in the glass than expected. Served with red sauce Italian and that seemed to work alright. Best part was how it held up on subsequent evenings, give the nod to the acidity/structure for that. Nice value pickup from Garagiste. I think the flavor range was somewhat limited so not sure it will really evolve, but should drink well for a few more years.

7/28/2020 - Portland Seth wrote:

This was my only bottle. Marking it as flawed because it tasted like cherry kombucha. Punishingly sour, no real flavors outside of tart cherry and a hint of earth. Less fun to drink than a pinot noir.

7/25/2020 - klone99 Likes this wine:

Not spectacular, but decent enough. High Acid, but quite drinkable. Strong red fruit flavors that dominate the whole palate and linger 20+ seconds. Not much complexity, but very nice with food - much better than by itself. Had with a spicy lemon chicken sausage and paired nicely.

6/24/2020 - jmcmchi Likes this wine:

Lots of red spice on nose and palate

Medium body, tannins easing away, medium+ finish

6/15/2020 - RDHudak wrote:

Solid wine with medium-light body and completely resolved tanin. Almost tasted like an odd blend of Pinot and Grenache. That said, it was still enjoyable, but I would drink now.

5/2/2020 - ebpayne wrote:

Tutti Fruiti. Weird.