I selected this wine because of the 39% Zinfandel in the blend with 38% Syrah, 13% Petite Sirah, and 10% Mourvèdre believing it would make it more accessible. Absolutely beautiful with about a 2-3 hour decant. Alcohol undetectable, tannins resolved, lush, fruit preserved, wonderful floral and mineral notes with a soft and delicate character.
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My cousin opened this bottle an hour or to before we arrived. The nose was all fruit. The palate was dark berries, cherry, meats, a touch of to tobacco and a hint is spice leading to a long finish.
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Definite leather, very active on palate, open four hours before tasting, next day glass a bit less enthused, last glass at four days and wine was tired by that point. Confusing.
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Decant for 60 minutes. Still very deep purple, I feel the Zin did not show through as much as I expected. Tannins are completely resolved, darker fruit like black berry and plum, chocolate and a slight hint of leather. Paired well with A NY steak.. No reason to hold, drink now
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Tons of black fruit - blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry and black plum. There's some exotic spice and vanilla. This is a big wine, but at this point in its life, it is polished and not too over the top. Drinking very nicely now.
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The missus went nuts about this wine. Crazy. Out of her mind. She thought one of the best wines in the past year. Rich, full-bodied, lots of fruit, reaching but not over the top, integrated... Got the offer for the '19s the next day and bought some.
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My first Saxum. Dark purple in color. The nose of dark fruit hits you without even swirling. I loved it. On the palate it is very flavorful and completely integrated at this point. Very smooth. I left a little in the decanter and finished a glass the next day. It was even better. Had an added hint of spice on the palate the second day.
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Deep, dark red color. Aromas of chocolate and black cherries. Deep spicy fruit, blackberry, blueberry, roast meats, chocolate. With air it becomes plush with bright berry flavors across the palate. Fine tannins (could stand to soften just a bit more), great acidity and balance. Finishes long and true to the palate. Drink over the next 5 to 7 years, perhaps more. 39% Zinfandel; 38% Syrah; 13% Petite Sirah; 10% Mourvedre.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of blackberry, black plum, fig, black tea, anise, bramble and spice. Ripe black fruit, fig, anise, vanilla, underbrush and ripe tannins on the palate. Very long finish with excellent depth. Full bodied. Served with Tuscan pork tenderloin.
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I have not had this wine in almost 6 years and I believe the wine has gotten better with age. At first I was concerned as the cork broke as I was extracting it (strange - I have been drinking Saxum wines for over ten years and never had a cork break and now I have had two in two weeks ) I then decanted through a vinturi and let sit for 5 hours. Then I got a little nervous because the nose was slightly muted. Then I poured some, swirled it and all my fears dissipated. The palate was just alive. Berries, charred meat, figs, tobacco and hints of eucalyptus. Each glass was better. The finish just went on and on and on. I paired it with seared tuna steaks. Just a great bottle of wine - the last of my 09's.
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This wine has retained its amazing freshness and fruit while gaining in structure and complexity. Like so many of the Saxum wines, it's perfectly balanced. I don't see any signs of it losing fruit or oomph any time soon, but, alas, it's my last bottle, so I'll never know!
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Beautiful fruit, rich, complex, meat and leather, blueberry cobbler, wet earth, fantastic finish that goes on and on. Kept getting better and better as we got to the end of the bottle so I upgraded my score. Drink this now!
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Decades of Decadence - "The 9's" (Buellton, CA): Leather, graphite, plum, cassis, earth aromas. Extreme concentration and depth. Showing heat and alcohol. Backwards black fruit and licorice spices. Full rich depth. Shut down, needs time.
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Decades of Decadence -- the '9' Edition (Our Favorite Spot in Buellton, CA): I'm clearly in the minority as far as the CT community is concerned, but I thought this was monolithic, dense and hot, with the ripe, confected fruit and evident alcohol failing to show the hallmark complexity I was seeking. Granted, this was enjoyed along some tough, and more elegant, competition, but I still have yet to find that Saxum 'wow' wine, post- the 2007 vintage.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 2-3 hours.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, potpourri, candied plums and black berries. Flavors of black currants, dried plums and black cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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Deep inky color, pop and pour, developed nicely in the glass with a hint of tannins. Rich berry fruit, hidden gem. High alcohol only showing after we drank the Btl. Still has time.
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Popped and poured. This is a dark purple wine, one with notes of blueberry, blackberry, and campfire on the nose — the nose is very fragrant. This wine is large in the mouth, with a chewy and deep fruit core leading into a lush wave on the finish. Despite the size, there is no bite on this wine. This is one where I really get the Zin. A good friend says try with a bacon cheeseburger. Who am I to disagree? This is a wine of great fun and immediate pleasure. Enjoy. 91 points.
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Very tasty Zin/Rhone blend (the first Saxum made from this historic vineyard.) No signs of age - concentrated but still youthful. Popped and poured but it improved with glass time.
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Aromas of blackberry, cherry, smoked meat, bramble and spice. Blackberry liquor, cherry, chocolate, vanilla bean and soft tannins on the palate. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied. Served with wood fired pizza.
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Wow. Very nice Zinfandel. But, for me, this wine is probably at the top of its drinking window. This was my last 2009 so I won't be able to verify this in one more year.
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This was later in the night and I didn't take any specific notes so going off of memory. Very clearly a new world wine. Really fruit forward and intense. One of those wines that I think of as just a bit decadent. The kindof wine that plays to the child-like impulses. A treat to try and very much enjoyed.
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Popped and poured...first words from my wife, "This is what California smells like"...strong and deep nose of black fruit with just a hint of spice...mouth-coating richness with the first sip that continued to get better after an hour of air...long finish with some tannins present, but definitely worth drinking now...easily several more years of life for this one with one bottle left.
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Popped and aerated the first glass. Then let the rest open over an hour. I recommend planning better than I and decanting for a couple hours. Wonderful up front mixed red fruit. So much more interesting than straight Zin. This is drinking beautifully right now. Alcohol load is unnoticeable. Smooth and well integrated. Have only one left which I plan to keep cellered a year or two max.
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A year later the same great wine. I opened it 7 hours before dinner and after 4 hours decanted through a vinturi. Big nose of dark fruit, the palate was blackberry, dark cherries, red meat, touch of olive and spice and what I call the "Saxum Finish" it just goes on and on.
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Rhone wines with friends (The Posk's): Great showing for this wine. Perfect with home made pizzas. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, dark cherries, slight soy, coffee and a bit of bramble. On the palate, this is slightly sweet/ripe. Lots of black cherries, raspberries and plums. Very deep. Great acidity. A lot going on here but this kept unwinding all night. Its great now but I think it will come together more and could garner another point or two. No harm drinking now though.
