WTN: 2011 Wind Gap Syrah, Sonoma Coast, CA

Pax Mahle Wines, Forestville, CA. 11.4% abv. In a NYTimes article, Pax Mahle's Wind Gap Syrah was included among "Rhone-like" California Syrahs. Dark purple wine, almost opaque. Nice first impression. Really loaded with spices. Plummy on the palate along with blackberries and a pine needle scent. Smokiness? Meatiness? Not so sure--more forest pines to my nose. This is a bit puckering either due to tart fruit or tannins. I enjoyed this and don't regret my purchase. I will probably wait a few years before opening the next bottle.
I have limited experience with Northern Rhones but based on that small sampling, I would say that this does taste New World to me. Thoughts of others more familiar with both Wind Gap Syrahs and northern Rhone wines?

I've tasted Wind Gap a couple of times, never got motivated to buy any. Your description is right on the money.
It's clearly Syrah, in that it fits the French Syrah "type" in my mind, which isn't always true of California Syrahs and often not even close with Australian Shiraz.
But wine made from the Syrah grape doesn't have to taste French to appeal to me. (That's also true of other grape varieties.)

[David M. Bueker]

There are many expressions of Northern Rhone. The Wind Gap Sonoma Coast reminds me more of Crozes or St. Joseph than Cote Rotie. That said it is still a California wine, as it should be. The 2011 is higher acid than some prior vintages. Just the nature of the year and growing grapes on the true Sonoma Coast.

Wind Gap fits my stylistic preferences....so I was very impresed when I stopped at their tasting room.