Absolutely stunning wine! Decanted 2 hours put back in bottle and took to BYOB dinner. Got even smoother during dinner in the glass. Enjoyed with spaghetti and meatballs. Wine is in the drink zone….so enjoy now!
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Aromatic. Still tasting fresh and focused on black cherry and blackberry, some licorice, and underlying baking spice. Fine tannins. Impressed everyone with its balance.
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Similar to prior note after a 2 hour double decant & went beautifully with the duck & chicken cooked for our Thanksgiving dinner; outstanding, probably at peak, drink or hold, no rush
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Soft cork, but it was able to be extracted. Herbs and spices with dark fruit on the nose. Tart ripe black cherry, blueberry, cola, vanilla, and a hint of chocolate and menthol. Probably at peak, doesn’t need more time but drinking really well now.
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Luis goes to Kenwood (The Kenwood): Unfortunately this only got 15 minutes or so in the decanter. Big and fruity, imagine that. Thick, dark, sweet, full of flavor.
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Just singing. At the peak of its prime. Drink now or over the next few years. Rich and unctuous but not overdone. Elegant integration of red and dark fruit. All the varietals are working in harmony.
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This wine got better and better as the night went on. The bottle was a little fizzy on the palate upon opening. However it got smoother and smoother as the night progressed.
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Dark red. Fragrant nose of black fruit, candy apple and baking spice. Round and full, cherry, strawberry, chocolate and cola flavors. Ready to go. Marvelous finish
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Raspberry jam, Grenache spice, bacon fat make up the nose of this wine. Succulent, meaty and opulent on the palate with excellent structure, a lot of things seem in place in this wine. The most important part for me however is the presence of ripe jammy Grenache fruit that is nicely lifted by Mourvèdre and Syrah. This is fully mature but still has a number of years to go. Very, very good wine if you like it modern and opulent.
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Purple in color. 15.8% ABV. 43% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise. Sublime nose of black and blue fruits, Whitman Sampler box and violets. Full bodied with perfect acidity and impeccable balance. Exceptionally rich and plush. Black raspberry, blueberry, cassis liqueur and charred meats on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Absolutely stunning wine that flirts with perfection. Best over the next several years.
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Gets a little better each time. Gave this a two hour decant. Definitely helps. Dark plum colored in glass. Dark berries , earthy and spicy on palate. Medium, long finish. Paired with dessert after beef bourgignon dinner.
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94 points. It needs a nice long decant to pull out it’s beauty, but once it starts showing, damn what a wine! Balanced and fruit driven with restraint.
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First of my bottles that was make it to 10 years, and what a treat is was. Still strong on the open but a 2 hour decant did wonders. So smooth and integrated at that point. Delicious
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Unlike the last tasting, this bottle was more fruit forward, expressive and concentrated with notes dark cherries and plum. With another few years of age, this blend has become more complex with tannins that have soften...secondary notes of licorice, currant and lavender...along with a spice on the finish. Really good!
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stood up and given a few hour decant, which seemed to help. big in that Saxum way, good balance, tannins that come to the fore on the long, lingering finish
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Took a good 45 mins to 1 hour to unfold. Tanins and acidity took a while to soften. Delicious wine. It did not drink like a predominantly Grenache blend. Tasted more like Syrah.
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I'm with GuitarGuy on this one: definitely getting the "frizz" and high alcohol on the palate - disappointing at this price point. Wine improved on Day Two - so would recommend a lengthy decant - but something definitely off with this bottle.
Dark purple color. Stewed blue fruits (boysenberry, plum), cranberry and black tea on the nose. Big fruit flavors up front, but that frizz, followed by the short, dry and cloying finish, are a downside surprise. Also worrying is the considerable sediment at the bottom of the bottle. First of three, so hoping the next one lives up to Saxum's considerable reputation. This one was not worth the price or the wait.
P&P. Really spicy grenache really shines brightly here...berry, plum, baking spice, black tea and coffee, an earthy streak running through the middle as well. Just an outstanding wine. Drink now - 2027+.
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Smoke and cranberry in the nose with a significant tannic mouthful of boysenberry, saddle and prune. There is a significant frizz to the wine which could acidity or some type of minor bad fermentation going on. Perhaps malolactic ongoing? Very dry on the finish. Not impressive especially for $90 on release.
It has come together. Inviting, friendly, giving and deep. Loving the herbal notes - unexpected in their dominance on a bold, fruity wine. Love this. And like it markedly better than the same bottle two years ago.
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Very similar to the bottle we drank five months ago. Opened two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on - just a great bottle of wine.
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Decant for barely 30 minutes and then drink with home made spaghetti and meatballs. Why Saxum with Italian food? Because we are reorganizing the cellar and I have too much Saxum to fit in the Saxum section so we needed to drink this.
Still primary flavors but losing some of the roughness of youth. Excellent balance. The nose reminded me of violets with perhaps a tiny whiff of VA that disappeared so fast it might have been an illusion. I thought the predominant flavor was smooth raspberry up front while my wife thought syrah pepper spice at the back. We were both right. A bit of plum or other red fruit to add to the raspberry and some other spices to go with the pepper. The alcohol was barely noticeable. Very smooth. Bravo, and no, it is not falling apart. NO risk of that. I have 2 more. Space them out over the next 8 years.
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Very similar to the bottle we drank six weeks ago. Opened four hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on - just a great bottle of wine.
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Dark berries, licorice and lots of earthiness, a bit oaky, still quite tannic. A bit smoother on the second day. Full-bodied, rich, and structured. I'm guessing the mourvedre was in ascendency. A bruiser of a wine. This is one James Berry that will last a long time. Very good, albeit in a dark register.
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NR - initially came across as VA but then opened up. Spongy cork. Still somehow flawed but came around as drinkable. Touch too earthy? Had it been a restaurant purchase would have sent it back. La vida es asi. Shrug.
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Dark grnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch, melted black licorice, black pepper and rose petals. Flavors of plums, currants and cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or hold.
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I had some business associates from Ohio stop by so a bunch of us went to my club for lunch so I decided to do a vertical tasting of James Berry. So 5 hours prior to lunch I opened a 2012, a 2013 and a 2014. They are all very similar. A nose of berries and chocolate. The palate was berries, dark cherry, figs, pipe tobacco and chocolate. The finish goes on and on and on.
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Much better than our last. Bottle variation or my palate in a different place tonight? Who knows but this bottle was silky, smooth and delicious. Spent an hour in a decanter before dinner.
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Decanted for 1.5 hours. Cola, excellent minerality. Wonderful James Berry characteristics. Blueberry , black cherry and strawberry flavors soft and creamy. Velvety mouth feel. This wine is drinking amazing right now. Almost brought a tear to my eye to drink my last bottle. It was drinking about as good as I have ever had from a California GSM. I am on a mission to find more now.
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Crimson in color. 15.8% ABV. 43% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise. Spellbinding nose of red and black fruits, licorice, flowers and white pepper. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. Power and concentration in spades. Kirsch liqueur, raspberry compote, creme de cassis and charred meats on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. There is an unmistakable and unexpected elegance to this wine. So much to like here. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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Getting better and better. Tobacco and cherry notes. Tannins are still present so can easily go another 5-7 years. Delicious with rack of lamb tonight!
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15% abv. Dark ruby, very aromatic. Ripe plum, white pepper, a bit of red cherry and menthol peaking out. Superb depth, length and focus. Extremely concentrated, but not heavy. This is just a wonderful wine, at or near its peak.
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Fruit forward with plum and blackberry. Concentrated with subtle notes of licorice and chocolate in the finish. While I love Saxum wines, think this is starting on the down slope and would drink up.
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PNP, anise, casis, pepper, and alcohol on the nose. Nice notes of anise, casis, blackberry, and pepper on the palate but you can taste every % point if the 15.8% alcohol. Would rate much higher if the alcohol wasn't so prevalent and the tannins weren't so present.
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I agree with many fellow Cellar Tracker notes of disappointment on this wine. It's a dried out shell of what it used to be -- there's barely any fruit remaining and with 15.8% alcohol makes for a mouth searing experience. Saxum wines are clearly over-rated and are not what they used to be; they've always been massive fruit bombs, but they used to retain some sense of terrior and uniqueness, but sadly, not any more. If you have any in your cellar I strongly suggest drinking now or selling on the grey market where they'll sell because of a cult-ish following.
Despite this being bought at released and cellared in a perfect cellar, somehow this didn't really sing tonight, it was kind of muted and not really expressive. No sign of fault, but something was not right.
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First Saxum James Berry that we have tried. Opened an hour and a half before pouring. Great nose. This is a very big and plush wine. Sweet fruit and licorice predominate. Any possible complexities within are smothered. Well made if you like the style and it worked with our beef stew. It needed the food. Like it but don’t love it.
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A profoundly disappointing wine at a high price point. I had a couple of these I've been holding and chose to open one just to sip with friends. It's a cocktail party wine but for really rich people. High alcohol and showing every percentage point of it. Pleasant enough flavors in the mouth but maybe a six-second finish, devolving into alcoholic blackberry. It's a wine from the bad old days of high alcohol Parker-pleasing Australian syrah, but not that good. A wine with the subtlety and grace of a sledge hammer. If this wine were $20 I'd feel okay about it - at $80 I just feel ripped off. Tasted 3 times over 2 days and I'm not seeing any future.
The girls opted for chardonnay so that was good enough for me as i will use any excuse to open a Saxum. Very similar to the bottle we drank last week. Opened Two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish as usual was extremely long..
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Very similar to the bottle we drank two weeks ago. Opened Two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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Wow-- terrific wine. Best wine I've had in quite some time. Great nose-- deep, earthy, dark berry. Wine was initially effervescent-- day 2 little/no effervescence. Bottle improved the more it breathed. Smooth, velvety, deep dark fruits, nicely balanced. Second day, I thought the wine improved. Bummed I'm out of this in my cellar. Drinking great!
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15% abv. Dark ruby, extremely penetrating aromatics. On the palate, ripe plum, mint, asian spice, black olive and white pepper. Extreme focus, concentration, depth, power and length. The layered fruit is exceptionally intense, but this wine somehow manages to avoid being ponderous or heavy. When you catch a Saxum JB at the right time (which I did) - enjoy the great ride! Tastes young and vibrant, will probably hold in a spectacular plateau for years to come.
