Agree with recent positive notes. Beautifully integrated and pleasant on the palate. Expressive nose and long, enjoyable finish. This note is from a magnum so from that perspective, there are many years left in this wine.
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Flat bottom decant for two hours really singing, Not overpowering in mouthfeel as some Saxums can do , this wine has aged nicely and was a beautiful pairing for a Roasted Chicken, emphasizing the spices of the chicken's seasoning. THiswine will contiunue to softenbeautifully and can be enjoyed now or inthe next few years.
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This shows it’s size and scale and is starting to dry out a bit mid palate. Still—a great example in the style. Very spicy with a strong white pepper note with a little game and meat. Fruit is developing and no longer primary. I would drink up—but that’s just my opinion.
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I had opened the bottle three hours before dinner and poured through vintorio. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat, tree bark and hints of spice. The finish goes on and on and on. It was a perfect accompaniment to the Jets upset win over the Eagles.
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At 13 years of age this bottle was rocking. Notes of smoked meat, dark fruits and licorice. Paired with Traeger smoked ribs and was perfect. This bottle has a long life ahead but is drinking well now.
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Summer and Fall 2022 Wine Adventures (Corolla, NC & Three Rivers, MI & Dogwood Grove, VA): Unlike the ’11 Booker, this one seemed to be a bit longer in the tooth, although like the Papera, it was consumed at the beach which isn’t always the best spot for pondering complex vino. Black fruits on the palate and floral elements on the nose, along with a more austere herbal and peppery character.
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Opaque red, very slight fading at the edges. Aromas of blackberry and cherry. Intense yet polished on the palate with dark fruits. Smoked meats, blackberry, hint of cherry, warm spices. The small amount of Petite Sirah is noticeable on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, bright acidity, wonderful balance. With air it becomes brighter with a bit of anise and pepper. Finishes long and smooth with blackberry notes. 63% Syrah; 19% Mourvedre; 13% Grenache; 3% Petite Sirah. 15.3% ABV but not hot. Should drink well for another 10 years. Even at 12 years old it may have some improvement in front of it.
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Broken Stones continues to drink very well with notes similar to my tasting, cassis, saddle leather, mocha, and little spice with well integrated tannins. Paired very nicely with grilled Wagyu steaks. Just another great wine from Saxum.
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I enjoyed this more than my previous bottle. Lots of red and dark fruit, massive structure, but balanced. I still think this is too pricey for what it is.
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Broken Stones continues to drink very well with notes similar to my tasting last summer, cassis, saddle leather, mocha, and little spice with well integrated tannins.
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Well the trend seems to be continuing into the New Year for Broken Stones and that is a broken cork . I had opened the bottle three hours before dinner pushed the cork through then decanted through a vinturi.. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat.. The finish goes on and on and on. This bottle like the one we drank last year was missing some of the vibrancy that it had showed in the past, some of the flavors were just a little muted. I do have a few bottles of the 2010 left and i will probably consume them later this year providing I can find them in my disorganized mess of a cellar.
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Slow ox for one hour. This is out of the gate fantastic. Lovely violets with a little roast meat on the nose. Full bodied, packed with flavor but elegant and not heavy at all at the same time. Layers of flavor culminating in a long finish. This is still youthful and can continue to age for ten years plus.
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Second time in a year opening a Saxum that I have had a cork break. I had opened the bottle three hours before dinner pushed the cork through and let it slow ox.. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat.. The finish goes on and on and on. This bottle like the one we drank last year was missing some of the vibrancy that it had showed in the past, some of the flavors were just a little muted. Maybe an off bottle for a Saxum but still a really good bottle of wine.
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Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with mouth-staining concentration. On the nose, I get blackberry tart, dark chocolate, some heat, cast-iron pan, ash, and orange zest. In the mouth, this is a lush and full wine displaying assorted dark fruits with some coiled energy – there is a sensation similar to fresh coffee throughout. The finish is chewy with a mixture of black and red fruits; the tannins are fully absorbed. Overall, this is a nice Saxum showing the classic, pleasurable traits of a full-throated PR red. 91 points.
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Rich and delicious. Beautiful, slightly reticent nose of dark fruits and earth. The palate had big dark fruits, charcoal, meat and smoke in a rich, complex meld that finished with a medium to long finish. This wine had a balanced feel with noticeable acidity and just a hint of smooth tannins. The alcohol was beautifully handled and barely felt. I just couldn't get enough and had to fight off my son for the last taste.
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I apparently didn't know I had this vintage or added in error to another vintage. Had this for Thanksgiving dinner with Prime Rib. Went very well. Cork stained deep dirty purple and was longer than most producers, which I appreciate for aging purposes. Blended wine, approaching the quality of french wines such as CdP's, and couldn't detect the syrah right off from the start. medium bodied wine, high octane also, but you won't be able to tell until you stand up to head to the bathroom. Kept getting better and deeper, and the mouthfeel was dense, even though the fruit was still emerging. Partial to this producer, Alban, and also Tensley. Wasn't what I term a 'bright' wine, which I usually attribute to the presence of Grenache, but it was just lurking a bit on the finish. Think this one was ready with some air, and could have been even better day two, but I think it could age even more, say uo to 5 years. Recommended.
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Purple in color. 15.3% ABV. 63% Syrah, 19% Mourvedre, 15% Grenache and 3% Petite Sirah. Spellbinding nose of blue and black fruits, molten licorice, menthol and lavender. Full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Impeccable balance. Incredibly plush and concentrated with layers upon layers of gorgeous fruit. Blueberry, black raspberry, charred meats and pepper on the palate. The finish is long and supple. Just a killer wine that is aging brilliantly. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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Our club had its Labor Day BBQ and Fireworks show and to me Saxum and BBQ are a perfect marriage. This bottle was not as good as the bottle I had two months ago. Something was lacking. The first hint was that the cork broke upon extraction and I have never in all the years I am drinking Saxum have had a cork break. I opened the bottle one hour before dinner. and threw it in a decanter. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat.. The finish went on and on and on. I guess some of the flavors were just lacking. Also I noticed that when sipped alone it was a little dull. it took food to get this bottle singing. Maybe an off bottle for a Saxum but still a really good bottle of wine.
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Didn't have much time to decant but still drank beautifully with notes of cassis, saddle leather, mocha, and little spice all interwoven in a harmonious balance with tightly knit tannins. Long satisfying finish. Saxum never disappoints!
Saxum and BBQ just a great marriage. We went to Connecticut for a soically distanced bbq at my wife's sisters house. I opened the bottle three hours before dinner. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose, the palate was dark berries, charred meat, tobacco, cedar and hints of chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine. On the nose, I get blackberry, strawberry, and some cut stone. In the mouth, this is really rich with some nice salt, sweetness, and spice. The finish leaves some lingering dark fruit. Overall, this is an honest and enjoyable Paso blend. Good stuff. 92 points.
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PNP straight from the cellar late In dinner. This is the best way for me to enjoy Saxum with the octane throttled back by cellar temp and not too much air. Wine was very good although 3am dehydration and morning hangover were awful
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of potpourri, cassis, plums and a hint of lavender. Rich flavors of black cherries, plums and black raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Pop and pour. Very accessible right away with deeply extracted black fruit and licorice with nice minerality. Beautiful wine, drink now because tannins are fading.
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Big bold Syrah. Someone mentioned it is 100% Syrah, but it was a blend which makes more sense. Had this out of a decanter at room temp after 2 or 3 hours. Not as complex and I was expecting. Acid is lower and the wine itself is bolder and higher abv. It is fun to taste and would be great with food. It is a long finish and the tannins are still there. The finish had a funk, like burnt bbq, wood, possibly graphite or coffee. Hard to place. Put this note in to share that the finish is interesting and unique. May be a 93 or 94 due to the unique finish that is hard to describe.
Really needed 3 hour decant as the tannins are edgy otherwise. Also benefitted from an excellent pairing with steak. Fruit is dark and deep without being overblown for Paso. Overall my experience with this label is favorable but question the QPR. Rather buy Carlisle and Myriad/Quivet for my domestic syrahs.
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Another great bottle of Saxum, from a magnum opened seven hours before dinner and then poured over two hours. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose, the palate was dark berries, charred meat, tobacco, cedar and hints of chocolate. The finish went on and on and on. Our group decided that this was a bottle that should be in a Steven King novel (i am a big King fan) like the short story "Cookie Jar" as I only bought one magnum of the Broken Stones from the 2010 vintage and we drank it at our Halloween dinner in 2016 and somehow it reappeared. Well it was awesome and I hope it reappears again.
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Drinking well now, aromatic, smells of red raspberry and cherry, herbs, cranberry and plum, big and full, the acid balanced this well, flavors of cacao, cherry, blackberry, raspberry and dried ginger, very complex, very delicious, rich, nice without food, engaging
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A whopping big wine as expected. Opened with expected sweetness with lots of yin and yang and great balance. Got better over 2 hours and became bigger and started throwing creosote and traces of tobacco. Very satisfying and hard to finish. This is a nice expression of Paso Robles fruit. I like this right where its at and would not age it much longer, it may take away its mojo...Drink
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Very smooth with notes of smoke, dark berry, and chocolate. Good balance and long finish. Lacking somewhat of the complexity of the 2011 version, but still drinking quite well. This bottle seemed to be in the later part of its drinking window because not much was left on day two.
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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: Black currant, blueberries, earth and some heat on the nose. Like all Broken Stones more red fruit on the palate, along some blue fruit, some eucalyptus notes bringing in an additional layer of freshness. Again, soft tannins, good freshness but only medium palate weight, intensity, complexity and length. Almost all Broken Stones wines showed almost no minerality/earthy component, little terroir expression. A tad above the 2011, 2009 and 2008. Only edged out by a narrow margin by the 2007 with all the weight of the perfect vintage. No decant needed.
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disappointing, not a bad wine, just fell short of two other Paso Syrah's that we drank over the last two days. A Booker fracture 95pts, and a Torrin 95pts blew the saxum away. In addition, a 2013 Carlisle Montafi zin at a third the cost was much better 93pts.
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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: Marginally cooler fruit,t still jammy but not that sweet. Some spices and herbs. Full bodied with a tigh strucutre.
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Decanted for 5 hours prior to opening, this clear and dark red wine originally had a tinge of mustiness on the nose when opened. By the time it was poured, this was gone but there really wasn't much of a bouquet at all. When tasted, I found dark cherries, dark berries and a bit of a hot finish. The tannins were quite strong and the acidity was at a good level. Finally, the wine did have a small sour endings. This was still a good wine but not great tonight.
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This was a tad below what I expect from a Saxum. Full-bodied and good fruit, yet lacking the complexity that I have found in other vintages of Broken Stones. Can still age 5+ years, although I am not sure if that will be beneficial.
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Took to a five course tasting menu and the wine sort of stole the show -- each course picked up a different element of the wine, which evolved throughout the dinner, e.g. the vichyssoise with crumbles of potatoes and bacon highlighted the savory, earth and smoke, notes of the wine. A memorable evening.
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Decanted for 2 hrs then back in the bottle to drink later, deep ruby, blueberry with some pepper, med. tannins, long finish; delicious & has now entered its drinking window, but no rush
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Decanted for 30 minutes and drank over 2 hours. A touch less concentrated and interesting than the 2011. This still featured smoke, minerals, and a long finish.