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Well made wine, but the alcohol and heat is still dominate. Not worth price imho, doesnt mean not good, just expensive. Moving away from this style personally.
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Decanted for an hour before service. In the glass, purplish-maroon. On the nose, a mixture of black fruits, salt water, and oak. On the palate, a hybrid of high-end Cali zinfandel and tannic, peppery syrah, with an assertive tannin-driven finish. It's still young, but I'd be willing to bet this has the bones to age well. Give it another go in 3 years.
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This was popped and poured and to my surprise, almost unanimous wotn for 8 fairly novice drinkers. Sweet black fruits and dark chocolate dominate the palate on this with some oak and some tannis structure. Delicious but will continue to improve.
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Its been over three years since I tried a bottle, I opened it 6 hours before dinner and after 4 hours decanted through a vinturi. Big nose of dark fruit, the palate was blackberry, dark cherries, red meat, touch of olive and spice. The long smooth finish went on forever.
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Blend of Zinfandel 39%, Syrah 38%, Petite Syrah 13%. and Mourvedre 10%. This is a big, intense wine, which evolved in the glass over an hour or so almost in the sequence of the varietals. Starting out with a little heat but mostly fruity Zinfandel with an undercurrent of stronger things to come; then about 30 to 40 minutes in, the Syrah came out and dominated; and finally it took on some tannic heft with the Petite Syrah and Mourvedre. Drinking fine now, but clearly has room to age.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of black cherry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, mocha, hard black licorice and spice. Rich black cherry, dark chocolate, coffee, leather and spice on the palate. Leads to a very long finish. Full bodied and dense. Paired with baked four cheese pasta.
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End o' Summer Roundup - 2015: Firm and dense and classy, but I seem to be losing patience for the style. Dates dominate the aromatic and flavor profile and I prefer berries or brighter fruits. Some tea, forest floor and cedar accents add a bit of sophistication.
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Overwhelmingly powerful fruit dominates the palate. Dark berries. Still some heat, so it will peak in about 5 years, then it will be fantastic. Another great effort from Saxum.
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PnP'd, followed over the next six hours, then finished off the next day. Moderately expressive nose of blueberries, Ovaltine, and a faint, sweet herbal note I couldn't pinpoint, almost like some European herbal digestif (Jaegermeister even), though subtle and inoffensive. The wine was delightfully silken on the palate, relatively light and well-balanced considering this is 15.9% ABV full-throttled zin-syrah-pet-mourvedre Paso blend, though the alcohol did impart a sense of sweetness that some would not enjoy. Dark berry and cherry flavors were more prominent on the palate. Decent acidity, noticeable tannins and much extract make me think this will go at least another 5 years. On the other hand, I actually enjoyed it more on day 1 than day 2, so it is clearly open for business.
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Red Blends on a Saturday afternoon (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking): So much better than a bottle that I had about a month ago. That was hot and disjointed until it had about 8 hours of air. This was good to go on pop and pour. The nose has black raspberries, cherries, spice, plums, and leather. On the palate, this has a great texture. Wonderful balance. Lots of cherries, black cherries and spice. Smooth and no heat. Long finish. Great showing.
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Zinfandels on a Saturday Afternoon (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking): Pop and pour. Purple in color. The nose is consumed with alcohol. It is hard to sniff it. I let it sit a bit in the glass and that calmed down. Black raspberry fruit but also plenty of alcohol on the nose. The palate was the same way with a strong cough syrup quality. Most at the table complained about it. The wine seemed shut down hard as well. Just not giving much up to me. Hard to score this one and my expectations were so high, I am probably being hard on it, but maybe, to be fair 88. It was quite a disappointment to everyone at the table I think. There was a glass left that I drank later at night when at home and it was significantly better. The nose had that black raspberry with a bit of spice and some black cherries. No hear. The texture was wonderful. Creamy yet with plenty of strength. Great black raspberry fruit and depth and complexity. All the alcohol and heat were gone from my senses. I might score that last glass 94+ points. I can only assume this wine is not in a good spot right now. I never think of Zins shutting down, but this one certainly seemed to be shut down. If I was opening another bottle, I would give it a very long decant. I believe this is 39% Zin, with an equal amount of Syrah, and also some Petite Sirah and Mourvedre.
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Initially had a green note to it denoting whole cluster fermentation, which was off-putting to me, but resolved with aeration/time. Well crafted wine, great fruit, strong finish.
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A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): Really great showing for this wine. It had been open for a while when I got to it, and was drinking great. The nose has bramble, raspberries, a bit of mint and graphite. Seamless. Gorgeous and quite accessible. Showing some complexity but this is more about richness and deliciousness. Lovely balance.
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Decanted 21 hours. No notes taken but this was impressive. Gorgeously ripe fruit, both lush and deep, with graceful power and stylish structure. And the tell-tale Saxum finesse and balance was on full display, softening the edges, caressing, suggesting, enticing. Justin has crafted yet another sexy beast. 95-96
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Slow ox'd for 10 hours then consumed over two days. The immediate impression was heat on the nose and dominating tannin which subsided after several hours. Day two was so impressive, I wish I had simply decanted the night before. The structure had fully integrated presenting a background of dark fruit with occasional raspberry, the foreground showing tar, licorice, and mineral elements, always seeming to alter slightly with each swallow. It is big, but neither heavy nor brooding. Did I mention the lush texture and reverberating finish? Yes, after a rocky start, I proposed to this wine on day two.
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Catching up on cellar errors and deleting wines I drank during the year but not entering notes because they are just memories - EXCEPT this one. This was a big WOW wine. Dark and inky with cherries, blueberries, raspberries and spice. Meatiness and overall delicious. I had just spent an entire day supervising the cooking of dinner for 120 people and I was a bit tired, so I knew that morning that the day would have to end with something powerful. This was it. Not for the feint of heart BUT this is not a syrupy old style (I understand that they have changed but I have not tried a new one) Turley Zin. The petite syrah gives it earthiness and depth while Justin's magic mourvedre added meat juices. Overall an extremely complex flavor profile that knitted together very well and balanced the 15.9% ABV.
Double decanted for three hours. Drank over two hours at restaurant. Floral nose with loads of dark fruit. This was lovely but will only get better with age.
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Popped and poured...my first experience with this new offering from Saxum...expressive floral nose and dark fruit...a big wine...I would never have guessed that zin is the largest component...the petite sirah is nice...smooth finish...went well with rack of lamb and steak.
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Vigorously decanted: The nose was quite expressive upon opening, ample dark fruit on the nose and palate. For the first couple hours, the tannins were a bit bitter/drying on the finish, but came into check. The nose really blossomed at bout that point, and faded aromatically after about 3 hours. Big, skirting on Aussie Shiraz-like, but manages to walk on the balanced side of the line. I don't know if I would have identified this as zin-based blind.