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Light ruby, light shone thru. Subtlety perfumed nose. Powerful palate. Acid and tannin very present, tannin more so. Nicely ripened fruit with a medicinal hint. Not much garrigue but a hint of menthol. Finish is long with lingering fruit and tannin. Some air reveals forest floor nuances. Cork is in great shape. Really good! I think this will improve still. Give it plenty of air now or Hold 2- 10 years..
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Nice nose with hints of earthiness, casis, and black licorice. Alcohol and tannins come through strong on the palate with undertones of black licorice and casis
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This is an excellent bottle of wine. The first of a case of 2012's. Opened Two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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Big, powerful and extracted. The alcohol at 15.8% is not very well concealed. Gobs of red fruit with baking spice and red licorice. It is well built and fun to drink as a cocktail wine but not worth the price as you can get similar Paso wines at half the price that are equivalent or better.
Blend of Grenache 43%, Mourvedre 29%, Syrah 18%, and Cournoise 10%. Enjoyable, if a little jumbled up with the varietals. Each one danced around, but they never seemed to come together.
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Brought to Fiamme and had with some pretty good pizza. I little hot at first, but then calmed down. Very tasty, lots of blueberry and baking spices. Nice was just beautiful. Drank very easy though not as complex as other Saxums or the 2008 El Nido that followed it.
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After a long run of AVERAGE Saxum bottles this finally broke the mold and showed quite well. I think these wines need a long time in bottle to unwind and this was no exception. Beautiful wine, that reminded me what I love about Saxum however my palate has changed and I no longer desire these high alcohol full throttle wines that much.
This also opened up and grew on me a little after 30 minutes of air; blackberry, juicy, fruity, compost, a touch sweet pinot noir sort of strawberry note, light silky mouthfeel with high alcohol (15.8%); pretty good structure, ample fine tannins, decent Mod+ acid. Despite the alcolhol I liked this for its elegance (yes, elegant, even at this high octane!). The sweet Pinot fruit screams grenache, but only 42%, with 29 Mourvedre, 19% Syrah, 10 Counoise. Roger's Central Coast Syrah tasting.
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Consistent with bottle opened 18 months ago in one important way: so, so much better on night two. At first opening, the bottle is enjoyable but kind of all over the place and not in particular harmony. By night two, it’s settled down. A lot of everything but really beautiful Grenache-driven fruit. All i want in the style. But it needs that time to come together.
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Decanted 30 minutes before service. In the glass, dark purple-red, fading to inky black at the core. On the nose, the usual Saxum assault of crushed berries and plums. On the palate, pure saturated fruit, with a background floral note, just enough to cut the fruit a bit, with a long smooth finish. Same as it ever was - presents as though it were bottled yesterday.
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Deep purple. Rich, ripe, jammy plum, blackberry fruit. Definitely one of the bigger, sweeter, luscious versions of this we have tried. Not a tremendous amount of acidity or underlying tannins, probably better sooner rather than later.
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Outstanding Grenache/mourvedre/syrah/counoise wine. Super jammy with black cherry, raspberry, smoke and a bit of spice, full bodied, impressive mouthfeel and soft tannins, delightful finish. A superstar wine!
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Wow this was mediocre. When I first opened it there was a fermentation-like spritz to the wine. Makes me wonder if some bug isn’t fixin’ to spike the VA in this thing? A couple of hours in the spritz subsided but a flaccid, syrupy mix of underbrush, zoo shite and boysenberry syrup remained. I’ve been paying $100 a bottle for Saxum futures for about 8 years and I’ve yet to see the bottle that garners all the praise. I’m going to be thinking real hard about fall futures.
Originally opened on 1/30, finished for super bowl. As others have said, this needs air, air and more air. High alcohol that did tame some on the fourth day. The fruits are strong, but does not yet exhibit secondary traits of Rhone style wines. While a very good bottle, for me, does not get raised to the Wow factor that others have described.
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Rigorous aeration/decant. I didn’t get the spritz often described by others. What I did get was a dense, dark, spicy, fruit forward pleasure cruise. It’s a cocktail wine, but at least tonight a very good one.
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This is only my 5th tasting of a Saxum wine (and the 3rd James Berry bottle) so I don't have a depth of experience with this producer though I've been collecting from the mailing list. I'm still curious how these age and if they develop any secondary characteristics so I popped the oldest one in my cellar last night. Gave it a 2+ hour decant and had with dinner of lemon-garlic grilled salmon. Very dark purple and a decent nose of blackberries this wine was smooth on the palate despite the high ABV. Best part was a lingering finish but I still found it very fruit forward without any secondary notes. As a reference I had a 2010 St Cosme Gigondas last week that was stunning and it had those earthy, forest floor secondary notes that add complexity to a wine. Well I have some 14, 15 and 16's to hold for awhile as most of the TN's suggest.
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Prior to a restaurant experience, I uncorked and shook the bottle to find the same spritz from previous experience. Decanted for two hours then back to the bottle for another hour en route. Tantalizing fruit, light on its feet, but there remains a touch of heat, and the bottle did not quite rise to the heights expected from this producer.
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My wife's favorite wine and neither she nor any of the others at dinner were disappointed.
Others have eloquently noted the great fruit balance. On this bottle, that showed after a 90-minute decant. At first, there was an effervescence that made me wonder if it had gone bad. This resolved after the decant, revealing all that lush fruit flavor. Perhaps a bit of residual heat on the mid-palate, but not enough to interrupt the enjoyment of this excellent wine. Not quite as full-bodied as other vintages (or other Saxum varietals/blends).
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Conflicted on this wine. Pedigree is outstanding, the blend is enticing, but the youth and high alcohol content detract from full enjoyment. The wine was not fully integrated and requires additional age, before it emerges - perhaps. I have found California Rhone blends to be disappointing when they are this loaded with alcohol.
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Our wine pairing with Kentucky Bourbon marinaded chicken skews.
The blend is; 43% Ganache, 29% Mourvèdre, 18% Syrah and 10% Goundise.
The nose reveals; ripe; spiced, blackberries, black plums, purple fruit blend, dark currants/cassis, dark poached cherries, anise to black licorice, dark Asian spice, sweet, syrupy tarriness, dark chocolate, steeped fruit tea, crushed, dry rocks, dark, rich soils, blackberry jam, incense, limestone minerals, black & white pepper, candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals.
The body is medium, rich and gorgeous. The fruits are perfectly ripe. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their stride. Still has 10 years plus of good drinking ahead. The fruits on the palate are bright, juicy and ripe. It’s drinking beautifully and has that gorgeous/sexy sensation. Spiced, blackberries, black plums, purple fruit blend, dark cassis, dark poached cherries, creamy raspberries, mixed berry fruit cola, cherry kirsch, anise to black licorice, dark Asian spice with just a touch of heat, sweet, syrupy tarriness, dark chocolate, coco powder, steeped fruit tea, vanillin notes, crushed, dry rocks, dark, rich soils, blackberry jam, incense, limestone minerals, dry top soil, dry underbrush, softer black & white pepper than the nose, leathery, some fresh tobacco, candied & bright; dark, red, blue and purple florals. The acidity is waterfall perfect. The long, elegant, ripe, juicy, well balanced fruit & earth finish is delightfully persistent for several minutes. Another all-star blend from Justin.
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Integrating somewhat, relative to a taste I had four years ago, but still inward and tight. Powerful and textured, with a prominent sweet spice note standing out amongst the intense flavors. There's a quality and balance that allow this concentrated powerhouse to work well. Revisit in 5+ years, or decant patiently.
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Great nose-- deep, earthy, dark berry. Although we popped and poured, wine was initially effervescent. Bottle improved the more it decanted or was aerated. In fact the second day, some stated it improved dramatically. Smooth, velvety, deep dark fruits, nicely balanced.
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The other tasting notes capture the flavor profile of the wine. It is drinking fabulously. We decanted the wine for 2 hours and started a dinner party with it (with appetizers), which was a big hit!! We then transitioned to a "heavier" white (2016 Rotie Grenache Blanc) and enjoyed it with seafood paella. We discovered that the red to white transition with these two wines was very well received.
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Very nice but could still use some more aging time. Fruit not quite integrated. A little disjointed for my taste compared to other aged Saxum. A little evervescent. I only decanted for maybe 1 hour. Still enjoyed it though. This is the youngest Saxum I have consumed.
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1 hr double decant - was just barely adequate. This is bursting with ripe red jammy fruit, touch of meat and spice. Found it more mouth-forward than expected. Great viscosity and balance. Not heat despite high ETOH.
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Night 1: structure took center stage and I have to be honest, it was a nice wine but.... night 2 this came into focus in the way I’d expected: bigger fruit-driven wine with sweet-spice driven complexity. “Medium brown” flavors I associate with CDP/Grenache. The takeaway here, for my novice palate, is that I want a few more years on these bottles, or a lengthy decant.
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Way more nuanced and complex than the 13. Sea water and faint bbq. Zip on the taste. A little charcoal. Seaweed, lime, sticks, slate, and finally gently sweet where the fruit weight enters.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black raspberries, black cherries and plums. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied.
My guess was this is a 2015 Paso Robles Red Blend. Perhaps a Saxum?
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Opened, poured into a decanter, swirled it around, and poured back into the bottle. Slight bit of sediment remained in the decanter. Drank about 1 hour later. Dark purple color. Nose offers black fruits and hints of beef and beef blood. Rich wine, with a round mouthfeel. Acidity carries the fruit. No sign of any heat, which is something I look for given the high abv% the Saxums often carry. Rich and with much personality - layers of dark fruits and some spice and black pepper notes. Outstanding.
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Seems to have all the fixings, but Wow!, can't believe this is still so wound up for a 2012. Decanted for close to 5 hrs back n forth between decanter & bottle and it just started releasing closer to the 4-5 hr mark. My guess is this would be fantastic day 2 and maybe even day 4. Similar to my previous notes... no need to rush this, plenty of life ahead or decant, decant, decant!
Oui c'est big et velouté, extrait et un brin confit mais c'est bien fait et délicieux. Un gros 3 heures de carafe et bu avec des faux-filet sur le BBQ. Nez intense sur la framboise, la fumée et des épices. En bouche, puissant mais assez maitrisé tout de même. Des tonnes de fruits, framboises, des tannins veloutés et une finale immense, un brin sucrée mais délicieux.
