2017 Saxum James Berry Vineyard
Community Tasting Note
Sanlucar wrote:
90 Points
Friday, April 2, 2021 - Blueberry & black raspberry fruit bomb. Very high alcohol and surprisingly high acid. This wine will not live long - drink it now.
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Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,522 views)
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Comment posted by danielphall26@gmail:
4/2/2021 11:12:00 PM - You're joking right? Literally every other review including critics has this lasting years from now. Perhaps you had a questionable bottle?
Comment posted by markcic:
4/3/2021 5:30:00 AM - Wow - either Danielphall was right and you had a tainted bottle or IMO you just opened it much to early. I have a lot of Saxums in my cellar (feel free to browse) and at present am drinking up my 10's, 12,s and 13,s. Have found in the past that the Saxum wine really don't come into their own until they have 6 or 7 years of cellar age. Don't get disheartened, try again they are really great wines.
Comment posted by Sanlucar:
4/3/2021 10:44:00 AM - I appreciate your comments, but this 2017 JBV was high alcohol, high acid & strong tannin. Saxum wines are built like a sandcastles of red & black fruit flavors that disintegrate and fade away too soon.
Just FYI, I’ve collected Saxum for about 15 years and have noticed they do not last nearly as long as indicated by the community of experts. I’ve recently been burning through my Saxum bottles and I find myself saying “I should have drunk this wine years ago” because they begin to fall apart and lose their former power and elegance, becoming much thinner, lighter and acidic. Saxum is best when it’s young and you need to be a devotee of that style (which I once was) but the wines just don’t have the fortitude or staying power. Cheers!
Comment posted by Jimaronson:
4/3/2021 2:00:00 PM - I have found 2017 is a disappointing year. I am not surprised that the wine is disjointed at this time. It sounds like it will never mellow out. I have been drinking my 2017’s to burn through them. My feeling is to go ahead and open the 17’s and if you find a good one then you can wait. Otherwise, don’t waste your time and consume them now. There are a couple of 2017’s that I have found less than satisfying, but willing to wait a year to open the next bottle. For example, Roy Piper made a reasonable 2017, but it needs time and I am willing to wait. I like the Saxum wines no older than 5 years. I think the wine is all about intensity and it is not a wine that needs to be cellared 10 years for secondary characteristics. However, I admit that I have not had a 10 year old Saxum.