Blackberry, plum, olive, some chocolate and a touch of pepper. Concentrated ripe fruit. Big wine, but well balanced, ready now, no rush, but I don’t see this developing further.
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Popped and poured. This is a deep red wine with tongue-staining concentration. On the nose, I get blackberry, huckleberry, some subtle pepper, and a touch of smoked meat. In the mouth, this is a full and rich wine, with dark fruit counterbalanced by some nice offsetting acid. The finish is chewy and robust, highlighting blackberry pie and coffee elements. Overall, this is a big, heady, and hedonistic wine – it feels quite young and should have many years left. This is a plainly Paso-style wine. 92+ points.
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Not sure why, but this didn't rock my socks. Usually a pretty big fan, but this lacked the complexity and integration of a full-bodied Saxum. The remaining 3 oz was worse/like vinegar on day two.
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Found this in my cellar and have no idea how it got there since I drank my entire allocation between 2017 and 2021. Similar on the palate to other bottles that I have had but for some reason this time the flavors were muted. They were kind of running into each other. Still a really good wine but not what I have come to expect. Still wondering where it came from.
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Seems younger than its 12 years. Dark garnet and completely opaque, no brown at the edge. The prominent aroma is one-dimensional, pure blackberries, with some pepper, but I don't get tobacco and some other fruits and spices that others mention. On the palate, rich, powerful, and concentrated black fruit, moderate but soft tannins, definite heat from high alcohol, which increases with the very long aftertaste. Not sure where this is in its evolution. I'd say it's reached its plateau and will stay there for some years, may gain some further complexities with time. Ric
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Tobacco, dark chocolate, some vanilla, black raspberry, açaí, slight pepper. Touch of chalky tannins and green peppercorn. Close to peak but plenty of years ahead. 2025-2035+?
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So I had a bunch of friends over for a bbq. After sitting around and drinking some sauvignon blanc we switched to this wine. It was a magnum which I had opened 4 hours in advance and decanted half through a vinturi. The nose was dark fruit and spice. The palate was swirling flavors of dark berries, plums, tobacco, hints of spice and smoke. The finish went on and on and on and on. Just a great bottle of wine.
A year to the day from my last bottle. Opened 3 hours in advance, the cork broke and we had to shove it back into the bottle. The nose was dark fruit and spice. The palate was swirling flavors of dark berries, plums, tobacco, hints of spice and smoke. The finish went on and on and on and on. Just a great bottle of wine.
Tasted blind, clearly a bigger CA Syrah with some spicy elements, good deep black an blue fruit, some bramble. Guessed Zin or Syrah. Nice wine, but pretty big (yet balanced). H's backyard dinner party.
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Well I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable July 4th. I took my own advice as the last comment I made on Friday's bottle of wine (a Peter Michael Pinot Noir) was Syrah goes best with BBQ and it did. I opened this bottle about 6 hours prior to dinner and let it slow ox. It had dark berries and charred meat on the nose. The palate was darked berries, roasted plums, charred meat and a little tree bark. The finish is the "Saxum Finish" which is almost forever. The last time I tried a bottle was in January of 2017 and according to my notes it has slipped a bit with regard to the flavors coming out on the finish. I have lots of 09's and 10's and 11's as well as all the newer vintages in my cellar that I shoud be drinking on a more regular basis but my wife is a cab and pinot noir fan and not into the Rhone blends so it is not often that I get to open a bottle. Oh well the trials and tribulations of a wine collector. Well it will be pinot noir for me tonight. Happy Sunday everyone.
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Consistent with our previous tasting notes - if anything, the wine is becoming more balanced. If you haven't opened a bottle, now would be a good time to check in.
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Saxum Tasting (Zurich): Comprehensive vertical tasting of several Saxum vineyards and a total of 24 wines. Most wines on a good to very good level in the 93 to 95 points range, just one on an exceptional (97+ points) level (James Berry Bone Rock 08). The consistency of the wine-making at Saxum is impressive but the tasting proofed to be rather a bit boring with less difference between the vineyards and vintages showing than expected and wished for. Heart Stone stood out a bit (bigger vats used, little new oak) thanks to more terroir expression. James Berry (mostly Grenache) and James Berry Bone Rock (elevated complexity and sexiness) were great. Best vintage (we tried wines from 2003 to 2011) is clearly the 2007 which produced the wines with the most depth.
TN: The Booker Vineyards wines are a virtual blend between the Broken Stone wines (new oak, powerful fruit expression) and the Heart Stone wines (focus and minerality). I liked them a lot with the 2007 being the winner due to its depth. Blackberries, blueberries, strong crushed rocks minerality, black olives, fresh herbs on the nose and palate. Medium+ complexity, well-delineated and with a very good freshness to balance the alcohol and fruit sweetness perfectly. A great wine only a tad behind the very intriguing 2007. Not decanted, no decant needed but one or the other hour of air wouldn't hurt either.