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Decanted for 2 hrs then back in the bottle to take July 4th dinner at Andre's, deep ruby, raspberry & black cherry, med/firm tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or preferably hold
Even better later in the evening as the tannins softened (added a point)
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Dark red fruits, loads of baking spices, tea, cedar, sweet kirsch liquor, really nice balance. Still a bit tight initially, takes a couple hours of decanting to come around, but definitely drinkable now.
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Justin is such a master at balance and restraint. Most wines that come out of Paso are so overblown and spiked with ABV. This effort is so juicy and full of red fruit. With a grilled Ribeye, it took on another dimension. Such a perfect combination of fat, fruit and tannin.
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Fabulous showing, no formal notes taken, but the bottle went Fast! Drank next to Sans Liege The Prophetess - Syrah Mourvedre, 2009 Thrill of Stamp Collecting Syrah, and was my WOTN, though in fairness, at the end of the evening.. the Sine Qua Non, was really starting to open up, who knows if they all were given enough time in decantur.
This wine is progressing along nicely, and with a moderate decant, is a treat, but still has plenty of time to evolve.
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Tampa Spring Break III; 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Tampa FL): The third in the flight of big powerhouse Syrahs. Nose of dark ripe fruit. On the palate this is still very young and a bit disjointed for me with lots of new oak dominating the flavor. I would recommend holding these for at least another 3-5 years to let it come together a bit more.
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After a 6 hour decant, the wine was returned to the bottle. Tasting at this point revealed a spritz from continued fermentation which was annoying. After shaking the bottle and waiting another five hours, there was noticeable pressure on the cork and the wine poured beautifully: lush; deep; cohesive. I envy those who seem to find satisfaction after a mere hour or so as I seem to be challenged too often to find the drinking window. This time it was well worth it.
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I saved this for a couple years hoping it would be a knockout, but when we opened it, the wife and I just didn't enjoy it. Not cork taint, but something was off. Gave it a day to rest and then tried again and it was much improved. Not giving a rating as i just don't really know what to think. Fundamentally, not as good as the first 3 we had!
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No formal notes, but simply outstanding. Double decanted and still opening up after 1 hour of additional decanter time. Beautiful deep purple. Lots of flowers and cassis on the nose. Needs air to reach its full potential. Massive fruit, incredible richness and lots of secondary notes emerging over time with leather, spice and some smokiness coming into play.
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Something was off,must have been the bottle and how it was stored. Had an almost spritzy feel to it. Could tell it was complex beneath that but was almost undrinkable. Disappointing, and not just because of what was spent on the bottle....
Day 2: A bit smoother as the tannins have resolved some, flavor profile is similar to day 1, although now it tastes a bit co-fermented but no white grape is listed in the blend. It's very good, harmonious, smooth, although still lacking some complexity found in the better James Berry bottles.
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sweet kirsch liquor, strawberry, cinnamon, really nice balance, medium+ acidity with gritty tannins on the finish that lasts 45 seconds. Intense wine, not as good as other years, but it's still damn good. Could use a few years more to balance out everything.
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Corked unfortunately, this doesn't usually happen with Saxum, but I've been unlucky twice recently. Update: As usual their customer service is rock solid!
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Disappointed. WS rates it at 92, I thought it low octane for a Grenache blend, not the fruit bomb I'm used to. Bad bottle? Maybe, but I don't think so. I'm all in on Saxum--this is the first bottle to ever disappoint me, and the first 2012 I've opened of any Saxum label.
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Popped and poured at Clarklewis in Portland. Some VA right off the bat, but it blew off fairly quickly. Grenache is at the front, with red berry fruit, vanilla and touches of earth. Quite spicy, and the acidity is quite high. Tannins are chewy and delicious at this point, but the wine would benefit from additional bottle age. Drink 2018-2027+.
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4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (M&R's): Double blind. Aromas of vanilla, oak and spice; hot and alcoholic- overly so. Black raspberry and plummy fruit on the palate with dense, chewy tannin. Ripe and hot. Guessed syrah.
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The fizzy is disappearing, but no reason to pop another one for around 5 more years. Great juice, velvet fruit on entry resolving into a bit of a tannic beast. Yum yum....
Drank this over the course of 24hrs. Although the Saxum flagship, this is usually one of my least favorite blends from them -- gets a little to sweet for my tastes at times. All that said, this wine was absolutely terrific. The nose alone was worth the price of admission, with tons of raspberry, charred/smoked meat and forest floor. Super powerful and dense, but with terrific texture and balance. Really pleasing mid pallet, with strong but sweet well integrated tannins and a super long finish. Better on day two, so highly recommend a long decant if consuming now. No doubt this will have a long life. No need to hurry but great now with air. 95+
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Still requires a 3-4 hr min decant before drinking to help tame the big acidity and tannins of this feisty youngster. The first 2 hrs upon opening showed "pop rocks" on the front palate, which was a first. Nice Rhone blend with spicy red fruits after it calmed down, but right now I think more in line with Vinous' 94 pts vs Parker's 97 pts. Still plenty of longevity ahead, so no need to rush into opening these.
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Big and rich, lots of aroma, with cola flavors and berries throughout. Lots of tannin still left here, so waiting would help, but man this is some wine!
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Opened and drank immediately as an unexpected last addition to New Year's Eve. Think this needs a decant at this time. Big wine, with cola and a spicy fizziness (as others have reported). I would think that another year or two will allow everything to integrate further. I might open my other bottles for New Year's Eve 2020. Rerated as I rethought how much fizziness was distracting.
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Just entering its drinking window. One hour decant and writing this note with 1/2" left in my glass. Expressive nose of ripe blue fruit and a nice long finish. Definitely NOT an Aussie Shiraz as there is something else going on (edit: no wonder it's not a Shiraz because it's a GSM blend.) I like many of my wines young so hopefully I can keep my last bottle cellared for a number of years to see where this baby is heading.
Very impressive and young nose. Packed with flowers and roasted meat. Lovely restrained raspberry fruit with a solid backbone of acidity and tannins. Needs a lot more time to soften up but a lovely wine.
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Tasted the last glass after opening/pouring for 3 hours. Delicious fruit nose & smooth, rich fruit & a sweet finish. Compared to the 2010 we also drank, this 2012 was bigger fruit, more dense and smoother (less acidic & tannic finish). Can enjoy now or hold.
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Decanted for 45 minutes. Had with dinner of grilled grass fed rib eye and bruschetta salad. Agree with the recent tasting notes posted here. Incredible perfumed nose of violets and berries. Medium body with raspberry grenache and some meat from the mourvèdre. Excellent balance with sweet fine tannins on the finish. Great now but I think it will be even better in a few years.
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Previously tasted from a bottle opened via Coravin. Bottle opened and decanted. Raspberry and red fruit on the nose. Terrific fruit, raspberry jam, minerals, perfect acidity, and a long finish,
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Dark and dense in color. Cedar, mineral, and grilled beef on the nose. Red raspberry compote, moderate tannins, well done oak, nicely tart, and this young but gorgeous. This is great juice, I expect this to get even better with more time but wanted to try one early.
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Silky smooth considering how young it is. Still somewhat tannic but not the bruiser that young Saxum of yesteryear tended to be. Sweet red raspberry, great acid. Finish goes on forever. Needs time. 2016-2030
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Decanted 1hr Nose is great. Strong black cherry, nice fresh leather, cedar wood nose, flavor cherry, chocolate, very smooth. Really vibrant. Real delicious factors. Weight medium, acid medium minus.
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An amazingly good bottle, wish I'd given it some air before dinner. The will be spectacular in 2-4 years, the depth of the Grenache and the overall balance of the elements are testaments to Justin and the 2012 vintage. Very, very good, one of the popular bottles at dinner.
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Needs some time and definitely needs to decant. Had a touch of fizz on pop and pour but 4 hrs in this really came around. Nice balance and mouthfeel, super viscous left wanting more fruit but that may come in time....
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Fresh and alive with vibrant fruit, but still balanced and complex. Red fruits, big cola, black tea, vanilla and spice. Tannins are present, but frame the wine. Popped and poured, I don't think these need a decant, the best part of the wine was in the first two hours. Served cool. Excellent wine.
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Decanted 4 hours Wow amazing stuff, very different from the booker vineyard. Heavy nose. Cola, chalk, tar, strawberry, white pepper all nose, Strawberry, cola, strawberry sodas, after dried violets come out comes out. Strawberry, cola, smoked meat, blueberry flavors. Tannins still strong. Great stuff.
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Drank at the Oscars-watching party. Big, spicy, almost fizzy on the palate. Lots of bright fruit and spice - anise, blueberry. Long finish. Great wine.
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Decanted for 2 hours prior to consuming, great texture, dark red fruits, cooking spices and cocoa powder. Great balance and length, best bottle yet of the 2012's.
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This wine was unfortunately slightly akward! Nose of varnish, bananapeel and volatile acidity. Also red fruit and sweet cherries though. Palate was good with nice fruit and structure, but again the volatile elements were present here too. 92?
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2 hr decant. Big nose of red berries, spices and floral notes. Silky smooth palate full of red cherry, raspberry, baking spices and a little smoked meat at the finish. Two thumbs way up.
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Popped & poured, then drank over 1 hour. Nice fruit nose. Taste started out a touch thin, then took on thickness with each glass & more air. Last glass of course was the best. Hold or drink now with a decant.
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Cracked the cork on this knowing full well it was too early, but in the name of science it had to be done! Restrained notes of kirsch, black cherry liqueur, raspberry, blueberry, bramble, underbrush, and chalky limestone. Fairly silky texture, with a bit of a talc-like clip on the finish. I was actually surprised at the lack of expected alcohol coming from this wine; I figured there would be more tannic power. I also expected more upfront fruit and spice profiles (based on my experience with past Saxum wines), but this was not showing off any flashiness in those arenas either.
Not in that "Wow" phase at the moment for me, as the fruit seems to be still working things out with the other components; time in bottle will be the deciding factor as to whether or not this wine will sit with some of Smith's greats. Extremely well made wine, with just enough personality to make you wonder what will become of it. I don't see this offering much full, complete flavor until well after 2018. 93+ at this stage for me.