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Surprised myself in that I really enjoyed this. Very big, as expected, but not over the top, nor with the heat I often get with Saxum. Just delicious dark fruits and spices, as well as some floral and tar elements. Very dense, great mouth feel, nice finish. Good stuff!
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Sorry, no formal notes. 3 hour decant. A superb wine. Black fruit dominated, definitely dominated by the Zin. Amazingly well balanced, sweet, integrated tannins. Just a delicious wine , with quite a long life ahead.
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I always enjoy Saxum more with bottle age, but this is one of my favorite young Saxums I've ever tasted. Even though we were having a zin tasting, this is not a pure zin and does not have the rustic old-world heritage old-vine character that I love about the finest zins in California. Instead, this is a modern blend, a la Matt Trevisan or Dave Phinney, but finer and more sophisticated than any wine I've ever had from those talented winemakers. The wine starts with a beautiful sweet fruit-driven nose that carries into the palate where there is peppery, savory, and mouth-watering plate of charcuterie, along with the minerality of crushed rocks and graphite. The mouthfeel was round, plush and velvety, perhaps due to the significant amount of syrah and petite sirah components in the blend. This is a massive wine, so you better have it with some grilled meats. This was the clear WOTN for me. Thanks to Paul Lin for sharing this bottle.
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Wines at Chris and Renee's home. (Chris and Renee's): Very nice. Much softer than I remember this being. Not as huge as some, although still big. drinks more Zin like than Syrah. Some heat on the finish. Great raspberry and black raspberry fruit.
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I'm not sold on the Zin style from Saxum, great extraction as expected but the wine is a bit hot with some sour characteristics. Great purity of fruit and some good complexity keeps this in the lower 90's.
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First Saxum. Decanted for hour and drank over 2. Needs more time but wanted to try and see what I think of Saxum before getting more. Zinfandel dominates. This is hot and tough right now. Definitely a desert wine - not great with food. Not sure if worth the price versus buying Epoch or Booker or Torrin for 50% of price...if you like this style or in the mood for it - which sometimes I am...
Rich, huge, delicious. full bodied, blackberry/blueberry fruit with pencil lead flavors, excellent structure, a bit chewy in texture and a little short on the finish, Petite Syrah fruit dominates, interesting but not as elegant as other Saxum blends, I found the alcohol amply contained by the enormity of fruit and thus the wine wasn't offensively hot
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At first try it had lots of heat/alcohol. Decanted for about 2 hrs. Made a big difference. Typical full body Paso wine. Very dark color. Aromas and tastes of dark fruits like plum, blackberries, some cherry. Hints of strawberry and even some banana believe it or not (banana in a good way). This was a wow wine for us.
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First day there was some MASSIVE alcohol, it was like a shot of vodka after a sip of wine. I put it back in the bottle and left it for day 2. Much better day 2, although still quite alcoholic, even for a Saxum, this is very good but needs some serious time or one massive decant.
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Man this is a huge wine. Delicious but not that food friendly and one that is more a cocktail or after dinner wine. The nose has black and red raspberries, some cough syrup, some bacon fat and some bramble. Great texture. This and luxurious. Long finish. Curious how this is on Day 2.
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Enjoyable but showed more of its PS heritage than Zinfandel. Burly, smoky, thick textured, it did not wow me as other Saxum offerings have. Still a very nice, well made wine.
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39% Zin 38% Syrah 13%PS 10% Mouvedre nose - dark ripe fruit, blueberry, blackberry, charcoal mouth - huge fruit bomb. luscious and unctious, though as duane points out doesnt really have as full of a body as it should. Drink by itself.
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Blind Night (Kevin): Hot and all alcohol. Decanted 5 hours. Not a fan of this in the least. Undrinkable. Not sure what everyone else is seeing in this wine?
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Big, giant zin-oriented blend. Popped and poured and for 30-45 minutes, very monolithic. But after an hour or so, this is opening nicely. Not a subtle wine, but nice cinnamon and pine in front of a wall of inky black fruit. Finish is a bit tart and drying. Could definitely use a lot more time.
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This was the first Saxum I have ever tasted, and I am now convinced why so many love these wines. The wine was opened and decanted for about 2.5 hours. It was magnificent, smooth, yet incredibly complex. To me, the Syrah stood out, and the Zinfandel complimented it beautifully. The flavours I remember were dark fruit, slight mint notes, sweet spices, eucalyptus and plums. This is a spectacular wine, and I am now buying lots of other Saxum wine! This was had alongside a 2009 Greer and a 2003 SQN Papa. The Saxum took WOTN
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Big fruit forward wine. Incredibly smooth and silky mouth feel, and vey soft tannins for a young wine with so much Syrah and Petite Sirah. Very complex tastes. Loved it!
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Incredibly big wine that was truly hitting stride after 5 hours double decanted. Interesting combo, but probably will amount to my least favorite of the Saxum lineup.
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Really young but this has all the parts. Very voluptuous and upfront zin component but great depth and a long finish. Probably needs 2-3 years to hit its stride.
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Complex and smooth. Drank well from the beginning, but did improve with air. I think it will improve with a little age, but I do not think there's a reason to cellar for an extended time. Drink/hold.
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Wow, really really pops on the nose, just an absolute blast of blue and red fruits on the initial hit. Its ne of the better noses if smelled in quite awile where it just pops out of the glass. I did feel the wine lacked a bit in the mid palate, with just not much going on. Finishes awfullly nice with the structure and backbone you would expect. Really really good wine....but $90 for a zin field type wine? Better than most..definately but twice as good??? (and I'm a huge saxum fan)....
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A high quality wine, but too fruit forward and a bit hot for my palate. We decanted about an hour before dinner and slowly consumed over about 3 hours. Lots going on with all the different components though and if you like really high octane wines, you'll love it.
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Rich, bold and layered, but surprisingly seamless and drinkable. My last bottle (recent) was a little less "together" than this one at first, but opened with air....this one was great out of hte gate.
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Decanted using a vinturi for two and a half hours, huge wine, big zinfandel nose but the flavors of all the different grapes integrate perfectly, it was sipped slowly for over an hour and each glass got a little better. Will wait a year before trying another one. Totally impressive.
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Upon opening, I declared it undrinkable, over-ripe, over-dense, over-oaky, slightly disjointed fruit concentrate. Frankly, I wasn't very surprised, and was ready to leave this wine to those in the room who might enjoy the style. However, about 3 hours later the bottle remained half full and someone said "try this, it's gotten better". Shocker...I rarely have experienced quite such an extreme turnaround in a relatively short period of time. The wine became a singular, silky treat with the oak and fruit melding, the fruit "clarifying" itself to a more pure Zinfandel character. Really shockingly good...I am humbled by my premature write-off of this wine..
