George William Craig

9.0

A very challenging but rewarding blend. A northern Italian vino Rosso with light carbonation, subtly floral notes blended with jammy, tart acidity to create a unique glass that develops as your taste buds acclimate to it. Tried the '17 and '18 vintages and found the 17 to be more wild, but both capture the essence of this strange number. One for the fans of natural/low interference wines. — 6 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.2

Clear, medium ruby

Clean, med+ notes of black pepper. Might be fooled into thinking Northern Rhone (also triggering a Susumaniello response), unidentified red fruit ontop of deep dark gnarliness.

Dry, medium acid tannin . Body is in the acid driven lean category. Weight of a Beaujolais @ 13% ABV. Red fruit and pepper. Holds its own as the black pepper in the mix of celery root, parsnips, Dittmer’s smoked turkey (oh yeah) and even kale. Cote Rotie of Chile. Rockstar.

Kick ass organic old vine and natural Cinsault (90%) wine from Chile. Could lay down 1.5 years.

NOTES: ”Located in the Guarilihue district of Chile's Itata Valley, Rogue Vines is one of the relatively recent producers to make expressive, organically farmed, minimal intervention wine. Cinsualt is abundant around these parts, and oftentimes dates back to the 1940s so they are nicely mature. *Natural Wine*” — 8 years ago

Leo Salomons

8.9

The Syrah in the blend adds some earthy, gamey, leather and spice notes to the aroma, an expression very reminiscent of the St. Joseph wines of northern Rhone. Medium to heavy body mouth feel and packed with dark cherry flavors and even some notes of haricot vert and mint. Medium long finish with the tannins balancing well with the coffee and red fruit after taste. A very polished style. — 9 years ago

Ebbe Bonde Soerensen

9.2

This is a fantastic Côte Rôti from this Natural producer, the standard wine but crazy delicious. — 10 years ago

This One Goes To Eleven... This Is Not The Account Of Spinal Tap!

9.1

This had this 10 years ago

with JohnQ

Amy Navor

9.3

A lovely financial planning and analysis study wine. This is a delightful go to, with fresh tannins, dark fruit, a tinge of pepper balanced by medium acidity and grapes grown from natural techniques. No chemicals, no pesticides. Hand harvested, 12 months of aging and 100% Syrah. — 10 years ago

Joseph Gannon

9.3

just great Rhone natural syrah at an amazing price. the kind of wine I want to have around at all times — 6 years ago

with Brooke

Alexander Vadas

9.5

Baller natural — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.2

As far as I know this is the same small parcel in the northern end of Ardeche as I’ve previously tasted- not the Southern Rhône as Delectable classifies it. 100% Syrah (technically Serine) from lieu dit, organically farmed and bottled with little or no sulfur depending on the vintage. Lovely wine that is a very stable and composed example of natural wine. Classic Northern Rhône aromatics of lavender, smoked meat, olive tapenade and dried herbs. Dense but never heavy. Much more supple and expansive on the 2nd night. Find the 2015, drink one now and hold at least one for the future as they do age very well. — 8 years ago

Thijs Hendriks

10

Magnum. A nose to die for...very focussed, nice acidity, ripe white and yellow fruits. Herbal touch, fire work plant aromas. The wine enters broad and impresses. Than, the wine slows down, feels so natural. Very complete. Very fresh. — 9 years ago

Amir Hammad

9.2

Souhaut for the win. Always a great choice drinking these pure, natural wines — 10 years ago

Andrew S

8.9

Northern Rhone-esq. high toned red fruits, vibrant acidity. Green pepper/sage. Light to medium tannins, and a somewhat clipped finish. Perfect with barbecued chicken. Refreshing. — 10 years ago

with John

Levi Glenn

9.2

Ohh my gauwwd. This is my new thing. Gamay channeling northern Rhone pepper profile. Would love to have all the "natural wine" haters taste this stuff. — 10 years ago

Shay A

9.1

January Wednesday Wine Committees are always a great as the red wines are required to be 11yrs old, making all of the reds 2008 vintage. 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert wine were served today, all blind.

I called this WA state Syrah. It was between that and northern Rhône...the fruit here was more prevalent and while the aromatics matched with both options, the funky, iron, stewed meat notes didn’t translate to the palate. Smoky and dark fruited. Drinking a little thin. I’d drink up if you have them. — 7 years ago

with Weston

Ben Christen

9.2

Natural Côte Rôtie, some barnyard nose and alive fizzle, I want some more time with this. — 8 years ago

Benjamin Hickey

8.9

12 months in barrel with natural ferment. Round but lean with nice soft acid on the finish — 9 years ago

Philippe Dupuis

9.3

The new generation of Northern Rhone winemakers. A very delicate Condrieu offering great complexity - that mid palate delivering orange pulp and juice literally got me goosebumps- and textbook natural acidity finale, layered by ripe fruit. Humbling and impressive. #symbioseimportations — 10 years ago

A. R.

9.0

A very natural wine, typical Louis/Dressner style. On the nose violets, lavender and earth. In the mouth dried flowers, blackberries, earth and high acidity. Medium- long finish. — 10 years ago

Coltin Short

9.1

Blind - Knew it was natural Syrah or Gamay. Raj of course threw out Souhaut. — 10 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.6

There’s a lot of wine being made in California and abroad that is, in theory, similar to this wine… Extremely old vines of obscure varietals, natural production and so on. However, in this case, winemakers Pax Mahle and Loren Grossman have delivered something that shines brighter than the rest - including their other labels. 

Titular “Pax” wines have a similar sense of spice, animal and force, but often lack the subtly found here. His other label “Wind Gap” capitalizing on the trend of hardly ripened fruit to give the wine telling minerality and that mouth-puckering tart freshness at the expense of body.  All of which is also evident in this wine, but much more balanced and slowly revealed. 

This wine is sexy and nimble, but has depth and a sense of place. Reminiscent of  Northern Rhone but less narrowly focused. It’s all you can ask for from California. They only made about 100 cases, and it retails for under 40 dollars. We have 9 bottles left at Joy Wine & Spirits, come in and get it. — 10 years ago