2018 Pax Valdiguié, Quail Run Vineyard

Region: Mendocino County < California
Grapes: Valdiguié
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; carbonically macerated in steel and aged four months in concrete, with zero sulfur added during the entire vinification process; bottled unfined/unfiltered; 12.2% abv
Winemaker: Pax Mahle

Pax Mahle is legendary in low-intervention Cali winemaking circles, having brought us Wind Gap, famous for esoteric wines like Trousseau Gris, from cool, windy NorCal sites. Pax is the eponymous label that he relaunched a few years ago (after a 2008 legal drama with former partners forced him to reboot) to do some small production, site-specific stuff from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino. Like this summery Valdiguié that is tastes like peppery purple sparkles, strong on the blackberry, tart raspberry, and black pepper. Serve slightly chilled and chug outdoors – but be sure to finish the bottle the same day you open it, as this is a zero-zero wine, which means the mouse slowly starts creeping in on day 2….