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--- COLOR: Black-purple with medium-purple rim, completely opaque NOTE: A beast. Should have put this through the Vinturi, but instead I decanted for 6 hours, put it back in the bottle, and then had it 5 hours later. It was still tight because this really isn't a Zin, it's a Syrah/PS with a healthy portion of Zin. Treat it as such. It is a hairy beast and doesn't give up much right now. Nose has nice brambly fruit characteristics, but it's also chock full of tobacco, granite and orange zest. The mouth is rich and round, a bit hot, but brims with an equal weighting of blackberry jam, currant, mulberry and cherry pipe tobacco. The finish really gets hot when the wine is above 65 degrees, and that's what knocks a couple points off. It still has loads of fruit in a 45 second finish. Nice wine, but I can get the same pleasure from a bottle 1/2 the price. Bad QPR. At least the Smiths put better wax on the capsule with this round and it comes off in one piece.
DECANT: 6 hrs GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.2 OTHER: COST: 90 VALUE: 2.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: TRY AGAIN: now - 2016 PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Monster wine - amazing first zinfandel based wine from Justin Smith. Forgot to post when consumed so no specific tasting notes. Second bottle was a gift but did not last. Sean wanted to open and consume it on the spot.
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Upon opening, full of fruit and great nose. First taste was amazing. Put it back to slow-O for eight hours...nose of alcohol and taste was very disjointed. Not good. Had a glass and put the cork back in for a day. Day 2: much better. Fruit came back on the nose, mouthfeel was rich and lush. I guess I will put my other one away for years.
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had to open this bottle due to an issue with the cork and some seepage. That being said, WOW! There was nothing wrong with the wine, but since it was seeping I couldn't cellar it for any time. This is so different from the other Saxum's I have been lucky enough to have. I think it was maybe due to the Zin. It was well balanced, highly extracted, fruit forward and a joy to drink. As it opened up it just got better. While this certainly is one to cellar for a bit, it can be enjoyed now after a decant. Great wine, well made. Don't pass this one up if you get a chance to get some!
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Hyperextracted and juicy, but markedly dominated by Zin on the nose and palate. Finish lacks a little and develops a slight Zin copper / metallic taste mid to late. Nice wine, but I think this flavor profile can be achieved at a much better QPR. It may need time to blow off some of the fruit and let the structure come through, but very easing drinking and a crowd pleaser.
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3/14/2024 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 95 Points
I selected this wine because of the 39% Zinfandel in the blend with 38% Syrah, 13% Petite Sirah, and 10% Mourvèdre believing it would make it more accessible. Absolutely beautiful with about a 2-3 hour decant. Alcohol undetectable, tannins resolved, lush, fruit preserved, wonderful floral and mineral notes with a soft and delicate character.
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6/1/2023 - markcic Likes this wine: 94 Points
My cousin opened this bottle an hour or to before we arrived. The nose was all fruit. The palate was dark berries, cherry, meats, a touch of to tobacco and a hint is spice leading to a long finish.
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12/22/2022 - andyrowe wrote: 90 Points
Definite leather, very active on palate, open four hours before tasting, next day glass a bit less enthused, last glass at four days and wine was tired by that point. Confusing.
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3/11/2022 - jfkwines wrote: 90 Points
Decant for 60 minutes. Still very deep purple, I feel the Zin did not show through as much as I expected. Tannins are completely resolved, darker fruit like black berry and plum, chocolate and a slight hint of leather. Paired well with A NY steak.. No reason to hold, drink now
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2/23/2022 - peterk Likes this wine:
Gorgeous! Nicely integrated - smooth and balanced. The alcohol is masked by fruit and spice.
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9/6/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent and drinking really well if you like this style of wine.
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9/2/2021 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
This one spiced up our back to the womb meal. Palate friendly, dark color, good spice from the Zin and smooth with the Syrah. Like it.
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8/31/2021 - Jay A wrote: 93 Points
Tons of black fruit - blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry and black plum. There's some exotic spice and vanilla. This is a big wine, but at this point in its life, it is polished and not too over the top. Drinking very nicely now.
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7/20/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The missus went nuts about this wine. Crazy. Out of her mind. She thought one of the best wines in the past year. Rich, full-bodied, lots of fruit, reaching but not over the top, integrated...
Got the offer for the '19s the next day and bought some.
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7/16/2021 - davudvl Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first Saxum. Dark purple in color. The nose of dark fruit hits you without even swirling. I loved it. On the palate it is very flavorful and completely integrated at this point. Very smooth. I left a little in the decanter and finished a glass the next day. It was even better. Had an added hint of spice on the palate the second day.
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3/18/2021 - rmarcos wrote: 92 Points
Huge! Dark purple massive wine
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1/12/2021 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark red color. Aromas of chocolate and black cherries. Deep spicy fruit, blackberry, blueberry, roast meats, chocolate. With air it becomes plush with bright berry flavors across the palate. Fine tannins (could stand to soften just a bit more), great acidity and balance. Finishes long and true to the palate. Drink over the next 5 to 7 years, perhaps more. 39% Zinfandel; 38% Syrah; 13% Petite Sirah; 10% Mourvedre.
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1/10/2021 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of blackberry, black plum, fig, black tea, anise, bramble and spice. Ripe black fruit, fig, anise, vanilla, underbrush and ripe tannins on the palate. Very long finish with excellent depth. Full bodied. Served with Tuscan pork tenderloin.
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9/17/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 96 Points
I have not had this wine in almost 6 years and I believe the wine has gotten better with age. At first I was concerned as the cork broke as I was extracting it (strange - I have been drinking Saxum wines for over ten years and never had a cork break and now I have had two in two weeks ) I then decanted through a vinturi and let sit for 5 hours. Then I got a little nervous because the nose was slightly muted. Then I poured some, swirled it and all my fears dissipated. The palate was just alive. Berries, charred meat, figs, tobacco and hints of eucalyptus. Each glass was better. The finish just went on and on and on. I paired it with seared tuna steaks. Just a great bottle of wine - the last of my 09's.
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8/4/2020 - MLwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine has retained its amazing freshness and fruit while gaining in structure and complexity. Like so many of the Saxum wines, it's perfectly balanced. I don't see any signs of it losing fruit or oomph any time soon, but, alas, it's my last bottle, so I'll never know!
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7/25/2020 - westywines Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark Ruby red color. Delicious.
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6/9/2020 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous tasting note.
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4/5/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dense fruit, wonderful berry palate feel and taste, over powering alcohol finish takes away what this wine could be.
