Pax Mahle Wines, The Hermit Syrah 2015, North Coast, California

Tasting Note: A Northern-Rhone-reminiscent, North Coast California syrah with elegant fruit that pleases the senses with delicate aromas and flavors.

Deep-intensity purple in color, this wine has a medium-plus-intensity, aromatic nose of blackberry, raspberry puree, black cherry, dried-crushed violet leaf, bramble and blossom.

On the palate the dry, full-bodied syrah has medium-plus-intensity black fruit flavors suggested on the nose supported by medium acidity, and slightly-velvety, ripe, high tannin.

The wine is balanced with flavor intensity and tannin balancing well off each other.

It’s impressive that so many high-quality, New World syrahs can approach the quality of the Old-World standard.

Bottle Note: The Hermit is 100% syrah from our favorite vineyards. We named The Hermit after the man that loaned this nickname to that region’s most famous appellation. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, this wine will produce sediment as it ages. Decanting is recommended. “Not all who wander are lost.”