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Night at the Shack's (Home of the Shack's): Tasted blind. Interesting nose of violets, cherry and pepper. Really had a floral thing going on though. This led to flavors of blackberry, cherry, raspberry with a little bit on the palate saying to me that this could have been decanted even longer than it was. Finish lasted 30 seconds and echoed the primary themes. Impressive wine.
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This wine is good on the nose and finish. But, it has a slightly bitter catch in the middle. Not unpleasant. Just not worth the scores given by others.
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This is turning into a knockout. Wonderful fruit with a interesting spice note in the mouth. Easy finish with some runway still on the tannins. Everybody loved it.
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Q1 (and Q2) Wine Dinner (Everett home): Decanted for one hour at room temperature. Nose still opened quickly, with a striking acetone/super glue note that I actually quite liked.
Drank next to 2012 syrahs from Andremily and SQN (Stock). This was a lighter wine. More red in color. Definitely shorter on the finish. Not to say that this wine has a "short" finish, but that it was up against some massive competition. Blind tasters ranked this #3 (tied with the 2012 Pott Kaliholmanok that we also included).
Really a good contrast, and was a fun wine to revisit during the night. The nose persisted, but the flavors developed more secondary tones.
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Dark cherry, anise, cherry wood chest, flower shop and stone. Exceptionally long and fine-grained tannin composure. The mid is legendary. This is constantly evolving and changing. A stunning display that begs for the cellar. This is more akin to Rayas than previous vintages. Drink 2019 -.
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Young, big and fruity. Fresh acidity, tannin and alcohol, all well integrated. Very good, enjoyable now. Reminded me of Law and Booker....will give it some more time to see if some nuance and complexity evolves.
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Needs more time in bottle, but it was poured for me, so no harm in tasting. Tight right now, but definitely some nice elements showing through, great potential in 5-10 years. Some really expressive fruit up front that I'd like to see mellow out a bit, but also notes of cigar box, graphite, violets, pencil shavings, red licorice, herbs, a little chocolate. Nice, long, mouth coating finish. Tasted alongside a '00 Pegau Cuvee de Capo, which I can only imagine tasted something like this Saxum 12 years ago.
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This wine is wayyyyyy too young, do not open now. I decanted it for 36 hours and it never really opened up. Won't open another bottle for at least 5 years.
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are fast. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like cherry, wet stoniness, vanilla and lead pencil. It tastes like plum, molasses, tobacco and tea. The body is medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Took one for the team and didn't dissappoint. A little tight at first pour but decanted for two hours and it was starting to to evolve. Lots of stuff going on but just a baby. On a very positve note the alcohol was not noticeable which is a big plus to me. Nice drying tannins. Some cola, earthiness and restrained fruits
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Pop n pour it starts out really funky with pencil shavings and cigar box. the blend starts out very disjointed. With an hour of air, it came together and was a sexy wine geek's dream wine. if you like rhone, cdp etc this wine is fo you. DO NOT open this for anyone but an enophile or risk having someone tell you it sucks. in 10 years this is going to be a rock star of a wine. wish money grew on trees so i could have a case of this stuff.
Slow ooze all night. Decanted the next day and drank over 6 hours. Also left some for day 2. Initially tannin soaked the mouth and i also got the tin taste too. Really softened up after 2 hours in decanter. Very tasty. Day 2. Really good. Give next bottle 3+ yrs.
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The nose is inviting, ink stained licorice, hint of cigar smoke, asphalt dropped afar. Take a sip, bright, leather, little tin on the finish. Another sip, big fruit splashing, liquid drips from the tongue warming the throat. Back to the nose, it blending together, fog of wine, ripe, sublime. Another sip, tasty shit, with a crisp bitterness No regrets, expectations met.
2/20/2024 - Garkar Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely stunning wine! Decanted 2 hours put back in bottle and took to BYOB dinner. Got even smoother during dinner in the glass. Enjoyed with spaghetti and meatballs. Wine is in the drink zone….so enjoy now!
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12/16/2023 - OldHick95 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Aromatic. Still tasting fresh and focused on black cherry and blackberry, some licorice, and underlying baking spice. Fine tannins. Impressed everyone with its balance.
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11/23/2023 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior note after a 2 hour double decant & went beautifully with the duck & chicken cooked for our Thanksgiving dinner; outstanding, probably at peak, drink or hold, no rush
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10/27/2023 - Cow Town wrote:
Corked. Sad.
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10/18/2023 - Wine Sparty wrote: 87 Points
Too hot. And yet tasted thin on the palate. Decanted for about an hour before drinking.
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9/21/2023 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Three years later - no change.
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9/17/2023 - rustyRudy wrote: 94 Points
Soft cork, but it was able to be extracted. Herbs and spices with dark fruit on the nose. Tart ripe black cherry, blueberry, cola, vanilla, and a hint of chocolate and menthol. Probably at peak, doesn’t need more time but drinking really well now.
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7/17/2023 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Luis goes to Kenwood (The Kenwood): Unfortunately this only got 15 minutes or so in the decanter. Big and fruity, imagine that. Thick, dark, sweet, full of flavor.
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6/21/2023 - troger wrote: 93 Points
Excellent blend and drinking very well.
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6/10/2023 - larrybbaldwin wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely brilliant with tons of ripe fruit, iron, stone aromas. Tannins have resoved and the acidity keeps it fresh despite the ample alcohol
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4/30/2023 - spineguy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just singing. At the peak of its prime. Drink now or over the next few years. Rich and unctuous but not overdone. Elegant integration of red and dark fruit. All the varietals are working in harmony.
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4/12/2023 - Wineson Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine got better and better as the night went on. The bottle was a little fizzy on the palate upon opening. However it got smoother and smoother as the night progressed.
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3/14/2023 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red. Fragrant nose of black fruit, candy apple and baking spice. Round and full, cherry, strawberry, chocolate and cola flavors. Ready to go. Marvelous finish
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3/12/2023 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant, balanced, dark fruits, blackberry, spice leather, long finish
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2/26/2023 - IvanLi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Raspberry jam, Grenache spice, bacon fat make up the nose of this wine. Succulent, meaty and opulent on the palate with excellent structure, a lot of things seem in place in this wine. The most important part for me however is the presence of ripe jammy Grenache fruit that is nicely lifted by Mourvèdre and Syrah.
This is fully mature but still has a number of years to go. Very, very good wine if you like it modern and opulent.
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1/19/2023 - rustyRudy wrote: 96 Points
Stellar, gorgeous nose, drinking well
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12/24/2022 - tomlee wrote: 98 Points
Purple in color. 15.8% ABV. 43% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise. Sublime nose of black and blue fruits, Whitman Sampler box and violets. Full bodied with perfect acidity and impeccable balance. Exceptionally rich and plush. Black raspberry, blueberry, cassis liqueur and charred meats on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Absolutely stunning wine that flirts with perfection. Best over the next several years.
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11/11/2022 - gew71walsh wrote: 92 Points
Gets a little better each time. Gave this a two hour decant. Definitely helps. Dark plum colored in glass. Dark berries , earthy and spicy on palate. Medium, long finish. Paired with dessert after beef bourgignon dinner.
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9/17/2022 - martin_e wrote: 90 Points
Very rich wine with almost 16% alcohol! Needs more time in the cellar to smooth the edges. I guess, it will work well with a ribeye steak
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9/10/2022 - Roi Vin de LBC Likes this wine: 94 Points
94 points. It needs a nice long decant to pull out it’s beauty, but once it starts showing, damn what a wine! Balanced and fruit driven with restraint.
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4/30/2022 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 95 Points
First of my bottles that was make it to 10 years, and what a treat is was. Still strong on the open but a 2 hour decant did wonders. So smooth and integrated at that point. Delicious
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4/10/2022 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Unlike the last tasting, this bottle was more fruit forward, expressive and concentrated with notes dark cherries and plum. With another few years of age, this blend has become more complex with tannins that have soften...secondary notes of licorice, currant and lavender...along with a spice on the finish. Really good!
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3/29/2022 - thalver wrote:
stood up and given a few hour decant, which seemed to help. big in that Saxum way, good balance, tannins that come to the fore on the long, lingering finish
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3/25/2022 - Beezc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Took a good 45 mins to 1 hour to unfold. Tanins and acidity took a while to soften. Delicious wine. It did not drink like a predominantly Grenache blend. Tasted more like Syrah.
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2/18/2022 - vino_per_tutti wrote: 89 Points
I'm with GuitarGuy on this one: definitely getting the "frizz" and high alcohol on the palate - disappointing at this price point. Wine improved on Day Two - so would recommend a lengthy decant - but something definitely off with this bottle.
Dark purple color. Stewed blue fruits (boysenberry, plum), cranberry and black tea on the nose. Big fruit flavors up front, but that frizz, followed by the short, dry and cloying finish, are a downside surprise. Also worrying is the considerable sediment at the bottom of the bottle. First of three, so hoping the next one lives up to Saxum's considerable reputation. This one was not worth the price or the wait.
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2/5/2022 - RPerro Likes this wine: 95 Points
P&P. Really spicy grenache really shines brightly here...berry, plum, baking spice, black tea and coffee, an earthy streak running through the middle as well. Just an outstanding wine. Drink now - 2027+.
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1/14/2022 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with prior notes - fantastic.
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1/4/2022 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Smoke and cranberry in the nose with a significant tannic mouthful of boysenberry, saddle and prune. There is a significant frizz to the wine which could acidity or some type of minor bad fermentation going on. Perhaps malolactic ongoing? Very dry on the finish. Not impressive especially for $90 on release.
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12/17/2021 - Jahull03 wrote:
It has come together. Inviting, friendly, giving and deep. Loving the herbal notes - unexpected in their dominance on a bold, fruity wine. Love this. And like it markedly better than the same bottle two years ago.
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12/16/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very similar to the bottle we drank five months ago. Opened two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on - just a great bottle of wine.
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11/27/2021 - Thralow Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful, ready to drink.
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11/21/2021 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Classic Saxum, big black raspberry. Not formal notes. Drinking well with many years ahead Now - 2030+?
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10/17/2021 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decant for barely 30 minutes and then drink with home made spaghetti and meatballs. Why Saxum with Italian food? Because we are reorganizing the cellar and I have too much Saxum to fit in the Saxum section so we needed to drink this.
