Grand Saxum Tasting

Gustav in Zurich
Tasted Saturday, June 22, 2019 by sirpat00 with 216 views

Introduction

Hosted by collector Eugi Häfliger, moderated by Baschi Schwander MW

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

  • 2011 Saxum Broken Stones 94 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Sweet jammy red fruit, sweet spices, baking powder and vanilla, hints of medicinal notes. Plush tannins and muscular structure with wild acidity. Beautiful nose but a slightly unbalanced palate would.

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  • 2010 Saxum Broken Stones 94 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Marginally cooler fruit,t still jammy but not that sweet. Some spices and herbs. Full bodied with a tigh strucutre.

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  • 2009 Saxum Broken Stones 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Jammy red fruit, sweet spices and a herbal touch here and there. Firm and tight structure with a full body and med+ finish. Balance improving from 2010/11 but tannins still with grip.

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  • 2008 Saxum Broken Stones 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Intense red fruit like from a marmalede jar fresh out of the fridge. Fruit forward on the palate as well. Tension and still some wildness on the palate.

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  • 2007 Saxum Broken Stones 96 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    First signs of tertiary aromas such as leather emerging and complementing the jammey fruit. Plush and intense palate and first time well balanced and integrated.

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Flight 2 (5 Notes)

  • 2005 Saxum Broken Stones Flawed

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Corked unfortunately

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  • 2003 Saxum Broken Stones

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Past its peak with soy souce already blurring the aromas. Maybe a long decant can help mitigate but in my view beyond repair. NR

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  • 2008 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Youthfull, lots of ripe and slightly darker fruit. Roasted sesame and some herbal flavours, thinking green tea and jasmine tea. Juicy and fruity palate, mouthcoating tannins and sharp acidity will probably yield better balance a few years down the road.

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  • 2007 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe, slightly darker fruit with some herbal components. Sweet, fruity and explosive on the palate with a muscular structure and a long finish.

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  • 2005 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe, both the fruit and the maturity of the wine and nevertheless not yet perfectly balanced on the palate. May please some Rhone ranger afiniados who like edges and maturity+ profiles. But in my view this vintage apparently never quite made it and probably has no great place to go.

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Flight 3 (4 Notes)

  • 2011 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Dense and tighlty structured. Ripe, dark fruit and spices which carry on to the palate and resonate in the long finish. A little bit medicinal and some floral notes.

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  • 2010 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe, jammy dark fruit, dark choclate, spices and black pepper. Tight and dense. A minor acidic imbalance on the palate, but therefore fresh.

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  • 2009 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Bramble berry fruit, lots of spices. A lot of power on the palate and maybe a tad heat.

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  • 2007 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard 97 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe dark and blue berry confit. Again quite spicy Great, dense and sweet palate with juicy fruit and a long finish. Very early signs of aging. Power but inoffensive. All valves wide open.

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Flight 4 (6 Notes)

  • 2011 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 95 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    A more red type of fruit, whiffs of menthol and greenish herbs, maybe a tad medicinal and a bit of dard choclate or mocca. Not as powerful a palate as the Booker vineyard and probably sweeter. Tannins still very present and mouthcoating, but well balanced.

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  • 2010 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe fruit, more red type. Some herbal notes and dark choclate but overall less intense than 2011 or 2009 with a palate that is a bit more dry.

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  • 2009 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    High intensity, espacially when paired direclty against the 2010. Ripe red fruit, some greenish herbs provide for freshness. Well structured and again a lot of intensity, lots of acidity and heavy on tannins. A bomb of a wine.

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  • 2008 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 97 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe fruit, spices, some pepper. A bit of heat but not in a bad way. Smooth and well balanced palate with layered fruit and spice providing for a long finish with lots of pleasure. Palate really the driver of the score here.

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  • 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 95 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    As always ripe fruit, probably a bit darker than the other vintages. Also more greenish / herbal aromas. Still quite wild on the palate, but with great tension and intensity.

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  • 2006 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    A rather darker fruit reminding me of coca cola candy - not sure if maybe some grubby winemaking? Palate ok but not more.

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Flight 5 (4 Notes)

  • 2011 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Dense and structured, super concentrated fruit and signs of oxidation which provide for a Port type character. Heavy on the palate, but tannins do not quite match acidity here.

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  • 2008 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard 97 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe rather dark or blue fruit. Prefectly balanced palate again (as with the James Berry 2008) with power and pressure from the fruit but nevertheless elegant. Enormous pleasure to drink right now.

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  • 2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Ripe fruit, greenish herbs. Complex texture and layered on the palate. Plush tannins keep acidity in check.

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  • 2006 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.

    Tasting note:
    Intense ripe fruit, initial signs of aging, some spices and a bit of menthol. Intense palate but quite extracted.

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