Our Most Popular Marathon of Yesteryear Returns!

“Wind Gap Wines are honest, authentic and compelling wines from special places.” – Sonoma Magazine

Celebrity winemaker Pax Mahle’s discontinued Wind Gap project is back for JUST ANOTHER DAY with treasures exclusively available at The Wine Spies. When we tasted these, one common denominator stood out, they are simply singular. It’s our manifesto to uncover unmatched quality at unheard of prices… Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Make sure you are tuned in all day as there will be a new Wind Gap popping up frequently and they will sell out.

How about we start with the BEST and the one we were able to scrape out the MOST of. Mind you, that does not by all means mean there’s enough to last long so ACT FACT. Since the Benedictine monks discovered this guiding principle to help differentiate top vineyards, Burgundians see their Mi-Pente or mid-slope sites as the absolute best source to make their top wines. Not upper or lower slopes, but the middle provides the ideal drainage, exposure, topsoil and all else that define great terroir. Pax chose the lots that make the Wind Gap Mi-Pente under this regimen, so think of this as the ultimate Reserve Pinot put together from a multitude of some of the best Pinot vineyards in Sonoma County.

Stephen Tanzer of Antonio Galloni’s Vinous claims; “To say that Pax Mahle and his team are wine freaks would be an understatement. Mahle’s experience with great wines would make the most jaded collector drool and his years as a sommelier in top restaurants and as a retail buyer help to bring ‘good perspective,’ as he says, to his own wines. Mahle approaches his wines with no preconceptions and attempts to stand as far out of their way as possible but is not averse to using new oak when he believes it’s appropriate. Some wines get up to 70% new wood while others get none at all. He often vinifies whole clusters ‘for the aromatic expression they bring,’ and bottles without fining or filtration.”

Here’s what the wine press has to say on this wine:

94 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous - “An addition to the range, the 2014 Pinot Noir Mi-Pente (mid-slope in French) is a barrel selection of some of the best lots in the winery. The Mi-Pente is an unusually radiant, fruit-driven wine for Wind Gap, yet all the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 100% whole clusters are pretty much buried by the sheer radiance of the fruit. Readers should expect a racy, forward wine with considerable near and medium-term appeal. Pax Mahle created the Mi-Pente to have a wine that could be offered year in year out, irrespective of the performance of single sites, many of which aren’t bottled every year here. As an example, all of the fruit from Chenoweth went into the Mi-Pente. Drink now-2024.”

Here’s what the wine press has to say on Wind Gap:

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Antonio Galloni - “Readers who have not yet discovered Wind Gap owe it to themselves to do so. These are some of the most gorgeous, nuanced wines being made in California today. The Wind Gap wines achieve that elusive balance of depth without excess heaviness. I was deeply impressed with the range I tasted and can’t recommend these wines highly enough.”

Vinous – Antonio Galloni - “This lineup from Wind Gap and Pax Mahle is full of highlights. The 2014 Pinots in particular are striking. Readers will find a number of new wines in the lineup, including the Mi-Pente, a barrel selection Pinot, and Soif, an affordable red blend made to be enjoyed young. As always, the Wind Gap style emphasizes freshness and energy… more often than not, Mahle gets it right. When he does, the results are compelling.”