Still primary flavors but losing some of the roughness of youth. Excellent balance. The nose reminded me of violets with perhaps a tiny whiff of VA that disappeared so fast it might have been an illusion. I thought the predominant flavor was smooth raspberry up front while my wife thought syrah pepper spice at the back. We were both right. A bit of plum or other red fruit to add to the raspberry and some other spices to go with the pepper. The alcohol was barely noticeable. Very smooth. Bravo, and no, it is not falling apart. NO risk of that. I have 2 more. Space them out over the next 8 years.
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8/8/2021 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar tasting notes to previous bottle.
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8/6/2021 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
plenty of blackberry and cassis swirling with licorice and forest floor notes. Very smooth and balanced.
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7/18/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very similar to the bottle we drank six weeks ago. Opened four hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on - just a great bottle of wine.
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7/6/2021 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Dark berries, licorice and lots of earthiness, a bit oaky, still quite tannic. A bit smoother on the second day. Full-bodied, rich, and structured. I'm guessing the mourvedre was in ascendency. A bruiser of a wine. This is one James Berry that will last a long time. Very good, albeit in a dark register.
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7/4/2021 - andrewdodd86 wrote: flawed
NR - initially came across as VA but then opened up. Spongy cork. Still somehow flawed but came around as drinkable. Touch too earthy? Had it been a restaurant purchase would have sent it back. La vida es asi. Shrug.
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6/25/2021 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Dark grnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch, melted black licorice, black pepper and rose petals. Flavors of plums, currants and cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or hold.
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6/4/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
I had some business associates from Ohio stop by so a bunch of us went to my club for lunch so I decided to do a vertical tasting of James Berry. So 5 hours prior to lunch I opened a 2012, a 2013 and a 2014. They are all very similar. A nose of berries and chocolate. The palate was berries, dark cherry, figs, pipe tobacco and chocolate. The finish goes on and on and on.
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5/30/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with the in-laws. Full bodied, drinking well. I didn't get that much and not sure it was fully appreciated.
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5/28/2021 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
Much better than our last. Bottle variation or my palate in a different place tonight? Who knows but this bottle was silky, smooth and delicious. Spent an hour in a decanter before dinner.
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4/8/2021 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours.
Cola, excellent minerality. Wonderful James Berry characteristics. Blueberry , black cherry and strawberry flavors soft and creamy. Velvety mouth feel. This wine is drinking amazing right now. Almost brought a tear to my eye to drink my last bottle. It was drinking about as good as I have ever had from a California GSM. I am on a mission to find more now.
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4/7/2021 - Geoff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Distinct green notes which took about an hour to blow off. Otherwise would have been rated higher.
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3/28/2021 - tomlee wrote: 96 Points
Crimson in color. 15.8% ABV. 43% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise. Spellbinding nose of red and black fruits, licorice, flowers and white pepper. Medium to full bodied with perfect acidity. Power and concentration in spades. Kirsch liqueur, raspberry compote, creme de cassis and charred meats on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. There is an unmistakable and unexpected elegance to this wine. So much to like here. Best over the next 1-2 years.
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3/27/2021 - Justinwine wrote: 94 Points
Delicious
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3/13/2021 - TheRhoneranger Likes this wine: 96 Points
Getting better and better. Tobacco and cherry notes. Tannins are still present so can easily go another 5-7 years. Delicious with rack of lamb tonight!
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3/12/2021 - Jaws4096 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A hedonistic, extremely warm fruit bomb drinking near the peak age. What’s not to like?
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3/10/2021 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 97 Points
15% abv. Dark ruby, very aromatic. Ripe plum, white pepper, a bit of red cherry and menthol peaking out. Superb depth, length and focus. Extremely concentrated, but not heavy. This is just a wonderful wine, at or near its peak.
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2/4/2021 - ELH wrote: 91 Points
Never fully came together.
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1/31/2021 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit forward with plum and blackberry. Concentrated with subtle notes of licorice and chocolate in the finish. While I love Saxum wines, think this is starting on the down slope and would drink up.
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1/9/2021 - leadpencil wrote: 95 Points
Full bodied. Boysenberry, flint, crazy acidity.
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1/8/2021 - Callybrian Likes this wine: 89 Points
PNP, anise, casis, pepper, and alcohol on the nose. Nice notes of anise, casis, blackberry, and pepper on the palate but you can taste every % point if the 15.8% alcohol. Would rate much higher if the alcohol wasn't so prevalent and the tannins weren't so present.
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1/7/2021 - Sanlucar wrote: 90 Points
I agree with many fellow Cellar Tracker notes of disappointment on this wine. It's a dried out shell of what it used to be -- there's barely any fruit remaining and with 15.8% alcohol makes for a mouth searing experience. Saxum wines are clearly over-rated and are not what they used to be; they've always been massive fruit bombs, but they used to retain some sense of terrior and uniqueness, but sadly, not any more. If you have any in your cellar I strongly suggest drinking now or selling on the grey market where they'll sell because of a cult-ish following.
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12/30/2020 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 98 Points
On top of their game!
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12/30/2020 - SurLie Likes this wine: 99 Points
Wow.
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12/10/2020 - G_H wrote:
Despite this being bought at released and cellared in a perfect cellar, somehow this didn't really sing tonight, it was kind of muted and not really expressive. No sign of fault, but something was not right.
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12/1/2020 - tantotinto wrote: 91 Points
First Saxum James Berry that we have tried. Opened an hour and a half before pouring. Great nose. This is a very big and plush wine. Sweet fruit and licorice predominate. Any possible complexities within are smothered. Well made if you like the style and it worked with our beef stew. It needed the food. Like it but don’t love it.
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11/29/2020 - randyjc wrote: 86 Points
A profoundly disappointing wine at a high price point. I had a couple of these I've been holding and chose to open one just to sip with friends. It's a cocktail party wine but for really rich people. High alcohol and showing every percentage point of it. Pleasant enough flavors in the mouth but maybe a six-second finish, devolving into alcoholic blackberry. It's a wine from the bad old days of high alcohol Parker-pleasing Australian syrah, but not that good. A wine with the subtlety and grace of a sledge hammer. If this wine were $20 I'd feel okay about it - at $80 I just feel ripped off. Tasted 3 times over 2 days and I'm not seeing any future.
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10/29/2020 - guitarguy wrote: 90 Points
Still pretty unyielding with pruned berry and caressing tannins. Just okay, never opened.
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10/25/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
The girls opted for chardonnay so that was good enough for me as i will use any excuse to open a Saxum. Very similar to the bottle we drank last week. Opened Two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish as usual was extremely long..
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10/19/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very similar to the bottle we drank two weeks ago. Opened Two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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10/18/2020 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow-- terrific wine. Best wine I've had in quite some time. Great nose-- deep, earthy, dark berry. Wine was initially effervescent-- day 2 little/no effervescence. Bottle improved the more it breathed. Smooth, velvety, deep dark fruits, nicely balanced. Second day, I thought the wine improved. Bummed I'm out of this in my cellar. Drinking great!
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10/14/2020 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 98 Points
15% abv. Dark ruby, extremely penetrating aromatics. On the palate, ripe plum, mint, asian spice, black olive and white pepper. Extreme focus, concentration, depth, power and length. The layered fruit is exceptionally intense, but this wine somehow manages to avoid being ponderous or heavy. When you catch a Saxum JB at the right time (which I did) - enjoy the great ride! Tastes young and vibrant, will probably hold in a spectacular plateau for years to come.
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10/11/2020 - ephorn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Light ruby, light shone thru. Subtlety perfumed nose. Powerful palate. Acid and tannin very present, tannin more so. Nicely ripened fruit with a medicinal hint. Not much garrigue but a hint of menthol. Finish is long with lingering fruit and tannin. Some air reveals forest floor nuances. Cork is in great shape. Really good! I think this will improve still. Give it plenty of air now or Hold 2- 10 years..
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10/6/2020 - Callybrian Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice nose with hints of earthiness, casis, and black licorice. Alcohol and tannins come through strong on the palate with undertones of black licorice and casis
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10/4/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is an excellent bottle of wine. The first of a case of 2012's. Opened Two hours prior to dinner. Fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was swirling flavors of berries, plums, figs, pipe tobacco, charred meat and chocolate. The finish went on and on and on.
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9/18/2020 - Castle Peak wrote: 93 Points
A complex, powerful and fun wine to drink. Found myself pondering every sip. Evolved over several hours.
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8/30/2020 - Frank Schneider wrote: 92 Points
A big gun ! Holy moly ! Huge mouthful lacking some elegance. 15 y ago i would have rated it much higher. Now !!! Too expensive for the quality.
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8/22/2020 - SICILIAN-SOLE wrote: 90 Points
Big, powerful and extracted. The alcohol at 15.8% is not very well concealed. Gobs of red fruit with baking spice and red licorice. It is well built and fun to drink as a cocktail wine but not worth the price as you can get similar Paso wines at half the price that are equivalent or better.
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8/13/2020 - ELH wrote: 92 Points
Blend of Grenache 43%, Mourvedre 29%, Syrah 18%, and Cournoise 10%. Enjoyable, if a little jumbled up with the varietals. Each one danced around, but they never seemed to come together.
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8/9/2020 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 85 Points
This one was OK but not up to my usual experience. I don't think it was corked.
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7/29/2020 - bablues wrote: 94 Points
Brought to Fiamme and had with some pretty good pizza. I little hot at first, but then calmed down. Very tasty, lots of blueberry and baking spices. Nice was just beautiful. Drank very easy though not as complex as other Saxums or the 2008 El Nido that followed it.
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7/25/2020 - lucaslabelle wrote: 93 Points
After a long run of AVERAGE Saxum bottles this finally broke the mold and showed quite well. I think these wines need a long time in bottle to unwind and this was no exception. Beautiful wine, that reminded me what I love about Saxum however my palate has changed and I no longer desire these high alcohol full throttle wines that much.
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7/19/2020 - peternelson Likes this wine: 91 Points
This also opened up and grew on me a little after 30 minutes of air; blackberry, juicy, fruity, compost, a touch sweet pinot noir sort of strawberry note, light silky mouthfeel with high alcohol (15.8%); pretty good structure, ample fine tannins, decent Mod+ acid. Despite the alcolhol I liked this for its elegance (yes, elegant, even at this high octane!). The sweet Pinot fruit screams grenache, but only 42%, with 29 Mourvedre, 19% Syrah, 10 Counoise. Roger's Central Coast Syrah tasting.
