WTN: Armagh & Hammer

[David M. Bueker]

• 2018 Pax Syrah Armagh Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (8/16/2021)
  Fair warning to give this wine a lot of air. It’s as tight as a pair of pre-pandemic pants. After two hours in the decanter the fruit is finally emerging to balance the acidity, and the savory elements are just now buffering the tannins. There’s all the expected red berry, smoke, olive and roasted meat to accompany the structure. It’s just cranky, and needs to be coaxed out of hiding. This was my first bottle of six, and I will defer opening any others for quite a while. This feels very close to some of the Arnot-Roberts single vineyard Syrahs, and those take forever to come around.

[Jenise]

"It’s as tight as a pair of pre-pandemic pants."

Wish I'd said that.

Btw, I've really loved the Pax syrahs I've had. So hard to reconcile them with the lousy Wind Gaps by the same winemaker.

[David M. Bueker]

"It’s as tight as a pair of pre-pandemic pants."

Wish I'd said that.

Btw, I've really loved the Pax syrahs I've had. So hard to reconcile them with the lousy Wind Gaps by the same winemaker.

I loved Wind Gap Syrahs almost without exception through about 2013. Then something changed. A couple of the 2014/2015 wines are really good, and some of them are trash. 2016 is a train wreck. I think when he started reviving Pax, and there was more financial crap going on at Wind Gap (due to his financial partner, not Pax Mahle) he dropped the ball at WG.