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This bottle was graciously open by my friend Tom Lee. Layered and complex wine, showing young even at 8yrs in. Layers of dark berry fruit with plenty of savory notes follow by a cool reduced orange peel, some baking spices, a bit of green astringency on the mid palate that went away with time and aggressive swirling. Glycerin on the powerful palate with generous ripe fruits and an extended finish but held together with good acid structure. Delicious now but will improve with time in the bottle or a long decant. Was tamed by various meats from the bbq. (side note the wax seal seemed to have TCA but he cork and the wine were sound. Very interesting and something i'd never experienced before. Glad it wasn't spoiled)
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I agree with tannic monster. The CT ratings must be on reputation. This wine is barely above average. I like other vintages and wines of Saxum but not this one. I have no hope this will ever come together. Saving my remaining bottles with little to no hope
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This was decanted for several hours and never opened up. The nose was boring and restrained. It had no real personality or charm...very one dimensional. It had a nice plush mouth feel and an attractive rich body but other than that not much else. I just don't get it. CT 93.6? C'mon really?
This is not a re-purchase for me, not good QPR. Its huge and heavy and required decanting even after having been opened for a few hours. Lots of dark fruit and some graphite. Packs a long finish.
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Stunning wine to drink on day four on the cruise before heading to Jamie’s by Jamie Oliver abroad the Harmony of the Seas. Deep ruby red with medium edges. Rich and savory on the nose with notes of black olives, crushed rocks, cinnamon, pencil shavings and dark berries. Medium and well integrated tannins (6.5/10) with a medium plus body. Delicious palate with notes of sweet spices, tobacco, dark extracted plums, woody and some graphite. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2025.
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Bannister/WX/BS Dinner (S.K.Y.): Rich and opulent. Plums and rich smokey oak. Palate is bold and robust with fatty meat and more blackberries, road tar and Asian spice. Showing a touch of age but still ever so big and bold on the back end.
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Decanted at restaurant for approx 1 hour, paired with a bone-in ribeye. The balance between fruit, tannins and acid changes throughout dinner, fruit forward in the beginning, then the acid took over, then back to fruit, then got tannic. I think I should have double decanted this and gave it more air to settle down. Overall, good high quality made wine. Right at it’s price point in my opinion.
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Ripe blackberry, licorice, savory olive notes. Plush and full bodied, but has plenty of underlying firmness to keep this from being flabby. This has improved with age- the best bottle yet!
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Stellar Paso Robles non blind tasting. Opened for an hour then tasted over four hours with cheeses and meats. No formal notes taken at the time. Hugely aromatic nose. Wonderful from first sip to its long finish. Great fruit, oak and structure. Consistent, wonderful, should be terrific for years to come but extremely enjoyable now .
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Another great bottle of Saxum, opened three hours before dinner and then poured though a vintorio. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose, the palate was dark berries, charred meat, tobacco, cedar and hints of chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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This was muted last night. Delicious fruit flavor with a bit of spice. This lacked the palate penetration of James Berry and the length. Balance was very good.
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My first Saxum, and outstanding. I agree with others, this one is still young. Decanted for 2 hours but continued to evolve/open up over the next 2 hours. Starts with some wonderful fruit, many layers and solid finish. I'll try to go another year before trying again.
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I hoped this wine had finally come around. Drank over several days...I guess the problem is that it has no finesse. It's BIG, but not necessarily a joy to drink. Rather effortful, actually. I am slowly stepping off the Saxum bandwagon...
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Huge wine, starting to move into the drinking window. Seemed a bit muted on initial pour, opens up quite a bit with 45 min of air. Drink with decant or continue to hold.
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A little light and elengant (but not in a bad way) by Saxum standards. Dark blueberry & raspberry. Darker than motor oil. Grilling herbs. Med low tannin. Med acid. Really nice.
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Very nicely balanced Rhone blend with telltalle moke and meat notes lifted up and rounded by bright fruit. Tannins well integrated at this point. Smooth, luscious finish.
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This time around, we decanted for four hours - but obtained more or less the same result as our last bottle. Fruit-centric without being a fruit bomb, if that makes any sense.
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had with lamb. went well. nice pepper on the finish. a little heat on the nose but none noticed when drinking. maybe a little much red fruit in the middle without matching acid. Solid wine overall.
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The second red of our memorial day buffet. You just can't go wrong with a Saxum. I opened the wine 5 hours before dinner. Dark fruit on the nose, the palate was intertwining layers of berries, plums, red meat, wood and coffee. The long Saxum finish goes on and on.
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Pnp, drank over 2 hours. First hour was tight, minimal nose, & tasting it showed some fruit. At 1 hour mark it became SO much better - beautiful fruit emerged & smoother, less tannic. But towards the 2nd hour it closed back down. Give this one a longer decant, or better yet hold.
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Dark juice, good acids, spice, and a pleasant touch of bitterness to balance it all out.
It’s great to drink this from 55 degrees up through 65 degrees. It presents slightly differently throughout. Those flavors with this level of richness shoudl by all rights be slightly murky, but at 58 degrees, it’s clear as a bell. Even at 65 degrees, when the texture softens and thickens slightly, this is still very drinkable and delicious.
But it’s much better just a few degrees cooler! This is something that I feel not enough attention is paid to. At 66 degrees you’ll like this wine, but you might wonder why you paid so much money for it. At 59 degrees, it’s worth every dollar.
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Well I'm confused. I didn't love this day one or two, especially for $90+. Grapey notes in the nose with cracked pepper, blueberry, and acid notes. Seemed not Syrah, for a Rhone blend.
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Had for Thanksgiving. Needs and extended decant and I gave it only an hour. Started showing a peek of its depth at hour 2-3. Delicious even in its youth.
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From a magnum which i opened 8 hours before my guests arrived and then two hours before I decanted half through a vinturi. This is a massive wine with layers of fruit that open up as the evening progressed, berry, cherry, sandalwood, red plums all hinged with a touch of Asian spices and yes the finish goes on and on and on. Served alongside the 5th course of the evening which was a lemon and olive crusted leg of lamb.
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Black fruits with cracked pepper and spice initially. As it opened, charcoal and a musty earthiness come through. Rich, thick fruit on the palate, but enough complexity that it never is reduced to a fruit bomb. No hard edges. Alcohol content noticeable in effect, if not on the taste. Softer, yet still pleasant, on the second day.
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really great, smooth as silk up front then the berry flavors come in mid palate and through the finish. Nice long finish with great balance. THis will be awesome in about 3 years...
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The promise of my last bottle continues to mature in my latest bottle. The smoke, grilled meat, blackberry and licorice flavors have blended together seamlessly.
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A brambly forest floor nose. Deep dark berries. A hint of vanilla. Amazingly well integrated tannins but still a tightness.A gamey fruit flavor with some spice box. Not a huge wine but still pretty big.
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A little up in the air here. Not sure what this wine is. Big intense fruit on day one. A bit more relaxed, but dominated by smokey note on day two. Not in a bad way, but this did not show much in the way of complexity or structure. Hold until 2019-2020 time frame.
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Massive. Huge. Brooding. 15%+ alcohol. Immense. Thick. Did I mention it was big? Not a wine to be drunk w/o food. Just too big. Its fun and its enjoyable but its a very specific style. Not a ton of nuance because its just so darn big. Think there is no choice but to wait 5-10 and see if this settles into some sort of calming period. Right now just an in your face wine without much discretion.
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Opened over night then decanted for 3 hrs, crimson, blue & blackberries, with a touch of spice, mod. tannins, long finish, delicious, but still young (drink with a very long decant)
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Needs a 3 hour decant to open. Very floral nose, complex dark fruits, spice, black tea, mineral. Heat is evident with warming and air. Great wine. Drink or hold.
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This is the second Saxum I've tasted, so don't have a lot to reference. But we enjoyed this bottling, more for the layer upon layer of fruit, secondary cocoa, spice, and nuance.. This one was blended with deft touch, and I prefer that. Less of the big fruit Saxum, which may draw some of the complaints on lower rated comments than expectations? I didn't have those expectations, and really enjoyed this bottling. So did our dinner guests. It's a big price to pay granted, and we can't afford to buy these all the time. Nice treat from time to time!
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I rate a 93 but this was a bit underwhelming from what I expect from Saxum. Definitely a good wine but not the style I normally expect from a Saxum. Still a 93 though :)
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Our first Saxum. It's very good, but was hoping / expecting more given the build up, buzz, reputation and previous reviews. It's well integrated and the blue and black fruit is working very well with medium-softer tannins and oak. Thing is, we'd like a bit more complexity. A bit more layers. It's not one-dimensional, but for the money, we expected more. We scored a Limerick Lane higher this week, and at one-third the price. This wine will probably improve for several more years, and drink well for 8-10.
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We took this bottle to enjoy with my wife and a great friend at Anthony's in LV. We were going to be at a tasty burger and upscale appetizer place to watch the Packers playoff game. The wine was quite enjoyable as was the food. The O.T. packer loss was the bummer. We all three agreed that this wine went best with the jalapeño burger. Great stuff that we probably should have cellared longer as it did continue to improve with air over two hours.
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A saxum tasting at Cooking School (ICASI): Just a bit better than the 08, but this seemed to really need some air or time. It kept improving with vigorous swirling but I think a day or two later would be a point or two better. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, charred meats, slightly gamy, and black pepper. Also a bit of floral notes. On the palate, there is a nice acidity. Really tight layering that unwinds, just a bit, in the glass. Lots of boysenberry fruit. Worked great with Chocolate Creme Brulee. Nice finish. Lots of upside here.
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This bottle was drank at a local Asian fusian restaurant with 15 minutes of decanting. It was clear and deep purple in colour. With a ton of red cherries and vanilla on the nose as well as in the glass, this wine was in a great spot tonight. It also had some chocolate flavours to it. The spiciness and acidity levels were just to my liking as well. This wine also had a noticeable long finish to it.
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Had with Wallis's. This is a bruiser. Decanted for 9 hours which was barely enough, would have preferred 12-24 hours. Great but think it needs several years to mellow out.
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Monthly group Holiday tasting (Il Foro): Consumed a glass of this at a tasting party. The bottle was decanted for about 7 hours. I did not get a lot out of this beyond pepper and firm tannin. The gentlemen who brought the bottle agreed and said it reminded him of Petit Verdot. I believe that is an accurate description for this bottle. It was clearly a well-made wine, just maybe it was in a shut-down state. I've had this wine before in earlier vintages and it has been wonderful.
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Annual Christmas Wine Dinner and Cellar Raid (Naperville, IL): Didn't take detailed notes. Part of Christmas wine dinner and cellar raid. I loved this wine, but not as impressive as some of the others. On it's own it would have stood out much more
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Balanced wine but nothing spectacular. Tasted best when paired with broiled lamb steak. Not a pop and pour delight...took about 30-40 min decant before opening up some.
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Very much a berry bomb, medium bodied, and hiding the alcohol well. Pretty well integrated at this point...enjoyed more this time around than last year's bottle.
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Blend of 63% Syrah 19% Mourvedre 15% Grenache 3% Petite Syrah. Dark fruit, blackberries, peppery, garrigue-like, but softened and sweetened by the Grenache. Needed about 30 minutes in a glass decant to settle down.