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4/2/2020 - madmagnum Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful fruit, rich, complex, meat and leather, blueberry cobbler, wet earth, fantastic finish that goes on and on. Kept getting better and better as we got to the end of the bottle so I upgraded my score. Drink this now!
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3/18/2020 - joelbkaplan wrote: 90 Points
a bold, fantastic nose, smooth and tasty. with great fruit taste. boldness. we wish we had another bottle.
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12/21/2019 - MattMauldin wrote: 89 Points
Decades of Decadence - "The 9's" (Buellton, CA): Leather, graphite, plum, cassis, earth aromas. Extreme concentration and depth. Showing heat and alcohol. Backwards black fruit and licorice spices. Full rich depth. Shut down, needs time.
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12/19/2019 - JonnyG wrote: 88 Points
Decades of Decadence -- the '9' Edition (Our Favorite Spot in Buellton, CA): I'm clearly in the minority as far as the CT community is concerned, but I thought this was monolithic, dense and hot, with the ripe, confected fruit and evident alcohol failing to show the hallmark complexity I was seeking. Granted, this was enjoyed along some tough, and more elegant, competition, but I still have yet to find that Saxum 'wow' wine, post- the 2007 vintage.
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12/4/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 2-3 hours.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of roasted meat, potpourri, candied plums and black berries. Flavors of black currants, dried plums and black cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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10/4/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep inky color, pop and pour, developed nicely in the glass with a hint of tannins. Rich berry fruit, hidden gem. High alcohol only showing after we drank the Btl. Still has time.
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9/14/2019 - rogerr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very intriguing wine with great complexity. Needs a decant and/or air. Drinking well now but is still in its youth.
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2/9/2019 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a dark purple wine, one with notes of blueberry, blackberry, and campfire on the nose — the nose is very fragrant. This wine is large in the mouth, with a chewy and deep fruit core leading into a lush wave on the finish. Despite the size, there is no bite on this wine. This is one where I really get the Zin. A good friend says try with a bacon cheeseburger. Who am I to disagree? This is a wine of great fun and immediate pleasure. Enjoy. 91 points.
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12/30/2018 - jjhsom Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tannic Jan 16, but will be great with a few more years
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9/22/2018 - MikeCW wrote: 92 Points
Big, powerful wine which was enjoyable tonight. No real signs of age. Monolithic may be the best descriptor.
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8/10/2018 - peterk Likes this wine:
Black as night, rich, dense, powerful - venturi decanted and left for an hour. Improving with time. Love it. Not for the meek.
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5/19/2018 - rogerr Likes this wine: 93 Points
same as last note
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5/4/2018 - rogerr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very tasty Zin/Rhone blend (the first Saxum made from this historic vineyard.) No signs of age - concentrated but still youthful. Popped and poured but it improved with glass time.
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12/10/2017 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aromas of blackberry, cherry, smoked meat, bramble and spice. Blackberry liquor, cherry, chocolate, vanilla bean and soft tannins on the palate. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied. Served with wood fired pizza.
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9/25/2017 - MLwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vibrant, terrific Rhone blend. In a great place. Will be curious to see if it develops any further in another year or so.
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8/27/2017 - Rktekt3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. Very nice Zinfandel. But, for me, this wine is probably at the top of its drinking window. This was my last 2009 so I won't be able to verify this in one more year.
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7/24/2017 - jlgnml wrote: 90 Points
Deep berry color, good palate feel, was looking for some spice, overall good.
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6/10/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
This was later in the night and I didn't take any specific notes so going off of memory. Very clearly a new world wine. Really fruit forward and intense. One of those wines that I think of as just a bit decadent. The kindof wine that plays to the child-like impulses. A treat to try and very much enjoyed.
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4/23/2017 - onboisduvin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Interesting experience with this wine. Hard to tell its blend blind-tasted. Interesting and good for food-pairing.
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4/22/2017 - hanasowner wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured...first words from my wife, "This is what California smells like"...strong and deep nose of black fruit with just a hint of spice...mouth-coating richness with the first sip that continued to get better after an hour of air...long finish with some tannins present, but definitely worth drinking now...easily several more years of life for this one with one bottle left.
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4/5/2017 - Tangokaren wrote: 95 Points
Popped and aerated the first glass. Then let the rest open over an hour. I recommend planning better than I and decanting for a couple hours. Wonderful up front mixed red fruit. So much more interesting than straight Zin. This is drinking beautifully right now. Alcohol load is unnoticeable. Smooth and well integrated. Have only one left which I plan to keep cellered a year or two max.
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1/1/2017 - JohnnyShiraz Likes this wine: 97 Points
15.9% ABV, 39% Zinfandel, 38% Syrah, 13% Petite Sirah and 10% Mourvedre
Loved it. At its peak, tannins are silky smooth. Drink now.
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11/20/2016 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
A year later the same great wine. I opened it 7 hours before dinner and after 4 hours decanted through a vinturi. Big nose of dark fruit, the palate was blackberry, dark cherries, red meat, touch of olive and spice and what I call the "Saxum Finish" it just goes on and on.
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10/12/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
A little too hot for me but still tasty.
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10/3/2016 - Backdoctor wrote: 92 Points
great bottle, everyone loved it
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8/28/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
Rhone wines with friends (The Posk's): Great showing for this wine. Perfect with home made pizzas. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, dark cherries, slight soy, coffee and a bit of bramble. On the palate, this is slightly sweet/ripe. Lots of black cherries, raspberries and plums. Very deep. Great acidity. A lot going on here but this kept unwinding all night. Its great now but I think it will come together more and could garner another point or two. No harm drinking now though.
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8/27/2016 - Rktekt3 wrote: 94 Points
I like it. Yummy.
Decanted two hours. Shows well.
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7/16/2016 - cpsmith33 wrote: 92 Points
Well made wine, but the alcohol and heat is still dominate.
Not worth price imho, doesnt mean not good, just expensive.
Moving away from this style personally.
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5/18/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour, so good. Might be better if decanted but who cares.
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4/23/2016 - Reno-Rhone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent! Decanted and it was fantastic!
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4/8/2016 - Reno-Rhone wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine - ready to drink with soft tannins. A little tight but we aerated and it was great.
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4/3/2016 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Incredible wine. Well rounded and soft tannins with great length and super finish. Best showing to date.
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1/31/2016 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding again... But this wine still need a few more years in the cellar to fully integrate.
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1/1/2016 - Geoff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Complex, heavy bodied, balanced, drinking quite well, but can last a long time yet.
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12/18/2015 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour before service. In the glass, purplish-maroon. On the nose, a mixture of black fruits, salt water, and oak. On the palate, a hybrid of high-end Cali zinfandel and tannic, peppery syrah, with an assertive tannin-driven finish. It's still young, but I'd be willing to bet this has the bones to age well. Give it another go in 3 years.