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5/2/2020 - Jahull03 wrote:
Consistent with bottle opened 18 months ago in one important way: so, so much better on night two. At first opening, the bottle is enjoyable but kind of all over the place and not in particular harmony. By night two, it’s settled down. A lot of everything but really beautiful Grenache-driven fruit. All i want in the style. But it needs that time to come together.
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5/2/2020 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 30 minutes before service. In the glass, dark purple-red, fading to inky black at the core. On the nose, the usual Saxum assault of crushed berries and plums. On the palate, pure saturated fruit, with a background floral note, just enough to cut the fruit a bit, with a long smooth finish. Same as it ever was - presents as though it were bottled yesterday.
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4/8/2020 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious black berry and floral notes on the nose and rich palate with spice and refreshing acidity on the long finish.
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4/4/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Deep purple. Rich, ripe, jammy plum, blackberry fruit. Definitely one of the bigger, sweeter, luscious versions of this we have tried. Not a tremendous amount of acidity or underlying tannins, probably better sooner rather than later.
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3/22/2020 - Doctor Koulodare Likes this wine: 97 Points
Outstanding Grenache/mourvedre/syrah/counoise wine. Super jammy with black cherry, raspberry, smoke and a bit of spice, full bodied, impressive mouthfeel and soft tannins, delightful finish. A superstar wine!
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2/13/2020 - guitarguy wrote: 83 Points
Wow this was mediocre. When I first opened it there was a fermentation-like spritz to the wine. Makes me wonder if some bug isn’t fixin’ to spike the VA in this thing? A couple of hours in the spritz subsided but a flaccid, syrupy mix of underbrush, zoo shite and boysenberry syrup remained. I’ve been paying $100 a bottle for Saxum futures for about 8 years and I’ve yet to see the bottle that garners all the praise. I’m going to be thinking real hard about fall futures.
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2/2/2020 - gew71walsh wrote: 91 Points
Originally opened on 1/30, finished for super bowl. As others have said, this needs air, air and more air. High alcohol that did tame some on the fourth day. The fruits are strong, but does not yet exhibit secondary traits of Rhone style wines. While a very good bottle, for me, does not get raised to the Wow factor that others have described.
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1/25/2020 - The Wine Write Likes this wine:
Rigorous aeration/decant. I didn’t get the spritz often described by others. What I did get was a dense, dark, spicy, fruit forward pleasure cruise. It’s a cocktail wine, but at least tonight a very good one.
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1/12/2020 - Arch57 wrote: 91 Points
This is only my 5th tasting of a Saxum wine (and the 3rd James Berry bottle) so I don't have a depth of experience with this producer though I've been collecting from the mailing list. I'm still curious how these age and if they develop any secondary characteristics so I popped the oldest one in my cellar last night. Gave it a 2+ hour decant and had with dinner of lemon-garlic grilled salmon.
Very dark purple and a decent nose of blackberries this wine was smooth on the palate despite the high ABV. Best part was a lingering finish but I still found it very fruit forward without any secondary notes.
As a reference I had a 2010 St Cosme Gigondas last week that was stunning and it had those earthy, forest floor secondary notes that add complexity to a wine. Well I have some 14, 15 and 16's to hold for awhile as most of the TN's suggest.
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12/27/2019 - jeagle wrote: 92 Points
Prior to a restaurant experience, I uncorked and shook the bottle to find the same spritz from previous experience. Decanted for two hours then back to the bottle for another hour en route. Tantalizing fruit, light on its feet, but there remains a touch of heat, and the bottle did not quite rise to the heights expected from this producer.
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12/14/2019 - Mr T wrote:
Not correct
Some kind of fizzy secondary fermentation
Will revisit what’s left
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11/10/2019 - morewineplease! Likes this wine: 91 Points
My wife's favorite wine and neither she nor any of the others at dinner were disappointed.
Others have eloquently noted the great fruit balance. On this bottle, that showed after a 90-minute decant. At first, there was an effervescence that made me wonder if it had gone bad. This resolved after the decant, revealing all that lush fruit flavor. Perhaps a bit of residual heat on the mid-palate, but not enough to interrupt the enjoyment of this excellent wine. Not quite as full-bodied as other vintages (or other Saxum varietals/blends).
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10/7/2019 - sdsull wrote: 90 Points
Conflicted on this wine. Pedigree is outstanding, the blend is enticing, but the youth and high alcohol content detract from full enjoyment. The wine was not fully integrated and requires additional age, before it emerges - perhaps. I have found California Rhone blends to be disappointing when they are this loaded with alcohol.
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9/29/2019 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tremendous wine.
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8/30/2019 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 96 Points
Our wine pairing with Kentucky Bourbon marinaded chicken skews.
The blend is; 43% Ganache, 29% Mourvèdre, 18% Syrah and 10% Goundise.
The nose reveals; ripe; spiced, blackberries, black plums, purple fruit blend, dark currants/cassis, dark poached cherries, anise to black licorice, dark Asian spice, sweet, syrupy tarriness, dark chocolate, steeped fruit tea, crushed, dry rocks, dark, rich soils, blackberry jam, incense, limestone minerals, black & white pepper, candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals.
The body is medium, rich and gorgeous. The fruits are perfectly ripe. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their stride. Still has 10 years plus of good drinking ahead. The fruits on the palate are bright, juicy and ripe. It’s drinking beautifully and has that gorgeous/sexy sensation. Spiced, blackberries, black plums, purple fruit blend, dark cassis, dark poached cherries, creamy raspberries, mixed berry fruit cola, cherry kirsch, anise to black licorice, dark Asian spice with just a touch of heat, sweet, syrupy tarriness, dark chocolate, coco powder, steeped fruit tea, vanillin notes, crushed, dry rocks, dark, rich soils, blackberry jam, incense, limestone minerals, dry top soil, dry underbrush, softer black & white pepper than the nose, leathery, some fresh tobacco, candied & bright; dark, red, blue and purple florals. The acidity is waterfall perfect. The long, elegant, ripe, juicy, well balanced fruit & earth finish is delightfully persistent for several minutes. Another all-star blend from Justin.
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6/22/2019 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still young, strong, but so good.
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6/18/2019 - cpsmith33 wrote: 92 Points
Needs way more time. Too alcoholic for my tastes now a day.
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6/14/2019 - sbfireman wrote:
Jonny G is spot on -
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6/13/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Integrating somewhat, relative to a taste I had four years ago, but still inward and tight. Powerful and textured, with a prominent sweet spice note standing out amongst the intense flavors. There's a quality and balance that allow this concentrated powerhouse to work well. Revisit in 5+ years, or decant patiently.
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5/12/2019 - Backdoctor wrote: 97 Points
Opened and sat in bottle about 45mins before first pour. Was amazing, mouth coating and well balanced.
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3/29/2019 - Chief68 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Needs several more years. A little fizzy and strong alcohol. Needs time to settle down.
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3/15/2019 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great nose-- deep, earthy, dark berry. Although we popped and poured, wine was initially effervescent. Bottle improved the more it decanted or was aerated. In fact the second day, some stated it improved dramatically. Smooth, velvety, deep dark fruits, nicely balanced.
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1/15/2019 - Griffeyfan04 wrote:
A little fizz on the pop and never really got going feel like this needs another few years before it is close to ready
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1/13/2019 - Tetherton Likes this wine: 93 Points
The other tasting notes capture the flavor profile of the wine. It is drinking fabulously. We decanted the wine for 2 hours and started a dinner party with it (with appetizers), which was a big hit!! We then transitioned to a "heavier" white (2016 Rotie Grenache Blanc) and enjoyed it with seafood paella. We discovered that the red to white transition with these two wines was very well received.
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1/6/2019 - Winerut wrote:
Very nice but could still use some more aging time. Fruit not quite integrated. A little disjointed for my taste compared to other aged Saxum. A little evervescent. I only decanted for maybe 1 hour. Still enjoyed it though. This is the youngest Saxum I have consumed.
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11/23/2018 - daniel.jay wrote: 94 Points
1 hr double decant - was just barely adequate. This is bursting with ripe red jammy fruit, touch of meat and spice. Found it more mouth-forward than expected. Great viscosity and balance. Not heat despite high ETOH.
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11/18/2018 - Jahull03 wrote:
Night 1: structure took center stage and I have to be honest, it was a nice wine but.... night 2 this came into focus in the way I’d expected: bigger fruit-driven wine with sweet-spice driven complexity. “Medium brown” flavors I associate with CDP/Grenache. The takeaway here, for my novice palate, is that I want a few more years on these bottles, or a lengthy decant.
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11/18/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 94 Points
Way more nuanced and complex than the 13. Sea water and faint bbq. Zip on the taste. A little charcoal. Seaweed, lime, sticks, slate, and finally gently sweet where the fruit weight enters.
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11/3/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 92 Points
Double decant ~2hrs prior. Still with a little heat, nice red fruits, has lightened up, not really my style but a solid wine.
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10/27/2018 - wineismylife wrote:
WIMLNR (forgot)
Tasted double blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of Kirsch and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black raspberries, black cherries and plums. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied.
My guess was this is a 2015 Paso Robles Red Blend. Perhaps a Saxum?
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10/20/2018 - t_moderne wrote: 94 Points
Opened, poured into a decanter, swirled it around, and poured back into the bottle. Slight bit of sediment remained in the decanter.
Drank about 1 hour later.
Dark purple color.
Nose offers black fruits and hints of beef and beef blood.
Rich wine, with a round mouthfeel. Acidity carries the fruit. No sign of any heat, which is something I look for given the high abv% the Saxums often carry.
Rich and with much personality - layers of dark fruits and some spice and black pepper notes.
Outstanding.
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9/29/2018 - City Squirrel wrote: 93 Points
Seems to have all the fixings, but Wow!, can't believe this is still so wound up for a 2012. Decanted for close to 5 hrs back n forth between decanter & bottle and it just started releasing closer to the 4-5 hr mark. My guess is this would be fantastic day 2 and maybe even day 4. Similar to my previous notes... no need to rush this, plenty of life ahead or decant, decant, decant!