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Birthday evening wine with friends. Decanted ~2 hours. Rich opaque syrah color with some garnet. Fabulous on the nose with black rasberry, some spice box and pepper. Full bodied but not heavy with great mouth feel - don't get the alcohol at all. Transitions nicely with lots of fruit but not sweet or jammy. Long finish. Improved over the evening - still young.
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I was pleasantly surprised at how much I really enjoyed this Broken Stones. Not only does it taste like a signature Saxum wine, but it's a great representation of what Paso Robles wines can/should be. The nose was macerated raspberries surrounded by floral notes of lavender and herbs de Provence. On the palate it was silky and dense, but wasn't overwhelming with the fruit and alcohol. It was comforting and certainly deserved to be paired with rich comfort food. Braised short ribs come to mind.
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Drank over 2 days. Opened, decanted, drank half the bottle, and decanted the rest into an empty half bottle for day 2. A little disjointed on day 1- The notes are from the second day.
Deep, glass-coating, garnet-black color. Lots of secondary depth on the nose- led by cherry and cassis fruit, with dried lavender, spice and melted stone. Good depth but somewhat reserved. High intensity and concentration on the palate, complimented by very fine precision, balance and finesse. Showing a deep depth of fruit- plum, blackberry and red apple skin, along with mocha & cedar, rocky minerality, spring flowers and clove. Nicely balanced medium acidity emerged on day 2, along with big round polished tannins throughout. Finishes big with lots of depth of black fruit, flowers and minerality. A compelling wine, but needs 4-5 years before getting anywhere near a drinking window. If you're opening now- I'd open, decant, return to bottle 24 hours in advance of drinking.
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decanted four hours. Rebottled and drank three hours later. Just beginning to open up. Heat on nose but no indication on the tongue. Multiple layers to this beauty.
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The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black pepper, oak, blackberry, forest floor and stems. It tastes like blackberry, forest floor, oak and stems. The body is full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Not fully developed yet, but much more integrated than the bottle we had about a year and a half ago. Smooth, multi layered complexity, good acidity leading to a juicy dark fruit profile, lively tannins. Will be hard to keep our hands off the rest. People who appreciate this fruit forward Cali style will love these. We get smoky, dark fruit, olive, cola, Syrah flavors followed by the red fruit, spicy Grenache, the Mourvedre/Petite Syrah round it out. Served at cellar temp, pop n poured during the Final Four. Opens in an hour or two. Drinks best in the first three to four hours or so and then goes more mineral and tannic.
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This wine was drank at Morton's steak house with no decanting. It was clear and quite a deep purple in colour. The nose had quite a bit of grape jam to it along with some caramel. These two smells also were in my tasting notes. I found this wine to be quite low on tannins and acidity and the alcohol level felt lower that it actually is. Quite an enjoyable wine tonight.
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This was drank at home using the Coravin. The wine was slightly cloudy and mostly ruby red in colour with some purple tinges to it and there were red cherries and blueberry jam on the nose. In the glass was a wine that had those same cherry flavours mixed in with a noticeable amount of tobacco and chocolate tastes. The acidity was very strong and the tannins were quite heavy as well. This wine tonight was overall a bit thin on taste but I assume it will get better over time. It may be a good idea to hold off on these for another year or so before drinking.
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Followed bobpsi's decanting schedule (open at noon, decant at 4, serve at 6), and was rewarded with similar results. In the glass, raspberry red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, loads of crushed red fruit and a floral note. On the palate, a blend of blueberries, raspberries, grenache liqueur, a bit of funk, a bit of smoke, and a bit of blood, with a silky texture and a tannic spine. This kept getting better as the evening went on...
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Opened at noon, decanted at 4 pm and served at 6 pm. Big nose of black and blue fruits, red flowers and ash. Balanced palate, mostly black fruits and floral notes with some subtle smoke beef notes. Firm tannins.
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For the lovers of the fruit bombs. It's Delicious and jammed packed with fruit and acidity and oak influences. However, components are not in harmony, as I would expect from high end wine.
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This bottle was decanted for 30 minutes at a local steakhouse. It was clear and ruby red in colour. The wine had a very strong nose of caramel that was even overpowering the bouquet of red cherries that was in the glass. The tannins and acidity were quite strong and all these factors lead me to believe that I should give these bottles some more time before opening them in the future.
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Decanted and immediately sipped over an hour. Still quite young but showing pretty good integration with red and blue fruit aromas and on the palate. Big Saxum style but not over the top. Saved a bit for next day and there was no noticeable oxidation and there was improvement.
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As my man Action Bronson would say, Fuck That's Delicious. Espresso and beef jerky on the nose, chocolate covered cherries with a long, smooth finish. Stupendous.
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I sure wish I knew some of you Saxum lovers. I would love to barter! I just don’t get the value here. This is very similar to Halcon. Don't get me wrong I really like Halcon but it costs $25.
This may be young but, wow, drinking exceptional. Very aromatic, floral with blackberry, beautifully balanced, silky and complex in palate and a finish that is well over 15 sec - 94+!
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PnP with dinner. Still very young and started to open up throughout the meal. Great layers of fruit and tight tannins. Glad I have more to age and try later.
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WTDS at Capital Grille (Mpls, MN): Purple red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was a big bruiser of a wine. Very big black fruits on the nose, quite herbal, a bit green, savory, roast meat, oak. The palate is dense and chewy, big bold black fruits, blackberry and black raspberry, oak, good acid, with a very long and invigorating finish. Balanced despite its alcohol content. My dad would just love this baby. 92+ to 93pts.
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Dark red. Drank over several hours but did not decant. Drank to celebrate my son's birthday. Black cherry preserves, rich,complex, well integrated tannins, and perfect acidity to bring this all together for the complete package. Everything is in balance. Drinking very well now but clearly going to do well for the next decade. Deserves all the hype it gets!
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Gave a ton (day +) of decanter-based air that really helped shed a little fat off of this, leading to an absolutely outstanding bottle. Syrah and a bit of mouvedre on the nose, leading to a nice rounded flavor profile, ultimately getting a great "cut" from grenache on the mid palate into a pleasing longer finish. Really tasty and perhaps my favorite of the '10 Saxums that I've had (everything but the JBV thus far).
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Decanted for 3 hours. Tar, diesel fuel and raw meats on nose. Big, bold flavors of blackberry, anise & fresh, dry herbs. Very N. Rhone like. High, round tannins. Powerful, long on palate 30 + seconds, with fine, white pepper & a touch of all spice. Stellar!
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I wanted to like this wine more than I did...perhaps because it is still a bit angular at this stage, with the fruit not fully integrated. A bit leaner than I expected, and I attribute this to youth. Certainly the fruit is there, but a few years in bottle may reveal more depth/complexity. Provisional score.
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It took an hour or so after opening to show its colors but it was a smooth, beautiful wine. Big fruit, but it's power was subtle. No heat and a long finish.
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Fantastic Broken Stones with a lot of dark fruit complexity. Tasted great out of the bottle after just going through the Vinturi aerator, continued to improve over dinner and even was even better the next day. I love how you can enjoy a bottle of Saxum over a few days. A couple of years will definitely help smooth this one out though as it is fairly full throttle now, with only a medium-long finish.
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Although very young, this wine knocked me out. Floral and raspberry nose is followed with rich blackberry, smoke, crushed rock and herb. Needs a few years and may get even better
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Flamboyant and sexy with intense red fruit. Expressive to the extreme, but no floozy. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to buy Saxum - this is the reason!
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Ripe but not overly so this had dark fruit in the nose with chocolate, cranberry and plum flavors backed up by a tannic kick. Needs two years to mellow.
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Very dark purple. Nose of coffee, blackberry. Dark fruits, coffee and spice on the palate. Medium mouthfeel. Long finish. This is a great example of a very concentrated fruit foward wine that is delicious because it is well balanced. Improved with some warming from cellar temp and air. Really delicious.
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Honestly, day one this was good, day two better and day three is when it sang. I did a pop n pour and recorked. Day two pop n pour and recorked. Day three i actually decanted it for a bit. Yummy.
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Open and poured. First sip was a bit hot, tannic but showed promise. Gave it about 30 minutes and wow! Got better as the dinner went on. Full body. Very silky. Aromas/Flavors of dark choc, mocha, raspberries & plums. Went very well with our steaks.
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Awesome Dinner with Friends (Erasmus, SQN, Saxum, Pride, Dehlinger++) (Out and about): This is about 63% Syrah IIRC, so it just barely fit the them. This is a big wine. The nose is great with raspberries, black raspberries, white pepper and slight candied notes. Great lovely slick but full texture. On the palate, this is ripe and slightly sweet red fruit. Very smooth. Of course young, but showing depth and complexity. Great wine.
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Decanted for about 90 minutes. Aroma is dark fruit and tar. Still pretty tannic, but you do still get the dark fruit, but it goes down without much other flavor.
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I sound like a broken record.... This is an amazing wine. Justin Smith is hitting on all cylinders. Ripe, balance and complex. Fantastical! The weight of this wine is substantial of make sure there is food to challenge it.... or just drink solo while watching football!!!! Drink while listening to Eden by Sara Bareilles on Brave or better yet watch live on my iphone's live recording from Troutdale, Oregon.
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Surprised by 2 friends dropping buy after already into the JLChave Silene. This wine slowed down the evening for appreciation. Didn't get heat on the nose and maybe a touch of pepper over time. Great balance and mouth feel - dark fruits and grilled meats. Had to check the bottle twice to believe it was 15.3% alcohol. Looking forward to the next bottle in less of a rush! Go find some if you don't have some.
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Opened 2-3 hours in advance. The beauty of this bottle is matched by its contents. I had debated whether the time was right...good/lucky guess on my part. Big and smooth with a long finish.
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Decanted for three hours. Eggplant and garnet, with a crimson rim. Mounds of wild dark berries, violets, braised turkey, sloes and scorched earth. Depth and nuance laden, she possess enough finesse and backbone to age for awhile. Evocative in its nature; once you place your nose in the glass it is an instant love affair. Chocolate essence is all part of this amazing blend. Drink 2014 - 2025. See previous notes.
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Pop and poured, the first glass was difficult. Port like with heat on the nose and the palate. Let it sit for an hour and started again. The nose is better with black raspberries, iodine, leather and grilled meats. Smoother if still monolithic on the palate. With more air, the nose becomes enticing and layered. Add some blueberries and black pepper to the mix. The palate smooths out as well. With about 4 hours of air, this is singing. No sign of alcohol or heat. Its gotten more lively as shows depth and nuances. Last glass after its been open for 7 hours I easily the best. Complex and smooth. Not over powering. Wonderful wine, but decant or wait.
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Violets and meat, then berry bliss. So much body and ripe, velvety tannins, with a silky ending. Full-bodied, and inextricably voluptuous. She is extroverted and smolderingly sultry. Drink 2014 - 2025.
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Opaque dark ruby/purple color, with dark berries and some floral on the nose. Rich red and dark fruit flavors, with some mocha and smoky tones, with silky tannins and a long smooth finish. Very nice!
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Day 1: showing herby, peppery and very ripe fruited, as one might expect. Slight melted vinyl, lots of vanilla oak, but tasty and aromatic - pretty much what you expect from the style.