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12/3/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
This was popped and poured and to my surprise, almost unanimous wotn for 8 fairly novice drinkers. Sweet black fruits and dark chocolate dominate the palate on this with some oak and some tannis structure. Delicious but will continue to improve.
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11/30/2015 - Kusian Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sublime, ultra smooth, peaking right now.
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11/26/2015 - Fid wrote: 91 Points
Previous bottle was much more lush. This was more brooding and not as open for business. Still pretty good.
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10/24/2015 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
Its been over three years since I tried a bottle, I opened it 6 hours before dinner and after 4 hours decanted through a vinturi. Big nose of dark fruit, the palate was blackberry, dark cherries, red meat, touch of olive and spice. The long smooth finish went on forever.
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10/3/2015 - ELH wrote: 94 Points
Blend of Zinfandel 39%, Syrah 38%, Petite Syrah 13%. and Mourvedre 10%. This is a big, intense wine, which evolved in the glass over an hour or so almost in the sequence of the varietals. Starting out with a little heat but mostly fruity Zinfandel with an undercurrent of stronger things to come; then about 30 to 40 minutes in, the Syrah came out and dominated; and finally it took on some tannic heft with the Petite Syrah and Mourvedre. Drinking fine now, but clearly has room to age.
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9/18/2015 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of black cherry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, mocha, hard black licorice and spice. Rich black cherry, dark chocolate, coffee, leather and spice on the palate. Leads to a very long finish. Full bodied and dense. Paired with baked four cheese pasta.
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9/1/2015 - pgb67 wrote: 89 Points
End o' Summer Roundup - 2015: Firm and dense and classy, but I seem to be losing patience for the style. Dates dominate the aromatic and flavor profile and I prefer berries or brighter fruits. Some tea, forest floor and cedar accents add a bit of sophistication.
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8/30/2015 - Rktekt3 wrote: 93 Points
Yummm!
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7/24/2015 - Stevere Likes this wine: 96 Points
Overwhelmingly powerful fruit dominates the palate. Dark berries. Still some heat, so it will peak in about 5 years, then it will be fantastic. Another great effort from Saxum.
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7/21/2015 - CRAUBER4242 Likes this wine: 94 Points
No formal notes, but a big wine that had nice balance and tannin with notes of dark berries, plum, flowers and spice.
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6/5/2015 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious blackberry, pepper, and spice on the nose and rich palate with a touch of heat on the long finish.
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4/27/2015 - ParisWino Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP'd, followed over the next six hours, then finished off the next day. Moderately expressive nose of blueberries, Ovaltine, and a faint, sweet herbal note I couldn't pinpoint, almost like some European herbal digestif (Jaegermeister even), though subtle and inoffensive. The wine was delightfully silken on the palate, relatively light and well-balanced considering this is 15.9% ABV full-throttled zin-syrah-pet-mourvedre Paso blend, though the alcohol did impart a sense of sweetness that some would not enjoy. Dark berry and cherry flavors were more prominent on the palate. Decent acidity, noticeable tannins and much extract make me think this will go at least another 5 years. On the other hand, I actually enjoyed it more on day 1 than day 2, so it is clearly open for business.
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3/14/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Red Blends on a Saturday afternoon (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking): So much better than a bottle that I had about a month ago. That was hot and disjointed until it had about 8 hours of air. This was good to go on pop and pour. The nose has black raspberries, cherries, spice, plums, and leather. On the palate, this has a great texture. Wonderful balance. Lots of cherries, black cherries and spice. Smooth and no heat. Long finish. Great showing.
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2/8/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Zinfandels on a Saturday Afternoon (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking): Pop and pour. Purple in color. The nose is consumed with alcohol. It is hard to sniff it. I let it sit a bit in the glass and that calmed down. Black raspberry fruit but also plenty of alcohol on the nose. The palate was the same way with a strong cough syrup quality. Most at the table complained about it. The wine seemed shut down hard as well. Just not giving much up to me. Hard to score this one and my expectations were so high, I am probably being hard on it, but maybe, to be fair 88. It was quite a disappointment to everyone at the table I think. There was a glass left that I drank later at night when at home and it was significantly better. The nose had that black raspberry with a bit of spice and some black cherries. No hear. The texture was wonderful. Creamy yet with plenty of strength. Great black raspberry fruit and depth and complexity. All the alcohol and heat were gone from my senses. I might score that last glass 94+ points. I can only assume this wine is not in a good spot right now. I never think of Zins shutting down, but this one certainly seemed to be shut down. If I was opening another bottle, I would give it a very long decant. I believe this is 39% Zin, with an equal amount of Syrah, and also some Petite Sirah and Mourvedre.
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1/8/2015 - Geoff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Initially had a green note to it denoting whole cluster fermentation, which was off-putting to me, but resolved with aeration/time. Well crafted wine, great fruit, strong finish.
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12/6/2014 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine, but overpowered the food served. My mistake, not the wine. No formal notes, but recall it having blackberry, pepper and a long finish.
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9/28/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again) (Tommy K's.): Really great showing for this wine. It had been open for a while when I got to it, and was drinking great. The nose has bramble, raspberries, a bit of mint and graphite. Seamless. Gorgeous and quite accessible. Showing some complexity but this is more about richness and deliciousness. Lovely balance.
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7/12/2014 - Redguy wrote:
Decanted 21 hours. No notes taken but this was impressive. Gorgeously ripe fruit, both lush and deep, with graceful power and stylish structure. And the tell-tale Saxum finesse and balance was on full display, softening the edges, caressing, suggesting, enticing. Justin has crafted yet another sexy beast. 95-96
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7/11/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: flawed
Zins, Serbians, Syrahs and others (Lou's): Corked.
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5/27/2014 - jeagle wrote: 97 Points
Slow ox'd for 10 hours then consumed over two days. The immediate impression was heat on the nose and dominating tannin which subsided after several hours. Day two was so impressive, I wish I had simply decanted the night before. The structure had fully integrated presenting a background of dark fruit with occasional raspberry, the foreground showing tar, licorice, and mineral elements, always seeming to alter slightly with each swallow. It is big, but neither heavy nor brooding. Did I mention the lush texture and reverberating finish? Yes, after a rocky start, I proposed to this wine on day two.
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4/26/2014 - cadamson wrote: 88 Points
Lots of dark fruit and tar notes. A bit too much heat.