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From memory at dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern with the kids, decanted by the somm, deep ruby, black & blue fruit with a touch of pepper, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, one of the best Saxums I have had, drink or hold
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Grand Saxum Tasting (Gustav in Zurich): 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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Opened, poured a small taste, and then into a decanter. Tasted about 1 hour later, with food (NY strip steak, baked shrimp and garlic, in case you were wondering). Dark purple color. Nose is violets and Concord grapes. Wonderful flavors of blackberries, with an underlying beef element. Floral overtones add to the elegance of the wine. Delicious.
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Drank over two nights. Dark purple with a lot of depth. Floral aromatics. Rich, silky taste with tart blackberries and cassis. Big bold wine with a long finish. Rich, not complex
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Again, Saxum delivers what you expect: telltale aromatics, high complexity, intensity and lots of fun. Despite all the power it doesn‘t fatigue your palate. This is just great, really great and is for sure among the best Central California wines. Probably not a wine for old world purists, though.
TN: Red fruit, strawberry candy with time sweet blackberries an forest berries as well as leather on the highly intense nose. On the palate an explosion with with strawberries, blackberries, cassis, other forest berries, chocolate, tobacco, leather, forest floor. High complexity, intensity and precision. Ripe but not at all overripe. The structural frame handles the power well with sweet, round, smooth tannins and a well-integrated acidity.
Decanting: Needed 90 minutes in the decanter. At first the high alcohol was distrubing the party but with a good decant all the components were in perfect balance and the aromatic complexity increased significantly.
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What a great wine! Strong nose on opening with fruit and earth tones, some meat as it received more oxygen. Lots of berries on the front end, mild acidity, with integrated tannin and a long finish. Happy I bought a few of these.
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Mostly similar to my previous notes, except that while it may be becoming smoother, the flavors are a little more muted. Still plenty of blackberry fruit, but less intense.
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Previous notes from last year apply, except that this was showing quite a bit of hot alcohol on the finish, washing out the initial front-end attack of spicy blackberry core fruit out from underneath its would-be seamless delivery. Air helped quite a bit, but it still displayed as a hot-house jam-fest for a decent portion of consumption. Seemingly good quality, but distracted by the rocket fuel.
I’d recommend drinking now with a strong decant for at least an hour or so. Holding stored bottles may help, but I wonder if the booze will ever fully integrate.
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Spectacular wine with tremendous nose, of dark fruit, tannins present but resolving, powerful, but not offensive, pure, linear, very well made, long long finish. The only thing keeping this from a perfect score is that there are no secondary flavor developments. Very linear. Beautiful wine.
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More or less consistent with our last bottle from 2015 - but things have settled down. The wine still strikes me as a hypothetical cross between an old-world CdP and an Aussie fruit bomb, but the tannins have now resolved enough that a long decant isn't necessary.
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Similar to my notes from September, except that overall I feel as though this wine is smoothing out quite a bit. This is fine, but it also flattens out some of the more concentrated flavors I've come to enjoy from Saxum. Those who are waiting this wine out to be a balanced, domesticated animal, wait no further. PnP was a little tight with black raspberry and alcohol hitting you at first. But a total of three hours in the decanter gave it a silky, more approachable demeanor. Some darker fruit emerged, as well as some spice and pepper on the back end.
My favorite moment with this wine was about 30 minutes into it, when the higher toned fruit had deepened, but with still some power to keep the hedonistic side rolling through. A fine wine to be sure; I just don't know that I'd wait around all that long before popping the cork (at least for those who like Justin's wines to have a little kick and power). If you like them smooth and softer, then you still have some time.
Drink now and over the next couple of years.
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Slow ox'd for 4 hours before pouring, dark berry on the nose, the palate is swirling flavors of blackberry, plum, red meat and an apple pie. The finish was long and flavorful. I think it can develop more so I will put my other bottles away for a while. Just an awesome wine.
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Lazy Bear Restaurant SF (San Francisco): Paired with a grilled lamb chop (covered in redwood needles). This piece of meat was cooked beautifully, with the fat rendered perfectly. The flavors were not as interesting as the previous squab dish, but the lamb certainly went fine with the wine.
This showing of the Saxum Booker was much better than the one I had back in June. This was a PnP, which was a perfect service for this wine. (I decanted it back in June, and I felt like I might have given it too much air over the course of a few hours back then). This time, the wine had a great spicy and purple/black/huckleberry "pop" that really elevated the wine. I actually preferred this wine as a stand-alone; the dish was fine, but the wine was so complex, that it highlighted some of the simplistic flavors in the lamb dish.
96 solid points for me, and probably the WOTN (though the Realm Sauvignon Blanc we had previously was pretty spectacular).
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PnP with notes of ripe blackberry, stewed plum, asphalt, and some charcuterie. More ripe than expected. Tannins had integrated well, with layers of deep black and ripe red fruit flavors. Reminded me of a 2010 SQN Five Shooter Syrah in that it was a little over-ripe and carried the stewed plum and leather notes just a hair further than I would have preferred.