Nine days later: showed better this time, with the fruit feeling ripe and exuberant, with less of the stewed fruit feel. It was pretty comparable to top wines from Alban and Pax that I've had in the past. 93-94
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A bit tight but I could tell it had potential if allowed to open for a few hours. I would really have loved to have some a second day. Unfortunately it did not last that long. The nose was a bit muted compared to some of the other wines we had but still nice.
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Day 2 is much better, deeper, more mellow and richer. Acids are more balanced. Red fruits emerge from the dominate blacks of day 1. The future of this wine should be great.
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Dark purple, red. Leathery, meaty nose. Lots of black fruit, ultra dry tannins, but smooth. Bright acidity. Very complex. Sharp early, after half hour started to smoothen out. 1 hour in, red fruit starts coming out. Very nice as long as you give it time.
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One hour decant. Excellent. Full of red and blue fruit, vanilla creme, earth, spice, rocks, complex and balanced. Long finish, silky texture. Was concerned this would be too hot and a fruit bomb. It isn't. Delicious wine and paired perfectly with a blue cheese burger.
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Beautiful nose filled with minerals, camphor, deep red fruit, earth, tar, and dust. Like velvet in the mouth. Soft and lush with a long finish of candied, red fruit. Consumed at the Wine Cask in Santa Barbara.
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Why do I keep buying this year in and year out? I know it is sacrilegious to say this about any Saxum, but come on. While this has excellent tasty fruit if you chew on the wine, it is simply hot and out of balance, and comes with slight bitterness on the finish. It is not just stylistic to me, I like plenty of big wines, but I simply do not get it on this one. Again, yes it is tasty, but scratch the veneer of that and ????
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Deep opaque purple in the glass. Nose is rich ripe and too delicious. Notes of deep black fruit, cacao, and mocha start to appear. There is also a meaty character present. The palate shows richness and power with good balance. Drinking well now with a good decant to let the structure relax a bit.
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This was brought to a friend's house and decanted for 30 minutes. The wine was a clear ruby colour with medium intensity. It had a clean nose with a mid level bouquet of vanilla and cherries. In the glass was a wine with an off dry level of sweetness with a medium body full of vanilla and red cherries. Acidity and tannins were both mid level. I wouldn't have picked this for a syrah based wine as it was not overly spicy at all. it was quite enjoyable and had a good 20 second finish. I'm looking forward to seeing how this evolves over time.
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Just a baby but I couldn't help myself. Great balance and a fruit profile that goes on and on. Really approachable now but will be stunning in 2-3 years.
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The color is remarkable in clarity and brilliance. It is ruby and dense and not entirely opaque with some hints at purple violet. The smells are spice, pepper, vanilla, tar, and wet stone. The tastes are dark blueberry, vanilla, wet stone, dark cherry, hoisin, and hint of olive. The tannins are satin like and the finish is long. This wine is powerful and elegant.
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First experience with this producer and this bottle gave an excellent showing. The wine was decanted about an hour before serving. On both the bouquet and palate this wine was large scaled with ample dark fruits, spice and charred oak notes. The full bodied palate shows density and concentration with enough acidity to focus the wine. Impressive now for its youthful accessibility, this bottle gives the impression that the wine will benefit from additional bottle age.
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4/20/2024 - jfkwines wrote: 92 Points
4 hour decant
Part of a birthday celebration so no formal notes taken
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1/26/2024 - rogerr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Agree with recent positive notes. Beautifully integrated and pleasant on the palate. Expressive nose and long, enjoyable finish. This note is from a magnum so from that perspective, there are many years left in this wine.
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11/24/2023 - jfkwines wrote: 92 Points
Flat bottom decant for two hours really singing, Not overpowering in mouthfeel as some Saxums can do , this wine has aged nicely and was a beautiful pairing for a Roasted Chicken, emphasizing the spices of the chicken's seasoning. THiswine will contiunue to softenbeautifully and can be enjoyed now or inthe next few years.
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11/18/2023 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
This shows it’s size and scale and is starting to dry out a bit mid palate. Still—a great example in the style. Very spicy with a strong white pepper note with a little game and meat. Fruit is developing and no longer primary. I would drink up—but that’s just my opinion.
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10/15/2023 - markcic Likes this wine: 93 Points
I had opened the bottle three hours before dinner and poured through vintorio. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat, tree bark and hints of spice. The finish goes on and on and on. It was a perfect accompaniment to the Jets upset win over the Eagles.
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9/2/2023 - Sonoma-W wrote: flawed
DND - seemed off
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7/24/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not bashful, but one of my favorite Saxums.
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7/3/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed tremendously. Has aged well.
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4/5/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious as usual.
Victim of a wine tasting.
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1/31/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking really well, beautiful full-bodied wine, loved by the missus. Glad to have 4 more.
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1/15/2023 - PDXWineO Likes this wine: 95 Points
At 13 years of age this bottle was rocking. Notes of smoked meat, dark fruits and licorice. Paired with Traeger smoked ribs and was perfect. This bottle has a long life ahead but is drinking well now.
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11/1/2022 - pgb67 wrote: 91 Points
Summer and Fall 2022 Wine Adventures (Corolla, NC & Three Rivers, MI & Dogwood Grove, VA): Unlike the ’11 Booker, this one seemed to be a bit longer in the tooth, although like the Papera, it was consumed at the beach which isn’t always the best spot for pondering complex vino. Black fruits on the palate and floral elements on the nose, along with a more austere herbal and peppery character.
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10/23/2022 - Acohen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intense dark blueberry and chocolate with layers of fruit and long finish
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10/9/2022 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opaque red, very slight fading at the edges. Aromas of blackberry and cherry. Intense yet polished on the palate with dark fruits. Smoked meats, blackberry, hint of cherry, warm spices. The small amount of Petite Sirah is noticeable on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, bright acidity, wonderful balance. With air it becomes brighter with a bit of anise and pepper. Finishes long and smooth with blackberry notes. 63% Syrah; 19% Mourvedre; 13% Grenache; 3% Petite Sirah. 15.3% ABV but not hot. Should drink well for another 10 years. Even at 12 years old it may have some improvement in front of it.
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10/9/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking well, crowd pleaser, great fruit, but I can see why the critics may not like it.
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8/28/2022 - Backdoctor wrote: 96 Points
Big full bodied rhone blend. Well balanced, nothing sticks out.. fruit, tannins and acidity all in harmony
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7/11/2022 - jvphoto Likes this wine: 96 Points
So much going on in this wine. Coffee, dark berry, leather, mushrooms, cherry cordial, iron
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6/22/2022 - spendergast Likes this wine: 96 Points
Broken Stones continues to drink very well with notes similar to my tasting, cassis, saddle leather, mocha, and little spice with well integrated tannins. Paired very nicely with grilled Wagyu steaks. Just another great wine from Saxum.
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6/17/2022 - jeffmudd Likes this wine: 95 Points
Think it’s hit it’s prime and drinking great. Believe it’s got a few years left before starting to shut down.
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6/9/2022 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready on PnP but did open a bit more with time in the glass. Seemed to have a number of years left in the tank.
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5/14/2022 - JRockEsq Likes this wine: 93 Points
Method: lightly chilled; short decant and poured back into bottle; Grassl 1855; served semi-blind (I knew it was 1 of the 4 bottles served blind)
Look: medium+ ruby
Nose: ripe raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, black cherry, cedar, very light red bell pepper, dried herbs; very expressive
Palate: raspberry, black cherry, light beef jerky, light chocolate, dry herbs; long- finish of dried herbs, cigar box, brown sugar, dark chocolate; dry; full- body; medium+ grippy and fairly plush tannins; medium+ acidity
Overall thoughts: Great balance, body, and complexity, and it's very tasty. Great wine!
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5/14/2022 - JuliannaD Likes this wine: 92 Points
I enjoyed this more than my previous bottle. Lots of red and dark fruit, massive structure, but balanced. I still think this is too pricey for what it is.
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5/7/2022 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely lovely. Perfect balance of fruit, acidity and savory flavors. Mature. From magnum
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1/23/2022 - spendergast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Broken Stones continues to drink very well with notes similar to my tasting last summer, cassis, saddle leather, mocha, and little spice with well integrated tannins.
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1/2/2022 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well the trend seems to be continuing into the New Year for Broken Stones and that is a broken cork . I had opened the bottle three hours before dinner pushed the cork through then decanted through a vinturi.. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat.. The finish goes on and on and on. This bottle like the one we drank last year was missing some of the vibrancy that it had showed in the past, some of the flavors were just a little muted. I do have a few bottles of the 2010 left and i will probably consume them later this year providing I can find them in my disorganized mess of a cellar.
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12/25/2021 - mclanew Likes this wine: 96 Points
Slow ox for one hour. This is out of the gate fantastic. Lovely violets with a little roast meat on the nose. Full bodied, packed with flavor but elegant and not heavy at all at the same time. Layers of flavor culminating in a long finish. This is still youthful and can continue to age for ten years plus.
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12/17/2021 - Bodes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Probably at its peak. In a wonderful spot. No need to wait any longer but probably will be fantastic for many years to come.
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10/10/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second time in a year opening a Saxum that I have had a cork break. I had opened the bottle three hours before dinner pushed the cork through and let it slow ox.. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat.. The finish goes on and on and on. This bottle like the one we drank last year was missing some of the vibrancy that it had showed in the past, some of the flavors were just a little muted. Maybe an off bottle for a Saxum but still a really good bottle of wine.
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10/2/2021 - rustyRudy wrote: flawed
Very sadly quite corked
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8/28/2021 - SommeEtChef wrote: 78 Points
Yup
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8/7/2021 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with mouth-staining concentration. On the nose, I get blackberry tart, dark chocolate, some heat, cast-iron pan, ash, and orange zest. In the mouth, this is a lush and full wine displaying assorted dark fruits with some coiled energy – there is a sensation similar to fresh coffee throughout. The finish is chewy with a mixture of black and red fruits; the tannins are fully absorbed. Overall, this is a nice Saxum showing the classic, pleasurable traits of a full-throated PR red. 91 points.
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7/8/2021 - jvphoto Likes this wine: 97 Points
"epiphany wine"
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6/6/2021 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich black berry and cassis on the nose and palate with juicy tannins on the long finish.
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3/13/2021 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich and delicious. Beautiful, slightly reticent nose of dark fruits and earth. The palate had big dark fruits, charcoal, meat and smoke in a rich, complex meld that finished with a medium to long finish. This wine had a balanced feel with noticeable acidity and just a hint of smooth tannins. The alcohol was beautifully handled and barely felt. I just couldn't get enough and had to fight off my son for the last taste.
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3/12/2021 - Callybrian Likes this wine: 94 Points
The nose and palate overwhelm the senses with smokiness and earthiness. Cedar mixes with blackberry effortlessly and hides the alcohol well.
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1/26/2021 - Indywinefan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another good wine from Saxum. Opened over time. Some raspberry and licorice.