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9/22/2018 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful wine. Softer and quite approachable compared to previous bottle. In a sweet spot!
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8/27/2018 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Oui c'est big et velouté, extrait et un brin confit mais
c'est bien fait et délicieux.
Un gros 3 heures de carafe et bu avec des faux-filet sur le BBQ.
Nez intense sur la framboise, la fumée et des épices.
En bouche, puissant mais assez maitrisé tout de même.
Des tonnes de fruits, framboises, des tannins veloutés et
une finale immense, un brin sucrée
mais délicieux.
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7/17/2018 - Castle Peak wrote: 94 Points
PNP. Softening and ripening with age. Complex but approachable,
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7/4/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs then back in the bottle to take July 4th dinner at Andre's, deep ruby, raspberry & black cherry, med/firm tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or preferably hold
Even better later in the evening as the tannins softened (added a point)
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6/29/2018 - Fid Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP with DS and SS. The usual crowd pleaser.
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6/2/2018 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red fruits, loads of baking spices, tea, cedar, sweet kirsch liquor, really nice balance. Still a bit tight initially, takes a couple hours of decanting to come around, but definitely drinkable now.
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5/16/2018 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Justin is such a master at balance and restraint. Most wines that come out of Paso are so overblown and spiked with ABV. This effort is so juicy and full of red fruit. With a grilled Ribeye, it took on another dimension. Such a perfect combination of fat, fruit and tannin.
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5/14/2018 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous showing, no formal notes taken, but the bottle went Fast! Drank next to Sans Liege The Prophetess - Syrah Mourvedre, 2009 Thrill of Stamp Collecting Syrah, and was my WOTN, though in fairness, at the end of the evening.. the Sine Qua Non, was really starting to open up, who knows if they all were given enough time in decantur.
This wine is progressing along nicely, and with a moderate decant, is a treat, but still has plenty of time to evolve.
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3/30/2018 - Dalton_Noble Likes this wine: 93 Points
Liked it but will hold a few more years to resolve tannins a bit more.
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2/17/2018 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Tampa Spring Break III; 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Tampa FL): The third in the flight of big powerhouse Syrahs. Nose of dark ripe fruit. On the palate this is still very young and a bit disjointed for me with lots of new oak dominating the flavor. I would recommend holding these for at least another 3-5 years to let it come together a bit more.
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2/17/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Tampa Spring Break (the third); 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Various Tampa locations (Seasons 52, Capital Grille, Berns etc.)): Total and complete baby. I'm not entirely sure this wasn't in a bit of a 'dumb' phase. It was much more muted and less expressive than the others in the flight. Hints of fruit. I think worth revisiting in another five years.
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2/2/2018 - jeagle wrote:
After a 6 hour decant, the wine was returned to the bottle. Tasting at this point revealed a spritz from continued fermentation which was annoying. After shaking the bottle and waiting another five hours, there was noticeable pressure on the cork and the wine poured beautifully: lush; deep; cohesive. I envy those who seem to find satisfaction after a mere hour or so as I seem to be challenged too often to find the drinking window. This time it was well worth it.
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12/26/2017 - haldolugr wrote:
I saved this for a couple years hoping it would be a knockout, but when we opened it, the wife and I just didn't enjoy it. Not cork taint, but something was off. Gave it a day to rest and then tried again and it was much improved. Not giving a rating as i just don't really know what to think. Fundamentally, not as good as the first 3 we had!
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11/23/2017 - Lazlo Toth wrote: 95 Points
No formal notes, but simply outstanding. Double decanted and still opening up after 1 hour of additional decanter time. Beautiful deep purple. Lots of flowers and cassis on the nose. Needs air to reach its full potential. Massive fruit, incredible richness and lots of secondary notes emerging over time with leather, spice and some smokiness coming into play.
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11/11/2017 - christianmgriffin Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Something was off,must have been the bottle and how it was stored. Had an almost spritzy feel to it. Could tell it was complex beneath that but was almost undrinkable. Disappointing, and not just because of what was spent on the bottle....
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11/11/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Day 2: A bit smoother as the tannins have resolved some, flavor profile is similar to day 1, although now it tastes a bit co-fermented but no white grape is listed in the blend. It's very good, harmonious, smooth, although still lacking some complexity found in the better James Berry bottles.
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11/10/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
sweet kirsch liquor, strawberry, cinnamon, really nice balance, medium+ acidity with gritty tannins on the finish that lasts 45 seconds. Intense wine, not as good as other years, but it's still damn good. Could use a few years more to balance out everything.
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11/10/2017 - pakabear wrote: flawed
Corked unfortunately, this doesn't usually happen with Saxum, but I've been unlucky twice recently. Update: As usual their customer service is rock solid!
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10/18/2017 - Corrie wrote: 89 Points
Disappointed. WS rates it at 92, I thought it low octane for a Grenache blend, not the fruit bomb I'm used to. Bad bottle? Maybe, but I don't think so. I'm all in on Saxum--this is the first bottle to ever disappoint me, and the first 2012 I've opened of any Saxum label.
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9/4/2017 - Castle Peak wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful. After a couple hours it opened up, softened and was much more approachable. A special wine.
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8/19/2017 - RPerro Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured at Clarklewis in Portland. Some VA right off the bat, but it blew off fairly quickly. Grenache is at the front, with red berry fruit, vanilla and touches of earth. Quite spicy, and the acidity is quite high. Tannins are chewy and delicious at this point, but the wine would benefit from additional bottle age. Drink 2018-2027+.
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7/19/2017 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Really nice place right now. Would rate higher, but the alcohol is so noticeable.
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7/16/2017 - jctra Likes this wine: 98 Points
Omg, this is just great from the start till the end. Wish I could afford more than just one bottle (that is gone now).
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7/7/2017 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
rich and full mouth.
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6/24/2017 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (M&R's): Double blind. Aromas of vanilla, oak and spice; hot and alcoholic- overly so. Black raspberry and plummy fruit on the palate with dense, chewy tannin. Ripe and hot. Guessed syrah.
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6/18/2017 - rpk99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The fizzy is disappearing, but no reason to pop another one for around 5 more years. Great juice, velvet fruit on entry resolving into a bit of a tannic beast. Yum yum....
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5/24/2017 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
It was good, but I was struggling with this for a while. Drank over 2 days, and I was finally seeing its potential.
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5/13/2017 - norsktorsk wrote: 92 Points
Enolic reminds of S Rhone blend.
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5/7/2017 - Mike V wrote: flawed
A weird spritz I haven't seen for years in a Saxum. If you vigorously shake the bottle it fills with foam. ?secondary fermentation??
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3/6/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank this over the course of 24hrs. Although the Saxum flagship, this is usually one of my least favorite blends from them -- gets a little to sweet for my tastes at times. All that said, this wine was absolutely terrific. The nose alone was worth the price of admission, with tons of raspberry, charred/smoked meat and forest floor. Super powerful and dense, but with terrific texture and balance. Really pleasing mid pallet, with strong but sweet well integrated tannins and a super long finish. Better on day two, so highly recommend a long decant if consuming now. No doubt this will have a long life. No need to hurry but great now with air. 95+
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3/6/2017 - City Squirrel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still requires a 3-4 hr min decant before drinking to help tame the big acidity and tannins of this feisty youngster. The first 2 hrs upon opening showed "pop rocks" on the front palate, which was a first. Nice Rhone blend with spicy red fruits after it calmed down, but right now I think more in line with Vinous' 94 pts vs Parker's 97 pts. Still plenty of longevity ahead, so no need to rush into opening these.
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1/7/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely wine with great fruit and acidity. Very smooth but no need to hurry on this one.
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12/31/2016 - RobbieD68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big and rich, lots of aroma, with cola flavors and berries throughout. Lots of tannin still left here, so waiting would help, but man this is some wine!
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12/31/2016 - gew71walsh wrote: 89 Points
Opened and drank immediately as an unexpected last addition to New Year's Eve. Think this needs a decant at this time. Big wine, with cola and a spicy fizziness (as others have reported). I would think that another year or two will allow everything to integrate further. I might open my other bottles for New Year's Eve 2020. Rerated as I rethought how much fizziness was distracting.
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12/29/2016 - ajohn206 wrote: 93 Points
4 hour decant. This is a big wine.
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11/12/2016 - TheRhoneranger Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious bright fruits balanced with cranberry. Tobacco notes on the finish with tight but not overbearing tannins
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11/10/2016 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just entering its drinking window. One hour decant and writing this note with 1/2" left in my glass. Expressive nose of ripe blue fruit and a nice long finish. Definitely NOT an Aussie Shiraz as there is something else going on (edit: no wonder it's not a Shiraz because it's a GSM blend.) I like many of my wines young so hopefully I can keep my last bottle cellared for a number of years to see where this baby is heading.
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10/28/2016 - phenricsson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Big but still balanced. Always brings a smile to my face.
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10/20/2016 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Very impressive and young nose. Packed with flowers and roasted meat.
Lovely restrained raspberry fruit with a solid backbone of acidity and tannins. Needs a lot more time to soften up but a lovely wine.
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10/15/2016 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Nose of mixed berry, spicebox, and florals. Textured. Finishes with a sweet spice note. This should improve with age.
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10/6/2016 - hanasowner wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured...really nice...nose was fruit forward with spice and floral notes...very smooth mouthfeel and long finish.
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9/10/2016 - patwjr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted the last glass after opening/pouring for 3 hours. Delicious fruit nose & smooth, rich fruit & a sweet finish. Compared to the 2010 we also drank, this 2012 was bigger fruit, more dense and smoother (less acidic & tannic finish). Can enjoy now or hold.
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9/8/2016 - Tonester Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes. Had with dinner of grilled grass fed rib eye and bruschetta salad. Agree with the recent tasting notes posted here. Incredible perfumed nose of violets and berries. Medium body with raspberry grenache and some meat from the mourvèdre. Excellent balance with sweet fine tannins on the finish. Great now but I think it will be even better in a few years.
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9/2/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Previously tasted from a bottle opened via Coravin. Bottle opened and decanted. Raspberry and red fruit on the nose. Terrific fruit, raspberry jam, minerals, perfect acidity, and a long finish,
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9/2/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Previously Coravined. Raspberry, big wine, super concentrated. Classic Saxum.
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8/14/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark and dense in color. Cedar, mineral, and grilled beef on the nose.