Still, a very good Syrah. Served alongside a 2010 Carlisle Sonoma Syrah and a Tor Reserve ROCK Syrah. The Saxum bested both by a long shot.
Drink now and over the next 3+ years.
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This bottle was decanted for just over three hours at a local restaurant. The was was clear and a very deep hue of purple in colour. With a strong nose of dark berries and some pepper, this wine was was in fine form tonight. Some flavours of blueberries and black currant were augmented by a good level of spiciness. The acidity and tannins were strong but not overbearing. This wine had a great, long finish.
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Similar to my previous notes. Very thick almost syrupy texture. Blackberry and other dark fruit flavors, which may be fading a little compared to previous bottles, with some caramel and a little spice and smoke. Long lingering finish.
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I can't be bummed I drank now but I would have been stoked to wait and see where she goes.... PnP with earthy tones, leather and fruit. Not jumbled - a well oiled jazz band playing the classics
Popped and poured at BYO. Needed about ten minutes to settle down. Powerful, intense, dark, fruit. At first, a somewhat unruly contest between the Syrah (81%) and the Mourvedre (19%). As the evening wore on, it evolved in the glass, with greater integration. Drinkable now but a lot of potential bottle life left.
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A saxum tasting at Cooking School (ICASI): While the 10 JBV was shut down, this was doing ok. PnP, I would still prefer to give it some air. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, vanilla and smoked meats. Full bodied. On the palate this is very deep. It unwinds a bit in the glass but it seems like there is a lot more here to unwind. Great texture. Powerful yet ethereal. Lots of black raspberry fruit, gamy meats and licorice. Long finish. Worked great with food.
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Tasted with Linne Calodo and Booker Winery, same vineyard and vintage. The wines were decanted the night before, returned to the bottle after 8 hours, then consumed 9 to 12 hours later. Saxum was the darkest and most heavily perfumed of the three. It was also the most aggressive and least integrated changing in the glass more dramatically than the others. Impressive depth at mid-palate but still a bit clumsy. All three wines showed brilliantly with a sure handed appreciation for one of California's finest vineyards.
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81% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre. Dark ruby. Heady Rhonish aromas. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry and spice. Very long, excellent depth, rich hedonistic mouthfeel. Great concentration and focus.
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Decanted 22 hours. From memory, high quality dark fruits lead the way in this well balanced and compelling youngster. Obviously full bodied and heavily fruited but also somehow maintaining that Saxumesque sense of overriding elegance, almost as if guiding the bulk with feminine guile. Lots of room to shed some fruit, gain some complexity, and ratchet up the charm, I plan to wait a few years for the next but we'll see.
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Dark fruit, licorice and raisin on the nose. Good balance, structure and power. Dark fruit, spice and beef blood finishing it off. Booker is always one of my favorite Saxums and this doesn't disappoint.
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Decanted for three hours before service, and probably could have used at least another three. In the glass, dark, saturated red. On the nose, a mix of crushed red fruit, grenache liqueur, and iodine. On the palate, a cross between an Australian fruit bomb and an old-school CdP, with substantial tannins arriving on the mid-palate and staying for the long finish. This worked fine with bold food (steak and chimichurri), but I can't imagine it working with much else. On the other hand, it did have some elements of complexity that have been absent in other Saxum's I've tried. Who knows where this is going in the future...
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Guys Dinner (Wildfire Chicago): At Wildfire with the guys. More saturated fruit - completely opaque and extremely dense. Very weighty - the biggest of the line up that evening. Sexy round and opulent nose. Completely fruit driven. Needs some time to settle in. Lots going on - almost too much at this time.
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Insanely good wine. Had at a Rhone Ranger dinner with pork and steak. Deep, rich, light spices. A very brooding wine with tons of depth and structure. Not really mature yet (drank young) but this bottle could hold another 5+ years easily. Very pleasurable.
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Cassis, blueberry puree in a rich, creamy, super silky package; blueberry cream comes to mind. Normally not at all my style but what can you say. Very well done, although I like the James Berry better.
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Not much too add to my previous note. I love this wine! So smooth, with lots of fruit but not overpowering. I noticed the bacon and wild game flavors tonight that some others have mentioned. The 15.9% alcohol is almost unnoticeable! except in its effects. I wish I had more than just 7 more bottles of this!
Maybe I need to quit drinking. All of these big wines that are supposed to be awesome are... marginal. Well made? yes. Make a statement? Yes. But really? Good fruit, a bit of spice here and there. However, where is the long term interest? What does it make one ponder other than losing the ability to ponder? Anyway, this one is not bad by any means, but it certainly is not ethereal. Just a big wine, with good fruit, lots of alcohol, makes you take notice. But c'mon people, I call BS on all these other 'notes of blah, blah and blah'. Such complexity is not there, it is just not.