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12/18/2020 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 94 Points
I apparently didn't know I had this vintage or added in error to another vintage. Had this for Thanksgiving dinner with Prime Rib. Went very well. Cork stained deep dirty purple and was longer than most producers, which I appreciate for aging purposes. Blended wine, approaching the quality of french wines such as CdP's, and couldn't detect the syrah right off from the start. medium bodied wine, high octane also, but you won't be able to tell until you stand up to head to the bathroom. Kept getting better and deeper, and the mouthfeel was dense, even though the fruit was still emerging. Partial to this producer, Alban, and also Tensley. Wasn't what I term a 'bright' wine, which I usually attribute to the presence of Grenache, but it was just lurking a bit on the finish. Think this one was ready with some air, and could have been even better day two, but I think it could age even more, say uo to 5 years. Recommended.
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10/24/2020 - tomlee wrote: 97 Points
Purple in color. 15.3% ABV. 63% Syrah, 19% Mourvedre, 15% Grenache and 3% Petite Sirah. Spellbinding nose of blue and black fruits, molten licorice, menthol and lavender. Full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Impeccable balance. Incredibly plush and concentrated with layers upon layers of gorgeous fruit. Blueberry, black raspberry, charred meats and pepper on the palate. The finish is long and supple. Just a killer wine that is aging brilliantly. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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10/4/2020 - Backdoctor wrote: 96 Points
was a pop and pour. Wine of the night... big fruit forward wine with balance. So enjoyable to drink
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9/26/2020 - Matt T wrote: 94 Points
Drinking extremely well with notes of smoked meat, olive, chocolate, and raspberry. Long elegant finish. Drink or hold.
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9/6/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Our club had its Labor Day BBQ and Fireworks show and to me Saxum and BBQ are a perfect marriage. This bottle was not as good as the bottle I had two months ago. Something was lacking. The first hint was that the cork broke upon extraction and I have never in all the years I am drinking Saxum have had a cork break. I opened the bottle one hour before dinner. and threw it in a decanter. Dark fruit and a hint of spice on the nose, the palate was dark berries, and charred meat.. The finish went on and on and on. I guess some of the flavors were just lacking. Also I noticed that when sipped alone it was a little dull. it took food to get this bottle singing. Maybe an off bottle for a Saxum but still a really good bottle of wine.
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8/14/2020 - spendergast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Didn't have much time to decant but still drank beautifully with notes of cassis, saddle leather, mocha, and little spice all interwoven in a harmonious balance with tightly knit tannins. Long satisfying finish. Saxum never disappoints!
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7/19/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
Saxum and BBQ just a great marriage. We went to Connecticut for a soically distanced bbq at my wife's sisters house. I opened the bottle three hours before dinner. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose, the palate was dark berries, charred meat, tobacco, cedar and hints of chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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7/19/2020 - redz wrote: 92 Points
My first Saxum. Really good Paso GSM, but hoped for more at price point. Aution purchase, so can't vouch for cellar. Smooth and dark. Decanted 3 hrs.
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7/18/2020 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine. On the nose, I get blackberry, strawberry, and some cut stone. In the mouth, this is really rich with some nice salt, sweetness, and spice. The finish leaves some lingering dark fruit. Overall, this is an honest and enjoyable Paso blend. Good stuff. 92 points.
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7/18/2020 - Mr T wrote:
PNP straight from the cellar late In dinner.
This is the best way for me to enjoy Saxum with the octane throttled back by cellar temp and not too much air. Wine was very good although 3am dehydration and morning hangover were awful
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7/1/2020 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistent with notes of 8/12/2016 - compared to Booker of the prior night, the dark fruit here is offset by grilled meats, olive and herb.
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5/9/2020 - kanowsky wrote: 96 Points
Still a little tight. By the second night, it had really opened up - great bouquet of fresh earth and wonderful tastes of coffee and dark berries.
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4/18/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 94 Points
WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of potpourri, cassis, plums and a hint of lavender. Rich flavors of black cherries, plums and black raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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3/27/2020 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Yowza. Just gorgeous aromatically. All black raspberry, pure linear fruit, less earth and more licorice. Nose is just strikingly floral. Captivating.
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3/21/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop and pour. Very accessible right away with deeply extracted black fruit and licorice with nice minerality. Beautiful wine, drink now because tannins are fading.
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3/1/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
From memory, another great bottle & similar to prior note
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2/17/2020 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Loamy notes and blueberries in the nose with zippy, peppery, underbrush, blue fruit and tobacco flavors.
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2/8/2020 - Darjeeling Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big bold Syrah. Someone mentioned it is 100% Syrah, but it was a blend which makes more sense. Had this out of a decanter at room temp after 2 or 3 hours. Not as complex and I was expecting. Acid is lower and the wine itself is bolder and higher abv. It is fun to taste and would be great with food. It is a long finish and the tannins are still there. The finish had a funk, like burnt bbq, wood, possibly graphite or coffee. Hard to place. Put this note in to share that the finish is interesting and unique. May be a 93 or 94 due to the unique finish that is hard to describe.
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1/4/2020 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really needed 3 hour decant as the tannins are edgy otherwise. Also benefitted from an excellent pairing with steak. Fruit is dark and deep without being overblown for Paso. Overall my experience with this label is favorable but question the QPR. Rather buy Carlisle and Myriad/Quivet for my domestic syrahs.
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12/7/2019 - BerkeleyBoy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent after a 2 hour decant with grilled lamb loin chops, roasted celery root and potatoes. A dark-haired beauty that glides into the room, naked.
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11/28/2019 - markcic wrote: 94 Points
Another great bottle of Saxum, from a magnum opened seven hours before dinner and then poured over two hours. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose, the palate was dark berries, charred meat, tobacco, cedar and hints of chocolate. The finish went on and on and on. Our group decided that this was a bottle that should be in a Steven King novel (i am a big King fan) like the short story "Cookie Jar" as I only bought one magnum of the Broken Stones from the 2010 vintage and we drank it at our Halloween dinner in 2016 and somehow it reappeared. Well it was awesome and I hope it reappears again.
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11/28/2019 - whits Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking well now, aromatic, smells of red raspberry and cherry, herbs, cranberry and plum, big and full, the acid balanced this well, flavors of cacao, cherry, blackberry, raspberry and dried ginger, very complex, very delicious, rich, nice without food, engaging
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11/10/2019 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine:
Decanted for an hour. Big lush wine, typical Paso style. Very good. Starting to lose too much tannin so I would say drink up.
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10/25/2019 - fishkabob wrote: 93 Points
At is peak right now
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10/23/2019 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous tasting notes.
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9/22/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
A whopping big wine as expected. Opened with expected sweetness with lots of yin and yang and great balance. Got better over 2 hours and became bigger and started throwing creosote and traces of tobacco. Very satisfying and hard to finish. This is a nice expression of Paso Robles fruit. I like this right where its at and would not age it much longer, it may take away its mojo...Drink
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8/13/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior note after taking to Roger's birthday dinner; another great bottle probably at peak, drink or hold
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7/27/2019 - Matt T wrote: 93 Points
Very smooth with notes of smoke, dark berry, and chocolate. Good balance and long finish. Lacking somewhat of the complexity of the 2011 version, but still drinking quite well. This bottle seemed to be in the later part of its drinking window because not much was left on day two.
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7/13/2019 - Cailles wrote: 93 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: Black currant, blueberries, earth and some heat on the nose. Like all Broken Stones more red fruit on the palate, along some blue fruit, some eucalyptus notes bringing in an additional layer of freshness. Again, soft tannins, good freshness but only medium palate weight, intensity, complexity and length. Almost all Broken Stones wines showed almost no minerality/earthy component, little terroir expression. A tad above the 2011, 2009 and 2008. Only edged out by a narrow margin by the 2007 with all the weight of the perfect vintage. No decant needed.
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6/26/2019 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 90 Points
disappointing, not a bad wine, just fell short of two other Paso Syrah's that we drank over the last two days. A Booker fracture 95pts, and a Torrin 95pts blew the saxum away. In addition, a 2013 Carlisle Montafi zin at a third the cost was much better 93pts.
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6/22/2019 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 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:
Marginally cooler fruit,t still jammy but not that sweet. Some spices and herbs. Full bodied with a tigh strucutre.
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3/9/2019 - Rosengoo wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 5 hours prior to opening, this clear and dark red wine originally had a tinge of mustiness on the nose when opened. By the time it was poured, this was gone but there really wasn't much of a bouquet at all. When tasted, I found dark cherries, dark berries and a bit of a hot finish. The tannins were quite strong and the acidity was at a good level. Finally, the wine did have a small sour endings. This was still a good wine but not great tonight.
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2/25/2019 - expres1038 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow
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2/1/2019 - jmcnewjersey wrote: 92 Points
This was a tad below what I expect from a Saxum. Full-bodied and good fruit, yet lacking the complexity that I have found in other vintages of Broken Stones. Can still age 5+ years, although I am not sure if that will be beneficial.
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11/18/2018 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still a tannin monster at this point. At first I said a menagerie in the mouth. Pepper, blackberry, tannin, great acidity.
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11/12/2018 - hawk30 wrote: 93 Points
Took to a five course tasting menu and the wine sort of stole the show -- each course picked up a different element of the wine, which evolved throughout the dinner, e.g. the vichyssoise with crumbles of potatoes and bacon highlighted the savory, earth and smoke, notes of the wine. A memorable evening.
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10/13/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs then back in the bottle to drink later, deep ruby, blueberry with some pepper, med. tannins, long finish; delicious & has now entered its drinking window, but no rush
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10/6/2018 - Matt T wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes and drank over 2 hours. A touch less concentrated and interesting than the 2011. This still featured smoke, minerals, and a long finish.
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8/23/2018 - TheRhoneranger Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really starting to develop nicely. Good wood spice and craberry
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7/30/2018 - bajayngo wrote:
This bottle was graciously open by my friend Tom Lee. Layered and complex wine, showing young even at 8yrs in. Layers of dark berry fruit with plenty of savory notes follow by a cool reduced orange peel, some baking spices, a bit of green astringency on the mid palate that went away with time and aggressive swirling. Glycerin on the powerful palate with generous ripe fruits and an extended finish but held together with good acid structure. Delicious now but will improve with time in the bottle or a long decant. Was tamed by various meats from the bbq. (side note the wax seal seemed to have TCA but he cork and the wine were sound. Very interesting and something i'd never experienced before. Glad it wasn't spoiled)
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7/15/2018 - JoshuaG wrote: 85 Points
I agree with tannic monster. The CT ratings must be on reputation. This wine is barely above average. I like other vintages and wines of Saxum but not this one. I have no hope this will ever come together. Saving my remaining bottles with little to no hope
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7/15/2018 - Tannic Monster wrote: 89 Points
This was decanted for several hours and never opened up. The nose was boring and restrained. It had no real personality or charm...very one dimensional. It had a nice plush mouth feel and an attractive rich body but other than that not much else. I just don't get it. CT 93.6? C'mon really?
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7/9/2018 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full-bodied and well-balanced with black and blue fruits on the palate. Really opened up after an hour.
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6/22/2018 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super wine! Just right on all counts
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5/20/2018 - Doctor Koulodare Likes this wine: 94 Points
A sumptuous blend of violets, cassis, boysenberry. Classic Paso Robles massiveness, but did not overpower our squab and wagyu. f
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5/19/2018 - JuliannaD wrote: 90 Points
This is not a re-purchase for me, not good QPR. Its huge and heavy and required decanting even after having been opened for a few hours. Lots of dark fruit and some graphite. Packs a long finish.
