Saxum Vineyards
Saxum Vineyards
James Berry Vineyard Syrah Blend 2016
I’ve got lots of love for these wines, but I always struggle with when to open. They are fantastic young and equally fantastic with age. Jeb said of this wine, “the greatest GSM blend from California, ever.”, and stamped it with a perfect score. Strong praise, and while I’m not there, I don’t regret opening this.
Consumed from decanter the first 2-3hrs before decanting back to bottle and finishing the remaining third later in the evening. Much better later in the day. Wound up tight initially. Classical high end Paso with this distinct airy-jammyness. So much going on with squeezed blackberries, peppercorn, lots of kirsch. Some garrigue. Mouth coating and a total wave of flavor on the palate…black fruit, cherry cordial, cherry drizzled smoked meats. It’s both supremely juicy and hauntingly tannic at the finish. Even with time to open, the ABV makes itself known, but you know that going in. If you like the style, it’s hard to beat. — 2 years ago
Saxum Vineyards
James Berry Vineyard 44 Grenache Blend 2007
Very big and rich. A slightly active shrill thing on the nose. Very rich plum and cherry. Roses and violets. A beast but rounded and under control. A bit much for my taste but it has some balance and purity that is admirable — 3 months ago
Château de Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc White Rhone Blend 2020
One of the bottles from my annual WWC hosting. I opened this as a side by side to a 2019 Saxum White as the makeup is fairly similar.
80% roussanne/ remaining a mix of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, piquepoul blanc, picardan and bourboulenc.
Nicely expressive at pop, it then faded and hid in a shell for a few hours before coming back at last glass. At 80% roussanne, I expected a more consistent expressive profile (honeyed tropical fruits, some orange) and for the acid to show a touch, but it was a roller coaster. More melon and light fruits vs bigger/more tropical. Medium bodied but not as rich as expected. It’s clean and shows some floral and mineral/stony nuances, but I’d spend the extra and take the Roussanne VV to get more complexity and flavor. — 3 months ago
Saxum Vineyards
James Berry Vineyard White Blend 2019
One of the bottles from my annual WWC hosting, opened alongside a 2020 Chateau Beaucastel Blanc.
46% Grenache Blanc/31% roussanne/23% Chenin Blanc.
More expressive and dialed up compared to the Beaucastel (not a big surprise). Medium gold in the glass. Bright and juicy roussanne notes of orange marmalade and apricot, alongside white peaches and a powder-sugar funnel-cake type aromatic. The Chenin gives this a good spine of acidity to prevent the rich and full-bodied entry from being flabby. Honey-roasted nuts, honeycomb, lemon cream, underripe pineapple and a savory/waxy finish. The warmth comes out at the finish, but it’s not substantial. Really nice with 1-2hrs of air. — 3 months ago
romo
En mag. Typical parfait aromas, but surprisingly gentle on palate, belying its 15.8%. A touch of savory norhone mid-palate. Rate-able! — 2 months ago