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See previous notes. Very majestic and honestly my favorite of the '10s, with James Berry being a very close second. I adore the blueberry qualities and subtle entry.
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Dark fruits, a little bacon and some Mourvèdre funk. Tannins are starting to integrate, especially with air. Really should sit for another 5 or so years. I'm not sure that the average CT is indicative of the quality (as of right now, it is up at 95.3).
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Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Thought this couldn't keep up with the '10 SQN Syrah next to it. Tight, huge and it shows it, black fruit, bacon. Needed a decant but didn't get too much of one, however the leftovers opened up more the next day. Still didn't have the finesse and outstanding balance of the SQN though.
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Wow!!! One of the best wines that I have ever had! Dark thick velvety almost syrupy texture, with tastes that include lots of dark fruit and some coffee, and aromas that include the dark fruits and caramel on the nose. 15.9 % alcohol, yet the alcohol is barely noticeable.
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This is the ultimate torrent of flavor. I am ensconced in blonde coffee, mulberry, tree resin, blueberry and beef stew. Long and herbs de Provence on the finish, then showing judicious definition on every floor of the palate. Aristocratic in form and flamboyant in nuance, I am utterly in love with this Syrah. There is an abyss that will ultimately draw you in. Epiphanous. Drink 2016 - 2031.
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Decanting is absolutely mandatory for this wine at this stage. Even with decanting, it was still is a massive wine, virtually impenetrable, and very tightly wound. This is a dark, intense, serious syrah with deep black fruits, wild game and finishes with a hint of bitter root vegetables (perhaps radish?). One taster compared the finish to a hoppy IPA. I find this note on many Paso Robles wines with Mouvedre in the blend. It also seems that many tasters either love it or hate it. This is obviously an extremely well made wine, but tonight this wine is not my style. I don't typically open a Saxum this young. Give this another decade of bottle age. Also, this wine had the misfortune of being tasted so soon after an utterly beautiful '03 Alban Reva was burned into my memory.
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Very young but powerful and multidimensional. Just a winemaker who is on a roll. These are so rich without being heavy. Needs 1 day of air if you open now.
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1/13/2024 - hanasowner wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for four hours...dark in color with blue fruit and some spice...still some tannins that paired well with lamb...medium finish.
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12/31/2023 - Maphill01 wrote:
Blackberry, plum, olive, some chocolate and a touch of pepper. Concentrated ripe fruit. Big wine, but well balanced, ready now, no rush, but I don’t see this developing further.
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11/25/2023 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. This is a deep red wine with tongue-staining concentration. On the nose, I get blackberry, huckleberry, some subtle pepper, and a touch of smoked meat. In the mouth, this is a full and rich wine, with dark fruit counterbalanced by some nice offsetting acid. The finish is chewy and robust, highlighting blackberry pie and coffee elements. Overall, this is a big, heady, and hedonistic wine – it feels quite young and should have many years left. This is a plainly Paso-style wine. 92+ points.
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6/12/2023 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Better than I recalled last time -- from good to very good. The extra age helped. Drinking perfectly now
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11/21/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not sure why, but this didn't rock my socks. Usually a pretty big fan, but this lacked the complexity and integration of a full-bodied Saxum. The remaining 3 oz was worse/like vinegar on day two.
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10/24/2022 - markcic wrote:
Found this in my cellar and have no idea how it got there since I drank my entire allocation between 2017 and 2021. Similar on the palate to other bottles that I have had but for some reason this time the flavors were muted. They were kind of running into each other. Still a really good wine but not what I have come to expect. Still wondering where it came from.
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10/9/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Seems younger than its 12 years. Dark garnet and completely opaque, no brown at the edge. The prominent aroma is one-dimensional, pure blackberries, with some pepper, but I don't get tobacco and some other fruits and spices that others mention. On the palate, rich, powerful, and concentrated black fruit, moderate but soft tannins, definite heat from high alcohol, which increases with the very long aftertaste. Not sure where this is in its evolution. I'd say it's reached its plateau and will stay there for some years, may gain some further complexities with time.
Ric
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7/2/2022 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tobacco, dark chocolate, some vanilla, black raspberry, açaí, slight pepper. Touch of chalky tannins and green peppercorn. Close to peak but plenty of years ahead. 2025-2035+?
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7/2/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark, still young, needed air time, rich balanced, full bodied and combination of red and black fruits.
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5/15/2022 - kanowsky Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark, dense red fruit; strong forest aroma; tobacco and leather. Quite vibrant.
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8/14/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
So I had a bunch of friends over for a bbq. After sitting around and drinking some sauvignon blanc we switched to this wine. It was a magnum which I had opened 4 hours in advance and decanted half through a vinturi. The nose was dark fruit and spice. The palate was swirling flavors of dark berries, plums, tobacco, hints of spice and smoke. The finish went on and on and on and on. Just a great bottle of wine.