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5/1/2018 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
Extremely well balanced.
PnP. Nose initially with black rubber and tar which translates directly to the initial palate.
Finish while not hot has some light acidity and moderately long finish. F7
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5/1/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Stunning wine to drink on day four on the cruise before heading to Jamie’s by Jamie Oliver abroad the Harmony of the Seas. Deep ruby red with medium edges. Rich and savory on the nose with notes of black olives, crushed rocks, cinnamon, pencil shavings and dark berries. Medium and well integrated tannins (6.5/10) with a medium plus body. Delicious palate with notes of sweet spices, tobacco, dark extracted plums, woody and some graphite. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2025.
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4/25/2018 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Bannister/WX/BS Dinner (S.K.Y.): Rich and opulent. Plums and rich smokey oak. Palate is bold and robust with fatty meat and more blackberries, road tar and Asian spice.
Showing a touch of age but still ever so big and bold on the back end.
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4/19/2018 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistent with notes of 8/12/2016 - fantastic WOTN at our Rhone varietal tasting
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3/23/2018 - grafighter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted at restaurant for approx 1 hour, paired with a bone-in ribeye. The balance between fruit, tannins and acid changes throughout dinner, fruit forward in the beginning, then the acid took over, then back to fruit, then got tannic. I think I should have double decanted this and gave it more air to settle down. Overall, good high quality made wine. Right at it’s price point in my opinion.
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2/4/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 94 Points
Ripe blackberry, licorice, savory olive notes. Plush and full bodied, but has plenty of underlying firmness to keep this from being flabby. This has improved with age- the best bottle yet!
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12/31/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bright fruit, red jam, chocolate , coffee, pepper
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12/30/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stellar Paso Robles non blind tasting. Opened for an hour then tasted over four hours with cheeses and meats. No formal notes taken at the time. Hugely aromatic nose. Wonderful from first sip to its long finish. Great fruit, oak and structure. Consistent, wonderful, should be terrific for years to come but extremely enjoyable now .
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12/14/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another great bottle of Saxum, opened three hours before dinner and then poured though a vintorio. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose, the palate was dark berries, charred meat, tobacco, cedar and hints of chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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11/26/2017 - ephorn Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was muted last night. Delicious fruit flavor with a bit of spice. This lacked the palate penetration of James Berry and the length. Balance was very good.
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11/23/2017 - Tyler C Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first Saxum, and outstanding. I agree with others, this one is still young. Decanted for 2 hours but continued to evolve/open up over the next 2 hours. Starts with some wonderful fruit, many layers and solid finish. I'll try to go another year before trying again.
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9/12/2017 - Deb293 wrote: 90 Points
I hoped this wine had finally come around. Drank over several days...I guess the problem is that it has no finesse. It's BIG, but not necessarily a joy to drink. Rather effortful, actually. I am slowly stepping off the Saxum bandwagon...
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9/4/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior notes: delicious, still young, but I needed a big young wine to match with home made beef tacos
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9/3/2017 - Hollowine wrote:
Huge wine, starting to move into the drinking window. Seemed a bit muted on initial pour, opens up quite a bit with 45 min of air. Drink with decant or continue to hold.
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8/22/2017 - WTC wrote:
drank anny dinner w/ ken/scott 8/18/17 mud city... good
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8/11/2017 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistent with notes of 8/12/2016 - fantastic
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7/15/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Taken to a restaurant . Multiple pairings, did well with each. Rich , complex, dark fruit, perfect acidity. Consistent, reliable, marvelous.
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7/15/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
A little light and elengant (but not in a bad way) by Saxum standards. Dark blueberry & raspberry. Darker than motor oil. Grilling herbs. Med low tannin. Med acid. Really nice.
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7/5/2017 - JDRFoster wrote: 94 Points
Very nicely balanced Rhone blend with telltalle moke and meat notes lifted up and rounded by bright fruit. Tannins well integrated at this point. Smooth, luscious finish.
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6/22/2017 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
This time around, we decanted for four hours - but obtained more or less the same result as our last bottle. Fruit-centric without being a fruit bomb, if that makes any sense.
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5/28/2017 - amoryb wrote:
had with lamb. went well. nice pepper on the finish. a little heat on the nose but none noticed when drinking. maybe a little much red fruit in the middle without matching acid. Solid wine overall.
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5/27/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
The second red of our memorial day buffet. You just can't go wrong with a Saxum. I opened the wine 5 hours before dinner. Dark fruit on the nose, the palate was intertwining layers of berries, plums, red meat, wood and coffee. The long Saxum finish goes on and on.
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4/29/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing wine. Explosive nose and beautiful balanced fruit. Its been 4 years since my last bottle and this wine has truly blossomed in that time.
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2/28/2017 - patwjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pnp, drank over 2 hours. First hour was tight, minimal nose, & tasting it showed some fruit. At 1 hour mark it became SO much better - beautiful fruit emerged & smoother, less tannic. But towards the 2nd hour it closed back down. Give this one a longer decant, or better yet hold.
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2/4/2017 - TheRhoneranger Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great after an hour decant and paired with filet mignon.
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2/4/2017 - fournet Likes this wine:
Drinking even better now than a couple years ago. Almost pop n pour ready. Nicely integrated.
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1/28/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior note, still young (did not read my prior note before choosing...)
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1/20/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed about an hour in the decanter to really hit its groove, then this was singing.
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1/19/2017 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark juice, good acids, spice, and a pleasant touch of bitterness to balance it all out.
It’s great to drink this from 55 degrees up through 65 degrees. It presents slightly differently throughout. Those flavors with this level of richness shoudl by all rights be slightly murky, but at 58 degrees, it’s clear as a bell. Even at 65 degrees, when the texture softens and thickens slightly, this is still very drinkable and delicious.
But it’s much better just a few degrees cooler! This is something that I feel not enough attention is paid to. At 66 degrees you’ll like this wine, but you might wonder why you paid so much money for it. At 59 degrees, it’s worth every dollar.
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1/9/2017 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
Rich and smooth. Minimum tannins
Very nice right now.
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11/25/2016 - guitarguy wrote:
Well I'm confused. I didn't love this day one or two, especially for $90+. Grapey notes in the nose with cracked pepper, blueberry, and acid notes. Seemed not Syrah, for a Rhone blend.
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11/24/2016 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had for Thanksgiving. Needs and extended decant and I gave it only an hour. Started showing a peek of its depth at hour 2-3. Delicious even in its youth.
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11/17/2016 - patwjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for over 3 hours. Big fruit but still a bit tight, got better as we drank it over the 4th hour. Give this time.
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10/29/2016 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a magnum which i opened 8 hours before my guests arrived and then two hours before I decanted half through a vinturi. This is a massive wine with layers of fruit that open up as the evening progressed, berry, cherry, sandalwood, red plums all hinged with a touch of Asian spices and yes the finish goes on and on and on. Served alongside the 5th course of the evening which was a lemon and olive crusted leg of lamb.
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10/15/2016 - ChrisR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black fruits with cracked pepper and spice initially. As it opened, charcoal and a musty earthiness come through. Rich, thick fruit on the palate, but enough complexity that it never is reduced to a fruit bomb. No hard edges. Alcohol content noticeable in effect, if not on the taste. Softer, yet still pleasant, on the second day.
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10/1/2016 - rrNYC Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brought to Farm to Fork dinner at Race Farms
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9/13/2016 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremely well made and delicious. One of the few $100 domestic bottles, that lives up to it's price tag.
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8/18/2016 - rpk99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
really great, smooth as silk up front then the berry flavors come in mid palate and through the finish. Nice long finish with great balance. THis will be awesome in about 3 years...
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8/18/2016 - norsktorsk wrote: 95 Points
Spot on.
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8/12/2016 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
The promise of my last bottle continues to mature in my latest bottle. The smoke, grilled meat, blackberry and licorice flavors have blended together seamlessly.
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6/4/2016 - NTR wrote: 94 Points
A brambly forest floor nose. Deep dark berries. A hint of vanilla. Amazingly well integrated tannins but still a tightness.A gamey fruit flavor with some spice box. Not a huge wine but still pretty big.
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5/28/2016 - jrobs7777 wrote:
A little up in the air here. Not sure what this wine is. Big intense fruit on day one. A bit more relaxed, but dominated by smokey note on day two. Not in a bad way, but this did not show much in the way of complexity or structure. Hold until 2019-2020 time frame.
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4/22/2016 - hanasowner wrote: 90 Points
Nowhere near as good as last bottle a couple years ago...this was pretty tame over 1-2 hours and never really opened up.
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4/10/2016 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Massive. Huge. Brooding. 15%+ alcohol. Immense. Thick. Did I mention it was big? Not a wine to be drunk w/o food. Just too big. Its fun and its enjoyable but its a very specific style. Not a ton of nuance because its just so darn big. Think there is no choice but to wait 5-10 and see if this settles into some sort of calming period. Right now just an in your face wine without much discretion.
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3/26/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened over night then decanted for 3 hrs, crimson, blue & blackberries, with a touch of spice, mod. tannins, long finish, delicious, but still young (drink with a very long decant)
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3/25/2016 - MayValley wrote: 92 Points
This was a good wine though not as impressive as Saxum usually is! 92
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3/2/2016 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 95 Points
Needs a 3 hour decant to open. Very floral nose, complex dark fruits, spice, black tea, mineral. Heat is evident with warming and air. Great wine. Drink or hold.
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2/14/2016 - mpricher wrote: 94 Points
This is the second Saxum I've tasted, so don't have a lot to reference. But we enjoyed this bottling, more for the layer upon layer of fruit, secondary cocoa, spice, and nuance.. This one was blended with deft touch, and I prefer that. Less of the big fruit Saxum, which may draw some of the complaints on lower rated comments than expectations? I didn't have those expectations, and really enjoyed this bottling. So did our dinner guests. It's a big price to pay granted, and we can't afford to buy these all the time. Nice treat from time to time!
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1/29/2016 - Silveradoup wrote: 93 Points
I rate a 93 but this was a bit underwhelming from what I expect from Saxum. Definitely a good wine but not the style I normally expect from a Saxum. Still a 93 though :)
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1/24/2016 - WineGold wrote: 91 Points
Our first Saxum. It's very good, but was hoping / expecting more given the build up, buzz, reputation and previous reviews. It's well integrated and the blue and black fruit is working very well with medium-softer tannins and oak. Thing is, we'd like a bit more complexity. A bit more layers. It's not one-dimensional, but for the money, we expected more. We scored a Limerick Lane higher this week, and at one-third the price. This wine will probably improve for several more years, and drink well for 8-10.
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1/17/2016 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 94 Points
We took this bottle to enjoy with my wife and a great friend at Anthony's in LV. We were going to be at a tasty burger and upscale appetizer place to watch the Packers playoff game. The wine was quite enjoyable as was the food. The O.T. packer loss was the bummer. We all three agreed that this wine went best with the jalapeño burger. Great stuff that we probably should have cellared longer as it did continue to improve with air over two hours.