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4/22/2014 - Jay Hack Likes this wine: 94 Points
Catching up on cellar errors and deleting wines I drank during the year but not entering notes because they are just memories - EXCEPT this one. This was a big WOW wine. Dark and inky with cherries, blueberries, raspberries and spice. Meatiness and overall delicious. I had just spent an entire day supervising the cooking of dinner for 120 people and I was a bit tired, so I knew that morning that the day would have to end with something powerful. This was it. Not for the feint of heart BUT this is not a syrupy old style (I understand that they have changed but I have not tried a new one) Turley Zin. The petite syrah gives it earthiness and depth while Justin's magic mourvedre added meat juices. Overall an extremely complex flavor profile that knitted together very well and balanced the 15.9% ABV.
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3/2/2014 - wdb001 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted for three hours. Drank over two hours at restaurant. Floral nose with loads of dark fruit. This was lovely but will only get better with age.
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1/31/2014 - budman wrote:
Pleasant... a little sweet, but this particular bottle had no 'wow' factor. No score. Certainly not a good QPR. Maybe it was flawed.
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1/25/2014 - hanasowner wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured...my first experience with this new offering from Saxum...expressive floral nose and dark fruit...a big wine...I would never have guessed that zin is the largest component...the petite sirah is nice...smooth finish...went well with rack of lamb and steak.
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1/13/2014 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Big, rich, brawny, delisious
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1/2/2014 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark fruit with black cherry notes. No tannins. Pleasant
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1/1/2014 - thalver wrote:
Vigorously decanted: The nose was quite expressive upon opening, ample dark fruit on the nose and palate. For the first couple hours, the tannins were a bit bitter/drying on the finish, but came into check. The nose really blossomed at bout that point, and faded aromatically after about 3 hours. Big, skirting on Aussie Shiraz-like, but manages to walk on the balanced side of the line. I don't know if I would have identified this as zin-based blind.
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12/20/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich, but just a tad hot.
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12/3/2013 - cadamson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Surprised myself in that I really enjoyed this. Very big, as expected, but not over the top, nor with the heat I often get with Saxum. Just delicious dark fruits and spices, as well as some floral and tar elements. Very dense, great mouth feel, nice finish. Good stuff!
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11/28/2013 - Grape Stuff wrote: 95 Points
Sorry, no formal notes. 3 hour decant. A superb wine. Black fruit dominated, definitely dominated by the Zin. Amazingly well balanced, sweet, integrated tannins. Just a delicious wine , with quite a long life ahead.
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11/23/2013 - Gabe wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. At first not great but quickly took off and was excellent. No detailed notes as at a Big game BBQ tailgate
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11/13/2013 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 94 Points
I always enjoy Saxum more with bottle age, but this is one of my favorite young Saxums I've ever tasted. Even though we were having a zin tasting, this is not a pure zin and does not have the rustic old-world heritage old-vine character that I love about the finest zins in California. Instead, this is a modern blend, a la Matt Trevisan or Dave Phinney, but finer and more sophisticated than any wine I've ever had from those talented winemakers. The wine starts with a beautiful sweet fruit-driven nose that carries into the palate where there is peppery, savory, and mouth-watering plate of charcuterie, along with the minerality of crushed rocks and graphite. The mouthfeel was round, plush and velvety, perhaps due to the significant amount of syrah and petite sirah components in the blend. This is a massive wine, so you better have it with some grilled meats. This was the clear WOTN for me. Thanks to Paul Lin for sharing this bottle.
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10/27/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Wines at Chris and Renee's home. (Chris and Renee's): Very nice. Much softer than I remember this being. Not as huge as some, although still big. drinks more Zin like than Syrah. Some heat on the finish. Great raspberry and black raspberry fruit.
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10/13/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
I'm not sold on the Zin style from Saxum, great extraction as expected but the wine is a bit hot with some sour characteristics. Great purity of fruit and some good complexity keeps this in the lower 90's.
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8/8/2013 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
First Saxum. Decanted for hour and drank over 2. Needs more time but wanted to try and see what I think of Saxum before getting more. Zinfandel dominates. This is hot and tough right now. Definitely a desert wine - not great with food. Not sure if worth the price versus buying Epoch or Booker or Torrin for 50% of price...if you like this style or in the mood for it - which sometimes I am...
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8/5/2013 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very pleasant wine, but lacks the body a lot of the other Saxum bottles have (mainly Booker & James Berry).
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6/19/2013 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Rich, huge, delicious. full bodied, blackberry/blueberry fruit with pencil lead flavors, excellent structure, a bit chewy in texture and a little short on the finish, Petite Syrah fruit dominates, interesting but not as elegant as other Saxum blends, I found the alcohol amply contained by the enormity of fruit and thus the wine wasn't offensively hot
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5/24/2013 - gfm10 Likes this wine: 94 Points
At first try it had lots of heat/alcohol. Decanted for about 2 hrs. Made a big difference. Typical full body Paso wine. Very dark color. Aromas and tastes of dark fruits like plum, blackberries, some cherry. Hints of strawberry and even some banana believe it or not (banana in a good way). This was a wow wine for us.
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4/27/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
First day there was some MASSIVE alcohol, it was like a shot of vodka after a sip of wine. I put it back in the bottle and left it for day 2. Much better day 2, although still quite alcoholic, even for a Saxum, this is very good but needs some serious time or one massive decant.
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3/17/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Man this is a huge wine. Delicious but not that food friendly and one that is more a cocktail or after dinner wine. The nose has black and red raspberries, some cough syrup, some bacon fat and some bramble. Great texture. This and luxurious. Long finish. Curious how this is on Day 2.
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3/15/2013 - wcchang wrote: 93 Points
A big wine. Need long decant. Probably drank it too young.
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2/22/2013 - larrybbaldwin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyable but showed more of its PS heritage than Zinfandel. Burly, smoky, thick textured, it did not wow me as other Saxum offerings have. Still a very nice, well made wine.
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2/16/2013 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
At first good, but paled in comparison other Saxums. Much better on night 2, worth buying again.
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2/10/2013 - soyhead wrote: 92 Points
39% Zin 38% Syrah 13%PS 10% Mouvedre
nose - dark ripe fruit, blueberry, blackberry, charcoal
mouth - huge fruit bomb. luscious and unctious, though as duane points out doesnt really have as full of a body as it should. Drink by itself.
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1/17/2013 - kstoddard Does not like this wine:
Blind Night (Kevin): Hot and all alcohol. Decanted 5 hours. Not a fan of this in the least. Undrinkable. Not sure what everyone else is seeing in this wine?
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1/14/2013 - ruddy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big, giant zin-oriented blend. Popped and poured and for 30-45 minutes, very monolithic. But after an hour or so, this is opening nicely. Not a subtle wine, but nice cinnamon and pine in front of a wall of inky black fruit. Finish is a bit tart and drying. Could definitely use a lot more time.