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7/4/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
A year to the day from my last bottle. Opened 3 hours in advance, the cork broke and we had to shove it back into the bottle. The nose was dark fruit and spice. The palate was swirling flavors of dark berries, plums, tobacco, hints of spice and smoke. The finish went on and on and on and on. Just a great bottle of wine.
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7/4/2021 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich black berry and spice on the nose and smooth palate with a long delectable finish.
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4/10/2021 - peternelson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind, clearly a bigger CA Syrah with some spicy elements, good deep black an blue fruit, some bramble. Guessed Zin or Syrah. Nice wine, but pretty big (yet balanced). H's backyard dinner party.
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1/26/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 95 Points
smoked meat, plum, black cherry, tobacco, oak, licorice peppercorn, raspberry, clove, baking spice, crushed rock and dried herbs
big wine, mouth coating fruit, wild intensity. california muscle that needs decanting. Good if you like this style of wine, which I do on occasion.
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7/4/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
Well I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable July 4th. I took my own advice as the last comment I made on Friday's bottle of wine (a Peter Michael Pinot Noir) was Syrah goes best with BBQ and it did. I opened this bottle about 6 hours prior to dinner and let it slow ox. It had dark berries and charred meat on the nose. The palate was darked berries, roasted plums, charred meat and a little tree bark. The finish is the "Saxum Finish" which is almost forever. The last time I tried a bottle was in January of 2017 and according to my notes it has slipped a bit with regard to the flavors coming out on the finish. I have lots of 09's and 10's and 11's as well as all the newer vintages in my cellar that I shoud be drinking on a more regular basis but my wife is a cab and pinot noir fan and not into the Rhone blends so it is not often that I get to open a bottle. Oh well the trials and tribulations of a wine collector. Well it will be pinot noir for me tonight. Happy Sunday everyone.
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6/1/2020 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank from Corovin over multiple days. Plum and other dark fruits. Lacks the complexity of the better vintages.
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3/22/2020 - Acohen wrote: 93 Points
Super dark and rich with deep berry and spice
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11/28/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior note after a 2 hr decant, but perhaps it lost a little something after the decant; still delicious, but less opulent
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11/24/2019 - Pcrage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just lovely. At a perfect point to consume. Two hour decant.
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11/16/2019 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
USA Syrah tasting in Vino and Friends. (By JK in Maastricht): Red and dark berries, leather and minerals in the bouquet. On the palate red berries, firm and juicy acidity. Good tannin. Overall an elegant and beautiful wine. 94+
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11/16/2019 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
Next USA-tasting: Syrah (Restaurant Vino & Friends, Maastricht): Too young.
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11/16/2019 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with our previous tasting notes - if anything, the wine is becoming more balanced. If you haven't opened a bottle, now would be a good time to check in.
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8/10/2019 - JohnnyShiraz Likes this wine: 100 Points
Power and intensity. Wine of the Year for me.
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8/2/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red fruits, insane levels of fruit, cinnamon, clove, tree bark, great balance, drinking very well out of magnum.
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7/13/2019 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Saxum Tasting (Zurich): Comprehensive vertical tasting of several Saxum vineyards and a total of 24 wines. Most wines on a good to very good level in the 93 to 95 points range, just one on an exceptional (97+ points) level (James Berry Bone Rock 08). The consistency of the wine-making at Saxum is impressive but the tasting proofed to be rather a bit boring with less difference between the vineyards and vintages showing than expected and wished for. Heart Stone stood out a bit (bigger vats used, little new oak) thanks to more terroir expression. James Berry (mostly Grenache) and James Berry Bone Rock (elevated complexity and sexiness) were great. Best vintage (we tried wines from 2003 to 2011) is clearly the 2007 which produced the wines with the most depth.
TN: The Booker Vineyards wines are a virtual blend between the Broken Stone wines (new oak, powerful fruit expression) and the Heart Stone wines (focus and minerality). I liked them a lot with the 2007 being the winner due to its depth. Blackberries, blueberries, strong crushed rocks minerality, black olives, fresh herbs on the nose and palate. Medium+ complexity, well-delineated and with a very good freshness to balance the alcohol and fruit sweetness perfectly. A great wine only a tad behind the very intriguing 2007. Not decanted, no decant needed but one or the other hour of air wouldn't hurt either.
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7/13/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 98 Points
From memory at dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern with the kids, decanted by the somm, deep ruby, black & blue fruit with a touch of pepper, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, one of the best Saxums I have had, drink or hold
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6/22/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Grand Saxum Tasting (Gustav in Zurich): 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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4/27/2019 - Tyler C Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking so perfectly right now with a short decant. Outstanding.
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4/1/2019 - Tyler C Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cubswinsw sums it up perfectly. Glad I have set on these. Outstanding. Go Sox
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3/29/2019 - t_moderne wrote: 93 Points
Opened, poured a small taste, and then into a decanter.
Tasted about 1 hour later, with food (NY strip steak, baked shrimp and garlic, in case you were wondering).