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1/10/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
A saxum tasting at Cooking School (ICASI): Just a bit better than the 08, but this seemed to really need some air or time. It kept improving with vigorous swirling but I think a day or two later would be a point or two better. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, charred meats, slightly gamy, and black pepper. Also a bit of floral notes. On the palate, there is a nice acidity. Really tight layering that unwinds, just a bit, in the glass. Lots of boysenberry fruit. Worked great with Chocolate Creme Brulee. Nice finish. Lots of upside here.
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12/29/2015 - Rosengoo wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was drank at a local Asian fusian restaurant with 15 minutes of decanting. It was clear and deep purple in colour. With a ton of red cherries and vanilla on the nose as well as in the glass, this wine was in a great spot tonight. It also had some chocolate flavours to it. The spiciness and acidity levels were just to my liking as well. This wine also had a noticeable long finish to it.
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12/22/2015 - rhalbert wrote: 93 Points
Had with Wallis's. This is a bruiser. Decanted for 9 hours which was barely enough, would have preferred 12-24 hours. Great but think it needs several years to mellow out.
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12/18/2015 - Justin B Likes this wine: 95 Points
A great wine. Best for me on the 3rd day (corked and refrig'ed between days). Give this one lots of air... the last sip will be the best sip.
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12/18/2015 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Monthly group Holiday tasting (Il Foro): Consumed a glass of this at a tasting party. The bottle was decanted for about 7 hours. I did not get a lot out of this beyond pepper and firm tannin. The gentlemen who brought the bottle agreed and said it reminded him of Petit Verdot. I believe that is an accurate description for this bottle. It was clearly a well-made wine, just maybe it was in a shut-down state. I've had this wine before in earlier vintages and it has been wonderful.
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12/5/2015 - bablues wrote: 94 Points
Annual Christmas Wine Dinner and Cellar Raid (Naperville, IL): Didn't take detailed notes. Part of Christmas wine dinner and cellar raid. I loved this wine, but not as impressive as some of the others. On it's own it would have stood out much more
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11/15/2015 - ScottS wrote: 87 Points
This was a disappointing bottle. Out of balance on day one and only slightly improved on day 2.
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11/13/2015 - TheRhoneranger wrote: 91 Points
Balanced wine but nothing spectacular. Tasted best when paired with broiled lamb steak. Not a pop and pour delight...took about 30-40 min decant before opening up some.
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11/9/2015 - Deb293 wrote: 92 Points
Very much a berry bomb, medium bodied, and hiding the alcohol well. Pretty well integrated at this point...enjoyed more this time around than last year's bottle.
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11/1/2015 - ELH wrote: 93 Points
Blend of 63% Syrah 19% Mourvedre 15% Grenache 3% Petite Syrah. Dark fruit, blackberries, peppery, garrigue-like, but softened and sweetened by the Grenache. Needed about 30 minutes in a glass decant to settle down.
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10/29/2015 - WinthropT96 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Birthday evening wine with friends. Decanted ~2 hours. Rich opaque syrah color with some garnet. Fabulous on the nose with black rasberry, some spice box and pepper. Full bodied but not heavy with great mouth feel - don't get the alcohol at all. Transitions nicely with lots of fruit but not sweet or jammy. Long finish. Improved over the evening - still young.
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10/17/2015 - mhewitt wrote: 95 Points
This is drinking great right now and should definitely be opened before the JBV. Great wine and no heat despite the lofty alcohol.
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10/16/2015 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 94 Points
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I really enjoyed this Broken Stones. Not only does it taste like a signature Saxum wine, but it's a great representation of what Paso Robles wines can/should be. The nose was macerated raspberries surrounded by floral notes of lavender and herbs de Provence. On the palate it was silky and dense, but wasn't overwhelming with the fruit and alcohol. It was comforting and certainly deserved to be paired with rich comfort food. Braised short ribs come to mind.
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9/28/2015 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Big and young but not as big as you might think. Ripe but not cooked fruit, just a hint of Syrah funk. Give it a couple of years before revisiting.
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7/18/2015 - MattMauldin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over 2 days. Opened, decanted, drank half the bottle, and decanted the rest into an empty half bottle for day 2. A little disjointed on day 1- The notes are from the second day.
Deep, glass-coating, garnet-black color. Lots of secondary depth on the nose- led by cherry and cassis fruit, with dried lavender, spice and melted stone. Good depth but somewhat reserved. High intensity and concentration on the palate, complimented by very fine precision, balance and finesse. Showing a deep depth of fruit- plum, blackberry and red apple skin, along with mocha & cedar, rocky minerality, spring flowers and clove. Nicely balanced medium acidity emerged on day 2, along with big round polished tannins throughout. Finishes big with lots of depth of black fruit, flowers and minerality. A compelling wine, but needs 4-5 years before getting anywhere near a drinking window. If you're opening now- I'd open, decant, return to bottle 24 hours in advance of drinking.
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7/16/2015 - atilathehun wrote: 92 Points
Agree with bonedoc, not that interesting.
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6/30/2015 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 91 Points
pretty extracted and not as exciting as i'd hoped......
Obviously good but at close to $90 for the current vintage the QPR is not great.
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6/17/2015 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 93 Points
decanted four hours. Rebottled and drank three hours later. Just beginning to open up. Heat on nose but no indication on the tongue. Multiple layers to this beauty.
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4/19/2015 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black pepper, oak, blackberry, forest floor and stems. It tastes like blackberry, forest floor, oak and stems. The body is full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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4/4/2015 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 96 Points
Not fully developed yet, but much more integrated than the bottle we had about a year and a half ago. Smooth, multi layered complexity, good acidity leading to a juicy dark fruit profile, lively tannins.
Will be hard to keep our hands off the rest. People who appreciate this fruit forward Cali style will love these.
We get smoky, dark fruit, olive, cola, Syrah flavors followed by the red fruit, spicy Grenache, the Mourvedre/Petite Syrah round it out.
Served at cellar temp, pop n poured during the Final Four. Opens in an hour or two. Drinks best in the first three to four hours or so and then goes more mineral and tannic.
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4/3/2015 - AccaDacca Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brawny, but not in an unbalanced way. Needs more time to settle down, but clearly a wine for those who like them big.
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3/26/2015 - Rosengoo wrote: 92 Points
This wine was drank at Morton's steak house with no decanting. It was clear and quite a deep purple in colour. The nose had quite a bit of grape jam to it along with some caramel. These two smells also were in my tasting notes. I found this wine to be quite low on tannins and acidity and the alcohol level felt lower that it actually is. Quite an enjoyable wine tonight.
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3/8/2015 - ThomasT wrote:
Found this wine closed. Will wait a couple years before trying again.
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2/25/2015 - Rosengoo wrote: 88 Points
This was drank at home using the Coravin. The wine was slightly cloudy and mostly ruby red in colour with some purple tinges to it and there were red cherries and blueberry jam on the nose. In the glass was a wine that had those same cherry flavours mixed in with a noticeable amount of tobacco and chocolate tastes. The acidity was very strong and the tannins were quite heavy as well. This wine tonight was overall a bit thin on taste but I assume it will get better over time. It may be a good idea to hold off on these for another year or so before drinking.
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2/21/2015 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Followed bobpsi's decanting schedule (open at noon, decant at 4, serve at 6), and was rewarded with similar results. In the glass, raspberry red at the rim, fading quickly to black at the core. On the nose, loads of crushed red fruit and a floral note. On the palate, a blend of blueberries, raspberries, grenache liqueur, a bit of funk, a bit of smoke, and a bit of blood, with a silky texture and a tannic spine. This kept getting better as the evening went on...
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2/16/2015 - lynarthur Likes this wine: 92 Points
very smooth with a little tannic finish. will be even better in another year or 2.
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2/13/2015 - mbenz Likes this wine: 94 Points
delicious. Fruit forward. Blueberry nose.
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1/26/2015 - bobpsi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened at noon, decanted at 4 pm and served at 6 pm. Big nose of black and blue fruits, red flowers and ash. Balanced palate, mostly black fruits and floral notes with some subtle smoke beef notes. Firm tannins.
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1/25/2015 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
Ready to roll.
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1/17/2015 - megropolis wrote:
For the lovers of the fruit bombs. It's Delicious and jammed packed with fruit and acidity and oak influences. However, components are not in harmony, as I would expect from high end wine.
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1/9/2015 - Rosengoo wrote: 91 Points
This bottle was decanted for 30 minutes at a local steakhouse. It was clear and ruby red in colour. The wine had a very strong nose of caramel that was even overpowering the bouquet of red cherries that was in the glass. The tannins and acidity were quite strong and all these factors lead me to believe that I should give these bottles some more time before opening them in the future.
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1/1/2015 - rogerr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted and immediately sipped over an hour. Still quite young but showing pretty good integration with red and blue fruit aromas and on the palate. Big Saxum style but not over the top. Saved a bit for next day and there was no noticeable oxidation and there was improvement.
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12/27/2014 - rrNYC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Typical Saxum excellence.
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12/27/2014 - Cashious Likes this wine: 93 Points
As my man Action Bronson would say, Fuck That's Delicious. Espresso and beef jerky on the nose, chocolate covered cherries with a long, smooth finish. Stupendous.
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12/24/2014 - jaxpaj wrote: 90 Points
I sure wish I knew some of you Saxum lovers. I would love to barter! I just don’t get the value here. This is very similar to Halcon. Don't get me wrong I really like Halcon but it costs $25.
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11/30/2014 - royalscam Likes this wine: 94 Points
This may be young but, wow, drinking exceptional. Very aromatic, floral with blackberry, beautifully balanced, silky and complex in palate and a finish that is well over 15 sec - 94+!
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11/7/2014 - Azbearoh Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP with dinner. Still very young and started to open up throughout the meal. Great layers of fruit and tight tannins. Glad I have more to age and try later.
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11/3/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
WTDS at Capital Grille (Mpls, MN): Purple red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was a big bruiser of a wine. Very big black fruits on the nose, quite herbal, a bit green, savory, roast meat, oak. The palate is dense and chewy, big bold black fruits, blackberry and black raspberry, oak, good acid, with a very long and invigorating finish. Balanced despite its alcohol content. My dad would just love this baby. 92+ to 93pts.
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10/26/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark red. Drank over several hours but did not decant. Drank to celebrate my son's birthday. Black cherry preserves, rich,complex, well integrated tannins, and perfect acidity to bring this all together for the complete package. Everything is in balance. Drinking very well now but clearly going to do well for the next decade. Deserves all the hype it gets!
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10/19/2014 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Very tight and big. Enjoyable but needs more time. Saved about half for the next day.
Second day it was much improved. Smoothed out and better integrated. Scored based on the second day.
Will save my last bottle for another few years.
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10/3/2014 - mrmedoes Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gave a ton (day +) of decanter-based air that really helped shed a little fat off of this, leading to an absolutely outstanding bottle. Syrah and a bit of mouvedre on the nose, leading to a nice rounded flavor profile, ultimately getting a great "cut" from grenache on the mid palate into a pleasing longer finish. Really tasty and perhaps my favorite of the '10 Saxums that I've had (everything but the JBV thus far).
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9/6/2014 - brianngibson wrote: 93 Points
Slow ox'ed all day. Served right after SQN dark Blossom grenache and it held its own. Blackberry, tar and mineral. Delicious.