Red raspberry compote, moderate tannins, well done oak, nicely tart, and this young but gorgeous. This is great juice, I expect this to get even better with more time but wanted to try one early.
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8/14/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Silky smooth considering how young it is. Still somewhat tannic but not the bruiser that young Saxum of yesteryear tended to be. Sweet red raspberry, great acid. Finish goes on forever. Needs time. 2016-2030
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8/13/2016 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 1hr
Nose is great. Strong black cherry, nice fresh leather, cedar wood nose, flavor cherry, chocolate, very smooth. Really vibrant. Real delicious factors.
Weight medium, acid medium minus.
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8/9/2016 - norsktorsk wrote: 93 Points
Very nice with great structure Young hold for later unless you have lots of it.
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8/8/2016 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Raspberry, grilled meat, cassis, licorice. Delicious.
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7/16/2016 - gbherbert Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tremendous wine. Nice complexity. Opened up well after decanting for an hour.
(Excuse the erroneous -- and absurd -- score I first posted. If not for fat fingers it would have been the 96 it now shows.)
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6/12/2016 - Hollowine wrote:
An amazingly good bottle, wish I'd given it some air before dinner. The will be spectacular in 2-4 years, the depth of the Grenache and the overall balance of the elements are testaments to Justin and the 2012 vintage. Very, very good, one of the popular bottles at dinner.
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5/1/2016 - rpk99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs some time and definitely needs to decant. Had a touch of fizz on pop and pour but 4 hrs in this really came around. Nice balance and mouthfeel, super viscous left wanting more fruit but that may come in time....
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4/16/2016 - kstoddard wrote:
Hospice du Rhone 2016 The Closing Tasting (Paso Robles, CA): Not my style
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3/27/2016 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fresh and alive with vibrant fruit, but still balanced and complex. Red fruits, big cola, black tea, vanilla and spice. Tannins are present, but frame the wine. Popped and poured, I don't think these need a decant, the best part of the wine was in the first two hours. Served cool. Excellent wine.
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3/13/2016 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 4 hours
Wow amazing stuff, very different from the booker vineyard. Heavy nose. Cola, chalk, tar, strawberry, white pepper all nose,
Strawberry, cola, strawberry sodas, after dried violets come out comes out. Strawberry, cola, smoked meat, blueberry flavors.
Tannins still strong. Great stuff.
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3/6/2016 - lucaslabelle wrote: 97 Points
Simply outstanding.
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2/28/2016 - JSPuskar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at the Oscars-watching party. Big, spicy, almost fizzy on the palate. Lots of bright fruit and spice - anise, blueberry. Long finish. Great wine.
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2/14/2016 - winopops3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Flowery nose. Very well balanced fruit and acidity, and nice mineral crunchiness. Medium finish.
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2/6/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours prior to consuming, great texture, dark red fruits, cooking spices and cocoa powder. Great balance and length, best bottle yet of the 2012's.
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1/3/2016 - rhalbert wrote: 92 Points
Needs time. VERY extracted at this point. Very nice fruit and balance but needs to mellow out to get the higher score
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1/2/2016 - haldolugr wrote: 93 Points
Awesome just awesome juice!
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12/20/2015 - JSPuskar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big, rich, spicy, lots of fruit and flavor
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12/19/2015 - Castle Peak wrote: 92 Points
Delicious.
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11/2/2015 - MayValley wrote: 92 Points
This wine was unfortunately slightly akward! Nose of varnish, bananapeel and volatile acidity. Also red fruit and sweet cherries though.
Palate was good with nice fruit and structure, but again the volatile elements were present here too. 92?
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10/19/2015 - bobpsi Likes this wine:
2 hr decant. Big nose of red berries, spices and floral notes. Silky smooth palate full of red cherry, raspberry, baking spices and a little smoked meat at the finish. Two thumbs way up.
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10/16/2015 - Justin B Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great nose and a lot of complexity here. Still probably still too young though.
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10/14/2015 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
An Outstanding Array of High-End Wines at a Charity Dinner (Fairmont Miramar, Santa Monica): Tight and textured, with a prominent sweet spice note standing out amongst the balanced flavors. Let rest for 3+ years to allow some nuances to emerge.
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8/30/2015 - patwjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped & poured, then drank over 1 hour. Nice fruit nose. Taste started out a touch thin, then took on thickness with each glass & more air. Last glass of course was the best. Hold or drink now with a decant.
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8/4/2015 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
Cracked the cork on this knowing full well it was too early, but in the name of science it had to be done! Restrained notes of kirsch, black cherry liqueur, raspberry, blueberry, bramble, underbrush, and chalky limestone. Fairly silky texture, with a bit of a talc-like clip on the finish. I was actually surprised at the lack of expected alcohol coming from this wine; I figured there would be more tannic power. I also expected more upfront fruit and spice profiles (based on my experience with past Saxum wines), but this was not showing off any flashiness in those arenas either.
Not in that "Wow" phase at the moment for me, as the fruit seems to be still working things out with the other components; time in bottle will be the deciding factor as to whether or not this wine will sit with some of Smith's greats. Extremely well made wine, with just enough personality to make you wonder what will become of it. I don't see this offering much full, complete flavor until well after 2018. 93+ at this stage for me.
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7/18/2015 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Night at the Shack's (Home of the Shack's): Tasted blind. Interesting nose of violets, cherry and pepper. Really had a floral thing going on though. This led to flavors of blackberry, cherry, raspberry with a little bit on the palate saying to me that this could have been decanted even longer than it was. Finish lasted 30 seconds and echoed the primary themes. Impressive wine.
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7/8/2015 - dlcass Likes this wine: 95 Points
A terrific wine. Spicy grenache; smooth; balanced with nice acidity, mouth feel, complexity and length. I look forward to the further evolution.
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5/7/2015 - Wineson Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is good on the nose and finish. But, it has a slightly bitter catch in the middle. Not unpleasant. Just not worth the scores given by others.
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5/2/2015 - AdamWallstein wrote: flawed
Lots of spritz. Not ok.
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4/20/2015 - haldolugr wrote: 93 Points
This is turning into a knockout. Wonderful fruit with a interesting spice note in the mouth. Easy finish with some runway still on the tannins. Everybody loved it.
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4/20/2015 - the godfather wrote:
massive with huge alcohol
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4/17/2015 - ageverett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Q1 (and Q2) Wine Dinner (Everett home): Decanted for one hour at room temperature. Nose still opened quickly, with a striking acetone/super glue note that I actually quite liked.
Drank next to 2012 syrahs from Andremily and SQN (Stock). This was a lighter wine. More red in color. Definitely shorter on the finish. Not to say that this wine has a "short" finish, but that it was up against some massive competition. Blind tasters ranked this #3 (tied with the 2012 Pott Kaliholmanok that we also included).
Really a good contrast, and was a fun wine to revisit during the night. The nose persisted, but the flavors developed more secondary tones.
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3/22/2015 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark cherry, anise, cherry wood chest, flower shop and stone. Exceptionally long and fine-grained tannin composure. The mid is legendary. This is constantly evolving and changing. A stunning display that begs for the cellar. This is more akin to Rayas than previous vintages. Drink 2019 -.
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3/20/2015 - Cphofmann Likes this wine: 93 Points
Young, big and fruity. Fresh acidity, tannin and alcohol, all well integrated. Very good, enjoyable now. Reminded me of Law and Booker....will give it some more time to see if some nuance and complexity evolves.
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2/13/2015 - IanBlessing wrote: 92 Points
Needs more time in bottle, but it was poured for me, so no harm in tasting. Tight right now, but definitely some nice elements showing through, great potential in 5-10 years. Some really expressive fruit up front that I'd like to see mellow out a bit, but also notes of cigar box, graphite, violets, pencil shavings, red licorice, herbs, a little chocolate. Nice, long, mouth coating finish. Tasted alongside a '00 Pegau Cuvee de Capo, which I can only imagine tasted something like this Saxum 12 years ago.
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2/1/2015 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 93 Points
93+
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1/18/2015 - corkcork wrote: 93 Points
Solid
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1/17/2015 - Brunello123 wrote: 90 Points
This wine is wayyyyyy too young, do not open now. I decanted it for 36 hours and it never really opened up. Won't open another bottle for at least 5 years.
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1/4/2015 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine:
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are fast. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like cherry, wet stoniness, vanilla and lead pencil. It tastes like plum, molasses, tobacco and tea. The body is medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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1/2/2015 - fdub Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very young but full of deep promise. Tasting exquisite on the palate with stone infused fruits and grilled herbs. Like a top flight CdP.
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12/28/2014 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Took one for the team and didn't dissappoint. A little tight at first pour but decanted for two hours and it was starting to to evolve. Lots of stuff going on but just a baby. On a very positve note the alcohol was not noticeable which is a big plus to me. Nice drying tannins. Some cola, earthiness and restrained fruits
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12/27/2014 - RMundell wrote:
Spritz? Opened and let breath for a couple hours. Not going to rate but not drinkable. Bad bottle.
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12/17/2014 - Nedder_travels_the_world Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pop n pour it starts out really funky with pencil shavings and cigar box. the blend starts out very disjointed. With an hour of air, it came together and was a sexy wine geek's dream wine. if you like rhone, cdp etc this wine is fo you. DO NOT open this for anyone but an enophile or risk having someone tell you it sucks. in 10 years this is going to be a rock star of a wine. wish money grew on trees so i could have a case of this stuff.
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12/2/2014 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Way too young, needs 3 years just to even try it young. Shows great potential, but hard to read at this point.
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11/15/2014 - beau11 wrote: 94 Points
Slow ooze all night. Decanted the next day and drank over 6 hours. Also left some for day 2. Initially tannin soaked the mouth and i also got the tin taste too. Really softened up after 2 hours in decanter. Very tasty. Day 2. Really good. Give next bottle 3+ yrs.
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11/13/2014 - shadow wrote: 98 Points
The nose is inviting, ink stained licorice, hint of cigar smoke, asphalt dropped afar.
Take a sip, bright, leather, little tin on the finish.
Another sip, big fruit splashing, liquid drips from the tongue warming the throat.
Back to the nose, it blending together, fog of wine, ripe, sublime.
Another sip, tasty shit, with a crisp bitterness
No regrets, expectations met.
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