Dark purple color. Nose is violets and Concord grapes.
Wonderful flavors of blackberries, with an underlying beef element. Floral overtones add to the elegance of the wine.
Delicious.
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3/15/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super wine. Lovely blend really moving into an ideal drinking window.
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2/21/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredible bottle of Saxum with super smooth take-off and just enough spice on the finish. Everyone cried when it was gone.
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10/8/2018 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over two nights. Dark purple with a lot of depth. Floral aromatics. Rich, silky taste with tart blackberries and cassis. Big bold wine with a long finish. Rich, not complex
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10/1/2018 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Again, Saxum delivers what you expect: telltale aromatics, high complexity, intensity and lots of fun. Despite all the power it doesn‘t fatigue your palate. This is just great, really great and is for sure among the best Central California wines. Probably not a wine for old world purists, though.
TN: Red fruit, strawberry candy with time sweet blackberries an forest berries as well as leather on the highly intense nose. On the palate an explosion with with strawberries, blackberries, cassis, other forest berries, chocolate, tobacco, leather, forest floor. High complexity, intensity and precision. Ripe but not at all overripe. The structural frame handles the power well with sweet, round, smooth tannins and a well-integrated acidity.
Decanting: Needed 90 minutes in the decanter. At first the high alcohol was distrubing the party but with a good decant all the components were in perfect balance and the aromatic complexity increased significantly.
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6/21/2018 - fcs@macsimsllc.com wrote: 96 Points
What a great wine! Strong nose on opening with fruit and earth tones, some meat as it received more oxygen. Lots of berries on the front end, mild acidity, with integrated tannin and a long finish. Happy I bought a few of these.
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6/3/2018 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mostly similar to my previous notes, except that while it may be becoming smoother, the flavors are a little more muted. Still plenty of blackberry fruit, but less intense.
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5/28/2018 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
Previous notes from last year apply, except that this was showing quite a bit of hot alcohol on the finish, washing out the initial front-end attack of spicy blackberry core fruit out from underneath its would-be seamless delivery. Air helped quite a bit, but it still displayed as a hot-house jam-fest for a decent portion of consumption. Seemingly good quality, but distracted by the rocket fuel.
I’d recommend drinking now with a strong decant for at least an hour or so. Holding stored bottles may help, but I wonder if the booze will ever fully integrate.
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1/15/2018 - Geoff Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular wine with tremendous nose, of dark fruit, tannins present but resolving, powerful, but not offensive, pure, linear, very well made, long long finish. The only thing keeping this from a perfect score is that there are no secondary flavor developments. Very linear. Beautiful wine.
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1/6/2018 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 95 Points
Excellent. Needs a few more years.
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10/4/2017 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blackberry and plum with pepper and spice. A little jammy and hot, otherwise would have been a great wine like some of the other vintages.
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7/29/2017 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
More or less consistent with our last bottle from 2015 - but things have settled down. The wine still strikes me as a hypothetical cross between an old-world CdP and an Aussie fruit bomb, but the tannins have now resolved enough that a long decant isn't necessary.
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7/8/2017 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Rich, delicious blackberry fruit with black olive, earth, and spice flavors, very smooth and vicious, excellent structure, long finish, great wine
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6/14/2017 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful
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6/3/2017 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Similar to my notes from September, except that overall I feel as though this wine is smoothing out quite a bit. This is fine, but it also flattens out some of the more concentrated flavors I've come to enjoy from Saxum. Those who are waiting this wine out to be a balanced, domesticated animal, wait no further. PnP was a little tight with black raspberry and alcohol hitting you at first. But a total of three hours in the decanter gave it a silky, more approachable demeanor. Some darker fruit emerged, as well as some spice and pepper on the back end.
My favorite moment with this wine was about 30 minutes into it, when the higher toned fruit had deepened, but with still some power to keep the hedonistic side rolling through. A fine wine to be sure; I just don't know that I'd wait around all that long before popping the cork (at least for those who like Justin's wines to have a little kick and power). If you like them smooth and softer, then you still have some time.
Drink now and over the next couple of years.
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5/5/2017 - ELH wrote: 92 Points
With this bottle, the Mourvedre asserted itself more and more with time.
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2/24/2017 - rpk99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just great stuff, supple, balanced to a tee. Just wonderful stuff without being very overbearing.
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1/13/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
Slow ox'd for 4 hours before pouring, dark berry on the nose, the palate is swirling flavors of blackberry, plum, red meat and an apple pie. The finish was long and flavorful. I think it can develop more so I will put my other bottles away for a while. Just an awesome wine.
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9/16/2016 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Lazy Bear Restaurant SF (San Francisco): Paired with a grilled lamb chop (covered in redwood needles). This piece of meat was cooked beautifully, with the fat rendered perfectly. The flavors were not as interesting as the previous squab dish, but the lamb certainly went fine with the wine.