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8/31/2014 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Tar, diesel fuel and raw meats on nose. Big, bold flavors of blackberry, anise & fresh, dry herbs. Very N. Rhone like. High, round tannins. Powerful, long on palate 30 + seconds, with fine, white pepper & a touch of all spice. Stellar!
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8/9/2014 - Wineson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice.
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8/3/2014 - H Crenshaw wrote: 91 Points
Big bold extracted style. A little hot on the palate but nice fruit flavors. Good if you like very ripe wines.
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7/14/2014 - Mr T wrote:
Very rich wine and not sure truly my thing. I wanted more structure, spine, acid etc than this offered right from the get go after PNP
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7/13/2014 - El Tej wrote: 95 Points
3 hour decant
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6/15/2014 - Deb293 wrote: 89 Points
I wanted to like this wine more than I did...perhaps because it is still a bit angular at this stage, with the fruit not fully integrated. A bit leaner than I expected, and I attribute this to youth. Certainly the fruit is there, but a few years in bottle may reveal more depth/complexity. Provisional score.
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6/1/2014 - Isalasdad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine but far too young. It needed a longer decant than I gave it.
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6/1/2014 - fine137 wrote: 93 Points
4 hour decant. Performed nicely, bright future ahead.
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3/30/2014 - bruce61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
It took an hour or so after opening to show its colors but it was a smooth, beautiful wine. Big fruit, but it's power was subtle. No heat and a long finish.
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3/27/2014 - Justin B Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic Broken Stones with a lot of dark fruit complexity. Tasted great out of the bottle after just going through the Vinturi aerator, continued to improve over dinner and even was even better the next day. I love how you can enjoy a bottle of Saxum over a few days. A couple of years will definitely help smooth this one out though as it is fairly full throttle now, with only a medium-long finish.
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3/22/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Although very young, this wine knocked me out. Floral and raspberry nose is followed with rich blackberry, smoke, crushed rock and herb. Needs a few years and may get even better
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3/18/2014 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Flamboyant and sexy with intense red fruit. Expressive to the extreme, but no floozy. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to buy Saxum - this is the reason!
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3/10/2014 - Floyd77 Likes this wine: 95 Points
explosion of dark fruits up front -- high alcohol, but not exposed. This wine has power and elegance. Long finish -- lay it down. Give it time ...
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2/18/2014 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Ripe but not overly so this had dark fruit in the nose with chocolate, cranberry and plum flavors backed up by a tannic kick. Needs two years to mellow.
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1/25/2014 - winopops3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very dark purple. Nose of coffee, blackberry. Dark fruits, coffee and spice on the palate. Medium mouthfeel. Long finish. This is a great example of a very concentrated fruit foward wine that is delicious because it is well balanced. Improved with some warming from cellar temp and air. Really delicious.
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1/24/2014 - Rktekt3 wrote: 95 Points
Honestly, day one this was good, day two better and day three is when it sang. I did a pop n pour and recorked. Day two pop n pour and recorked. Day three i actually decanted it for a bit. Yummy.
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1/17/2014 - gfm10 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Open and poured. First sip was a bit hot, tannic but showed promise. Gave it about 30 minutes and wow! Got better as the dinner went on. Full body. Very silky. Aromas/Flavors of dark choc, mocha, raspberries & plums. Went very well with our steaks.
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1/12/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
Awesome Dinner with Friends (Erasmus, SQN, Saxum, Pride, Dehlinger++) (Out and about): This is about 63% Syrah IIRC, so it just barely fit the them. This is a big wine. The nose is great with raspberries, black raspberries, white pepper and slight candied notes. Great lovely slick but full texture. On the palate, this is ripe and slightly sweet red fruit. Very smooth. Of course young, but showing depth and complexity. Great wine.
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12/31/2013 - Wine Sparty wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for about 90 minutes. Aroma is dark fruit and tar. Still pretty tannic, but you do still get the dark fruit, but it goes down without much other flavor.
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12/25/2013 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 93 Points
I sound like a broken record.... This is an amazing wine. Justin Smith is hitting on all cylinders. Ripe, balance and complex. Fantastical! The weight of this wine is substantial of make sure there is food to challenge it.... or just drink solo while watching football!!!! Drink while listening to Eden by Sara Bareilles on Brave or better yet watch live on my iphone's live recording from Troutdale, Oregon.
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12/25/2013 - ruddy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Lovely fruit, still a bit tannic, but drinking very well. Could use a couple of years, except this was my last one.
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12/22/2013 - WinthropT96 wrote: 95 Points
Surprised by 2 friends dropping buy after already into the JLChave Silene. This wine slowed down the evening for appreciation. Didn't get heat on the nose and maybe a touch of pepper over time. Great balance and mouth feel - dark fruits and grilled meats. Had to check the bottle twice to believe it was 15.3% alcohol. Looking forward to the next bottle in less of a rush! Go find some if you don't have some.
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12/21/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
just amazing depth and great clarity. So balanced but obviously a baby. Years of upside on this one.
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12/14/2013 - hanasowner wrote: 95 Points
Opened 2-3 hours in advance. The beauty of this bottle is matched by its contents. I had debated whether the time was right...good/lucky guess on my part. Big and smooth with a long finish.
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11/23/2013 - sbeeks wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Big but gentle. Nice fruit level. Love this alternative to the big California Cabernets. Great wine at a nice value relative to that.
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11/21/2013 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for three hours. Eggplant and garnet, with a crimson rim. Mounds of wild dark berries, violets, braised turkey, sloes and scorched earth. Depth and nuance laden, she possess enough finesse and backbone to age for awhile. Evocative in its nature; once you place your nose in the glass it is an instant love affair. Chocolate essence is all part of this amazing blend. Drink 2014 - 2025. See previous notes.
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11/18/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
Pop and poured, the first glass was difficult. Port like with heat on the nose and the palate. Let it sit for an hour and started again. The nose is better with black raspberries, iodine, leather and grilled meats. Smoother if still monolithic on the palate. With more air, the nose becomes enticing and layered. Add some blueberries and black pepper to the mix. The palate smooths out as well. With about 4 hours of air, this is singing. No sign of alcohol or heat. Its gotten more lively as shows depth and nuances. Last glass after its been open for 7 hours I easily the best. Complex and smooth. Not over powering. Wonderful wine, but decant or wait.
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11/16/2013 - JJB1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very nice, complex wine that doesn't dissappoint.
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11/2/2013 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 95 Points
In Wailea...
Violets and meat, then berry bliss. So much body and ripe, velvety tannins, with a silky ending. Full-bodied, and inextricably voluptuous. She is extroverted and smolderingly sultry. Drink 2014 - 2025.
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10/27/2013 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opaque dark ruby/purple color, with dark berries and some floral on the nose. Rich red and dark fruit flavors, with some mocha and smoky tones, with silky tannins and a long smooth finish. Very nice!
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10/3/2013 - twelch wrote:
Not as much heat as I was expecting. Big tight syrah that really needs some time to unwind.
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9/16/2013 - jaxpaj wrote: 92 Points
So much acclaim yet just a very good wine. Nothing exceptional here.
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8/15/2013 - amateurwino wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: showing herby, peppery and very ripe fruited, as one might expect. Slight melted vinyl, lots of vanilla oak, but tasty and aromatic - pretty much what you expect from the style.
Nine days later: showed better this time, with the fruit feeling ripe and exuberant, with less of the stewed fruit feel. It was pretty comparable to top wines from Alban and Pax that I've had in the past. 93-94
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8/15/2013 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine: 94 Points
A bit tight but I could tell it had potential if allowed to open for a few hours. I would really have loved to have some a second day. Unfortunately it did not last that long. The nose was a bit muted compared to some of the other wines we had but still nice.
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8/11/2013 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 95 Points
Day 2 is much better, deeper, more mellow and richer. Acids are more balanced. Red fruits emerge from the dominate blacks of day 1. The future of this wine should be great.
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8/10/2013 - Tommy Wine wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple, red. Leathery, meaty nose. Lots of black fruit, ultra dry tannins, but smooth. Bright acidity. Very complex. Sharp early, after half hour started to smoothen out. 1 hour in, red fruit starts coming out. Very nice as long as you give it time.
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8/5/2013 - BillyRayValentine Likes this wine: 96 Points
One hour decant. Excellent. Full of red and blue fruit, vanilla creme, earth, spice, rocks, complex and balanced. Long finish, silky texture. Was concerned this would be too hot and a fruit bomb. It isn't. Delicious wine and paired perfectly with a blue cheese burger.
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7/24/2013 - nfafoglia Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful nose filled with minerals, camphor, deep red fruit, earth, tar, and dust. Like velvet in the mouth. Soft and lush with a long finish of candied, red fruit. Consumed at the Wine Cask in Santa Barbara.
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7/6/2013 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Black as night. Smokey, meaty nose. Ripe plum, spicy herbal notes. Very young, needed more than the 2 hour decant we gave it. Terrific with BBQ.
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7/6/2013 - cadamson wrote: 85 Points
Why do I keep buying this year in and year out? I know it is sacrilegious to say this about any Saxum, but come on. While this has excellent tasty fruit if you chew on the wine, it is simply hot and out of balance, and comes with slight bitterness on the finish. It is not just stylistic to me, I like plenty of big wines, but I simply do not get it on this one. Again, yes it is tasty, but scratch the veneer of that and ????
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7/4/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep opaque purple in the glass. Nose is rich ripe and too delicious. Notes of deep black fruit, cacao, and mocha start to appear. There is also a meaty character present. The palate shows richness and power with good balance. Drinking well now with a good decant to let the structure relax a bit.
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6/23/2013 - rplumbo wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Wonderfully floral nose, huge palette and long finish. Wine doesn't get much better. Decant and hold!
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6/16/2013 - beau11 wrote: 95 Points
Still needs 4 hrs but still velvety
decanted 4 hrs. rich with velvety tannin
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6/14/2013 - Rosengoo Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was brought to a friend's house and decanted for 30 minutes. The wine was a clear ruby colour with medium intensity. It had a clean nose with a mid level bouquet of vanilla and cherries. In the glass was a wine with an off dry level of sweetness with a medium body full of vanilla and red cherries. Acidity and tannins were both mid level. I wouldn't have picked this for a syrah based wine as it was not overly spicy at all. it was quite enjoyable and had a good 20 second finish. I'm looking forward to seeing how this evolves over time.
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5/26/2013 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just a baby but I couldn't help myself. Great balance and a fruit profile that goes on and on. Really approachable now but will be stunning in 2-3 years.
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4/28/2013 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 96 Points
The color is remarkable in clarity and brilliance. It is ruby and dense and not entirely opaque with some hints at purple violet. The smells are spice, pepper, vanilla, tar, and wet stone. The tastes are dark blueberry, vanilla, wet stone, dark cherry, hoisin, and hint of olive. The tannins are satin like and the finish is long. This wine is powerful and elegant.
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3/29/2013 - sehill wrote: 92 Points
First experience with this producer and this bottle gave an excellent showing. The wine was decanted about an hour before serving. On both the bouquet and palate this wine was large scaled with ample dark fruits, spice and charred oak notes. The full bodied palate shows density and concentration with enough acidity to focus the wine. Impressive now for its youthful accessibility, this bottle gives the impression that the wine will benefit from additional bottle age.
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3/29/2013 - thatrick wrote: 94 Points
WOTN
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