Pax Mahle is one of our country's most gifted winemakers. He moved to California in 1997, and for 3 years, he ran the wine program at Dean & Deluca. In 2000, he decided it was time to start making his own wines, and nowadays, his wines consistently garner rave reviews from top critics worldwide.
His 2023 Helios Chenin Blanc brought home 93 points from Jeb Dunnuck and 93+ points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate!
Pax firmly subscribes to the notion that great wines can only be made from great vineyards, and he works with grapes from some of the best sites in the state. His Helios Chenin Blanc, one of the top values he makes, comes from two organic vineyards, and it is made very carefully, with minimal intervention.
I tasted this one last week and while I expected to like it, I LOVED IT. This shows wonderfully pure varietal character and a good degree of complexity as well. It's also a testament to the fact that world-class Chenin doesn't just come from France....
2023 Pax Chenin Blanc 'Helios' -- Why Should You Buy It?
- It's truly a "Goldilocks Wine." That's an insider's term for a wine that appeals to a broad range of palates, and I challenge you not to like this one!
- Broad and textured, yet zesty and vibrant, it's a joy to drink. Offering up layered and complex notes of lemongrass, Bosc pear, green apple, stone fruits, and minerals, it will get the juices flowing!
- The vineyard sourcing is impeccable here. Most of the grapes come Lyman Ranch in Amador County, and this warmer site gives us luscious golden fruit. The rest of the fruit comes from Marine Terraces in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and these grapes imbue the wine with its zesty and mineralic character.
- For Chenin Blanc fans, TRUST ME, and try a bottle (or 6) of this. Jeb Dunnuck loved it too, rating it 93 points, and saying "it has a lovely, chalky, crushed seashell texture, with a great finish, and will drink well over the next 6-8 years."
- The Wine Advocate's Erin Brooks loved it too. "The palate is bursting with layers of honeyed orchard fruit. It balances a phenolic, mouth-coating texture with mouthwatering acidity and has a very long finish.
A bottle of this and some spicy Thai or Vietnamese cuisine will really hit the spot, and both components will elevate each other. No food required though, as this super fresh and luscious white tastes great by itself.