This showing of the Saxum Booker was much better than the one I had back in June. This was a PnP, which was a perfect service for this wine. (I decanted it back in June, and I felt like I might have given it too much air over the course of a few hours back then). This time, the wine had a great spicy and purple/black/huckleberry "pop" that really elevated the wine. I actually preferred this wine as a stand-alone; the dish was fine, but the wine was so complex, that it highlighted some of the simplistic flavors in the lamb dish.
96 solid points for me, and probably the WOTN (though the Realm Sauvignon Blanc we had previously was pretty spectacular).
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6/25/2016 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
PnP with notes of ripe blackberry, stewed plum, asphalt, and some charcuterie. More ripe than expected. Tannins had integrated well, with layers of deep black and ripe red fruit flavors. Reminded me of a 2010 SQN Five Shooter Syrah in that it was a little over-ripe and carried the stewed plum and leather notes just a hair further than I would have preferred.
Still, a very good Syrah. Served alongside a 2010 Carlisle Sonoma Syrah and a Tor Reserve ROCK Syrah. The Saxum bested both by a long shot.
Drink now and over the next 3+ years.
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4/3/2016 - Rosengoo wrote: 95 Points
This bottle was decanted for just over three hours at a local restaurant. The was was clear and a very deep hue of purple in colour. With a strong nose of dark berries and some pepper, this wine was was in fine form tonight. Some flavours of blueberries and black currant were augmented by a good level of spiciness. The acidity and tannins were strong but not overbearing. This wine had a great, long finish.
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2/14/2016 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to my previous notes. Very thick almost syrupy texture. Blackberry and other dark fruit flavors, which may be fading a little compared to previous bottles, with some caramel and a little spice and smoke. Long lingering finish.
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2/14/2016 - sbfireman wrote: 95 Points
I can't be bummed I drank now but I would have been stoked to wait and see where she goes.... PnP with earthy tones, leather and fruit. Not jumbled - a well oiled jazz band playing the classics
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1/14/2016 - ELH wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured at BYO. Needed about ten minutes to settle down. Powerful, intense, dark, fruit. At first, a somewhat unruly contest between the Syrah (81%) and the Mourvedre (19%). As the evening wore on, it evolved in the glass, with greater integration. Drinkable now but a lot of potential bottle life left.
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1/10/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
A saxum tasting at Cooking School (ICASI): While the 10 JBV was shut down, this was doing ok. PnP, I would still prefer to give it some air. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, vanilla and smoked meats. Full bodied. On the palate this is very deep. It unwinds a bit in the glass but it seems like there is a lot more here to unwind. Great texture. Powerful yet ethereal. Lots of black raspberry fruit, gamy meats and licorice. Long finish. Worked great with food.
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1/6/2016 - Lord Rodney wrote: 93 Points
A little primitive - but the style of fruit is a winner
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11/15/2015 - jeagle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted with Linne Calodo and Booker Winery, same vineyard and vintage. The wines were decanted the night before, returned to the bottle after 8 hours, then consumed 9 to 12 hours later. Saxum was the darkest and most heavily perfumed of the three. It was also the most aggressive and least integrated changing in the glass more dramatically than the others. Impressive depth at mid-palate but still a bit clumsy. All three wines showed brilliantly with a sure handed appreciation for one of California's finest vineyards.
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7/7/2015 - mmmmWine Likes this wine: 97 Points
97-98 pts. Fantastic well balanced wine for its age. Can't wait to open another bottle in a couple years.
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7/5/2015 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tremendous wine with great Syrah notes, fresh fruit, moderate tannins, long finish, very enjoyable to drink.
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5/24/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
81% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre. Dark ruby. Heady Rhonish aromas. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry and spice. Very long, excellent depth, rich hedonistic mouthfeel. Great concentration and focus.
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5/20/2015 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Better on night two so if say hold for a bit.
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5/14/2015 - Redguy wrote:
Decanted 22 hours. From memory, high quality dark fruits lead the way in this well balanced and compelling youngster. Obviously full bodied and heavily fruited but also somehow maintaining that Saxumesque sense of overriding elegance, almost as if guiding the bulk with feminine guile. Lots of room to shed some fruit, gain some complexity, and ratchet up the charm, I plan to wait a few years for the next but we'll see.
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4/25/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruit, licorice and raisin on the nose. Good balance, structure and power. Dark fruit, spice and beef blood finishing it off. Booker is always one of my favorite Saxums and this doesn't disappoint.
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4/18/2015 - jshufelt wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for three hours before service, and probably could have used at least another three. In the glass, dark, saturated red. On the nose, a mix of crushed red fruit, grenache liqueur, and iodine. On the palate, a cross between an Australian fruit bomb and an old-school CdP, with substantial tannins arriving on the mid-palate and staying for the long finish. This worked fine with bold food (steak and chimichurri), but I can't imagine it working with much else. On the other hand, it did have some elements of complexity that have been absent in other Saxum's I've tried. Who knows where this is going in the future...