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1/1/2013 - lucaslabelle wrote: 97 Points
This was the first Saxum I have ever tasted, and I am now convinced why so many love these wines. The wine was opened and decanted for about 2.5 hours. It was magnificent, smooth, yet incredibly complex. To me, the Syrah stood out, and the Zinfandel complimented it beautifully. The flavours I remember were dark fruit, slight mint notes, sweet spices, eucalyptus and plums. This is a spectacular wine, and I am now buying lots of other Saxum wine! This was had alongside a 2009 Greer and a 2003 SQN Papa. The Saxum took WOTN
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12/29/2012 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent again...
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12/28/2012 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Big fruit forward wine. Incredibly smooth and silky mouth feel, and vey soft tannins for a young wine with so much Syrah and Petite Sirah. Very complex tastes. Loved it!
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12/25/2012 - sachsen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Incredibly big wine that was truly hitting stride after 5 hours double decanted. Interesting combo, but probably will amount to my least favorite of the Saxum lineup.
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12/23/2012 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really young but this has all the parts. Very voluptuous and upfront zin component but great depth and a long finish. Probably needs 2-3 years to hit its stride.
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10/20/2012 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Complex and smooth. Drank well from the beginning, but did improve with air. I think it will improve with a little age, but I do not think there's a reason to cellar for an extended time. Drink/hold.
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9/28/2012 - dionysis wrote: 96 Points
Tremendous blend -- the zin stands out but is mellowed by the other varietals. Fantastic wine.
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9/28/2012 - Ekoostik wrote:
Wow, really really pops on the nose, just an absolute blast of blue and red fruits on the initial hit. Its ne of the better noses if smelled in quite awile where it just pops out of the glass. I did feel the wine lacked a bit in the mid palate, with just not much going on. Finishes awfullly nice with the structure and backbone you would expect. Really really good wine....but $90 for a zin field type wine? Better than most..definately but twice as good??? (and I'm a huge saxum fan)....
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8/19/2012 - Justin B wrote: 93 Points
A high quality wine, but too fruit forward and a bit hot for my palate. We decanted about an hour before dinner and slowly consumed over about 3 hours. Lots going on with all the different components though and if you like really high octane wines, you'll love it.
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8/15/2012 - Employee500 wrote: 95 Points
Rich, bold and layered, but surprisingly seamless and drinkable. My last bottle (recent) was a little less "together" than this one at first, but opened with air....this one was great out of hte gate.
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7/14/2012 - markcic wrote: 95 Points
Decanted using a vinturi for two and a half hours, huge wine, big zinfandel nose but the flavors of all the different grapes integrate perfectly, it was sipped slowly for over an hour and each glass got a little better. Will wait a year before trying another one. Totally impressive.
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7/9/2012 - Employee500 wrote: 96 Points
Upon opening, I declared it undrinkable, over-ripe, over-dense, over-oaky, slightly disjointed fruit concentrate. Frankly, I wasn't very surprised, and was ready to leave this wine to those in the room who might enjoy the style. However, about 3 hours later the bottle remained half full and someone said "try this, it's gotten better". Shocker...I rarely have experienced quite such an extreme turnaround in a relatively short period of time. The wine became a singular, silky treat with the oak and fruit melding, the fruit "clarifying" itself to a more pure Zinfandel character. Really shockingly good...I am humbled by my premature write-off of this wine..
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7/6/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Big fruit. No decant and it probably needed it.
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7/1/2012 - tp096255 wrote: 92 Points
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COLOR: Black-purple with medium-purple rim, completely opaque
NOTE: A beast. Should have put this through the Vinturi, but instead I decanted for 6 hours, put it back in the bottle, and then had it 5 hours later. It was still tight because this really isn't a Zin, it's a Syrah/PS with a healthy portion of Zin. Treat it as such. It is a hairy beast and doesn't give up much right now. Nose has nice brambly fruit characteristics, but it's also chock full of tobacco, granite and orange zest. The mouth is rich and round, a bit hot, but brims with an equal weighting of blackberry jam, currant, mulberry and cherry pipe tobacco. The finish really gets hot when the wine is above 65 degrees, and that's what knocks a couple points off. It still has loads of fruit in a 45 second finish. Nice wine, but I can get the same pleasure from a bottle 1/2 the price. Bad QPR. At least the Smiths put better wax on the capsule with this round and it comes off in one piece.
DECANT: 6 hrs
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.2
OTHER:
COST: 90
VALUE: 2.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED:
TRY AGAIN: now - 2016
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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6/26/2012 - Vinobruin wrote: 96 Points
Monster wine - amazing first zinfandel based wine from Justin Smith. Forgot to post when consumed so no specific tasting notes. Second bottle was a gift but did not last. Sean wanted to open and consume it on the spot.
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6/26/2012 - Vinobruin wrote: 96 Points
Monster wine - amazing first zinfandel based wine from Justin Smith. Forgot to post when consumed so no specific tasting notes.
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5/30/2012 - bonedocnine wrote: 94 Points
what do you expect for justin smith? this wine is huge and powerful. Very fruit but with structure to support it. Really top notch
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5/20/2012 - Cow Town wrote: 92 Points
Upon opening, full of fruit and great nose. First taste was amazing. Put it back to slow-O for eight hours...nose of alcohol and taste was very disjointed. Not good. Had a glass and put the cork back in for a day. Day 2: much better. Fruit came back on the nose, mouthfeel was rich and lush. I guess I will put my other one away for years.
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3/31/2012 - Tel007 wrote:
Screams Zinfandel on the nose, which is a nice change of pace for Saxum.
Deep flavors, really long finish, very nice wine.
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3/24/2012 - Backdoctor wrote: 96 Points
had to open this bottle due to an issue with the cork and some seepage. That being said, WOW! There was nothing wrong with the wine, but since it was seeping I couldn't cellar it for any time. This is so different from the other Saxum's I have been lucky enough to have. I think it was maybe due to the Zin. It was well balanced, highly extracted, fruit forward and a joy to drink. As it opened up it just got better. While this certainly is one to cellar for a bit, it can be enjoyed now after a decant. Great wine, well made. Don't pass this one up if you get a chance to get some!
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3/23/2012 - atwkite wrote: 93 Points
Hyperextracted and juicy, but markedly dominated by Zin on the nose and palate. Finish lacks a little and develops a slight Zin copper / metallic taste mid to late. Nice wine, but I think this flavor profile can be achieved at a much better QPR. It may need time to blow off some of the fruit and let the structure come through, but very easing drinking and a crowd pleaser.
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3/16/2012 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Night with the boyz at Chez Tolerico (Chez Tolerico): This reminds me of a Linne Calado, it's on the sweet side to be sure, super extraction with more of a Grenache profile than Zin. It's a crowd pleaser.
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3/12/2012 - corkcork wrote: 96 Points
WOW, steak and shallot wine sauce!
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