2006 Pax Alder Springs Vineyard Nepenthe
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Tasting notes
(a blend of 50% roussanne, 40% marsanne and 10% viognier) Light, hazy yellow. Smoky, mineral-dominated bouquet evokes white peach, nectarine and dried pear. Deep and chewy, with bitter pit fruit and pear liqueur flavors, juicy acidity and good mineral snap on the close. Leaves an exotic impression of iodine in its wake. I have a feeling that this will gain sweetness and weight with another few years in the bottle.
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Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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As an interlude before tasting barrel samples of the 2006s, I had the privilege of tasting the 2006 Nepenthe, a blend of 44% Roussanne, 38% Marsanne, and 18% Viognier, all from Mendocino’s Alder Springs Vineyard. This wine is one of the best dry white Rhone blends I have tasted in California and competes with the brilliant Rhone Ranger whites made by Manfred Krankl at Sine Qua Non. Wonderful honeyed citrus, lychee, and poached pear notes jump from the glass of this wine, which also exhibits plenty of honeysuckle, super definition, freshness, and glycerin. I wouldn’t push its aging potential, but this wine should drink beautifully for 1-2 years. Exciting wines seem to emerge annually from Pax Mahle, a self-trained winemaker (and all the better for it), and owner Joe Donelan. The 2005s are just hitting the shelf, and there are some sensational ones for sure. Tel. (707) 591-0782; Fax (707) 591-0784