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4/2/2015 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Guys Dinner (Wildfire Chicago): At Wildfire with the guys.
More saturated fruit - completely opaque and extremely dense.
Very weighty - the biggest of the line up that evening.
Sexy round and opulent nose. Completely fruit driven. Needs some time to settle in.
Lots going on - almost too much at this time.
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3/30/2015 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 97 Points
Insanely good wine. Had at a Rhone Ranger dinner with pork and steak. Deep, rich, light spices. A very brooding wine with tons of depth and structure. Not really mature yet (drank young) but this bottle could hold another 5+ years easily. Very pleasurable.
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3/19/2015 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Limited notes after bringing to group dinner. Floral, game, cedar. Really good bottle.
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11/28/2014 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
Big one, quite young.
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11/25/2014 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 96 Points
i l o v e t h i s w i n e
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10/4/2014 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Cassis, blueberry puree in a rich, creamy, super silky package; blueberry cream comes to mind. Normally not at all my style but what can you say. Very well done, although I like the James Berry better.
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8/19/2014 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 98 Points
Not much too add to my previous note. I love this wine! So smooth, with lots of fruit but not overpowering. I noticed the bacon and wild game flavors tonight that some others have mentioned. The 15.9% alcohol is almost unnoticeable! except in its effects. I wish I had more than just 7 more bottles of this!
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5/7/2014 - cadamson wrote: 87 Points
Maybe I need to quit drinking. All of these big wines that are supposed to be awesome are... marginal. Well made? yes. Make a statement? Yes. But really? Good fruit, a bit of spice here and there. However, where is the long term interest? What does it make one ponder other than losing the ability to ponder? Anyway, this one is not bad by any means, but it certainly is not ethereal. Just a big wine, with good fruit, lots of alcohol, makes you take notice. But c'mon people, I call BS on all these other 'notes of blah, blah and blah'. Such complexity is not there, it is just not.
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4/7/2014 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 97 Points
See previous notes. Very majestic and honestly my favorite of the '10s, with James Berry being a very close second. I adore the blueberry qualities and subtle entry.
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3/2/2014 - mrmedoes Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fruits, a little bacon and some Mourvèdre funk. Tannins are starting to integrate, especially with air. Really should sit for another 5 or so years. I'm not sure that the average CT is indicative of the quality (as of right now, it is up at 95.3).
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1/17/2014 - wineberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Send-off in Style (Bourbon Steak, DC): Thought this couldn't keep up with the '10 SQN Syrah next to it. Tight, huge and it shows it, black fruit, bacon. Needed a decant but didn't get too much of one, however the leftovers opened up more the next day. Still didn't have the finesse and outstanding balance of the SQN though.
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12/23/2013 - gr8r84u wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with others notes. Tapped with Coravin directly into glass. Thick syrupy and delicious. Tastes like more.
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12/13/2013 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow!!! One of the best wines that I have ever had! Dark thick velvety almost syrupy texture, with tastes that include lots of dark fruit and some coffee, and aromas that include the dark fruits and caramel on the nose. 15.9 % alcohol, yet the alcohol is barely noticeable.
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11/22/2013 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is the ultimate torrent of flavor. I am ensconced in blonde coffee, mulberry, tree resin, blueberry and beef stew. Long and herbs de Provence on the finish, then showing judicious definition on every floor of the palate. Aristocratic in form and flamboyant in nuance, I am utterly in love with this Syrah. There is an abyss that will ultimately draw you in. Epiphanous. Drink 2016 - 2031.
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11/6/2013 - Jonathan T wrote: 93 Points
Decanting is absolutely mandatory for this wine at this stage. Even with decanting, it was still is a massive wine, virtually impenetrable, and very tightly wound. This is a dark, intense, serious syrah with deep black fruits, wild game and finishes with a hint of bitter root vegetables (perhaps radish?). One taster compared the finish to a hoppy IPA. I find this note on many Paso Robles wines with Mouvedre in the blend. It also seems that many tasters either love it or hate it. This is obviously an extremely well made wine, but tonight this wine is not my style. I don't typically open a Saxum this young. Give this another decade of bottle age. Also, this wine had the misfortune of being tasted so soon after an utterly beautiful '03 Alban Reva was burned into my memory.
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8/24/2013 - Justin B wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for a few hours. Then drank wonderfully over a two hour dinner at Searsucker in San Diego near Del Mar, CA. Wine of the night.
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7/12/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very young but powerful and multidimensional. Just a winemaker who is on a roll. These are so rich without being heavy. Needs 1 day of air if you open now.
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5/18/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Silky smooth, nice extraction and balance. Great texture for such a young wine, I think another 3-4 years it will be singing.
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4/20/2013 - S R U D I N wrote: 97 Points
Brilliant wine, could be one of the greats in a few years. Jah Bless 4/20
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3/14/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great silkiness, huge flavor, needs some time in the decanter or age, but wow so good. Saxum is a consistent winner.
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