Second of two bottles, the first one was opened in 2010. Same score, but different wine. This was lighter, sweeter, but somehow more balanced. 16.4%, but didn’t show any heat. Not sure how long it will age, but it seems like a good after dinner wine at this point.
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Decanted one hour before service. In the glass and on the nose, much the same as it was back in 2012 - dark, purple-tinted red, and a blast of raspberries and strawberries on the nose. Less of an alcoholic note on the aromatics, but initially, that wasn't true on the palate, and I thought we might be in trouble. However, 30 minutes of air was enough for the alcoholic note to recede into the distant background, leaving us with a wine that really hasn't budged much over the intervening decade. Grenache liqueur, silky palate, mid-palate complexity, and while there are still some structured tannins on the long finish, they aren't assertive. Probably a good time to check in if you haven't already done so.
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First tasted with artisanal sausage with cardamom, orange, etc and held its own, then was more than equal to an assortment of industrial halloween candy. Fun to drink and plennnnnnnty of life left in it.
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Blackberry and boysenberry compote laced with black pepper, smoke, and bacon fat. Huge wine, and quite the crowd pleaser. While very high in alcohol- it never seems over the top, although it’s admittedly probably best served as a cocktail wine rather than with food. Very good tonight- this hasn’t evolved much in the past several years.
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Still so youthful, this shows concentrated black and blue berry fruit, black plum, strawberry preserves, vanilla. Soft tannins give this a beautiful coating mouthfeel. Beautiful finish did not show the heat Even though it must be in there. It is big, and drank better without food than with, but really a delicious drink. A crowd pleaser.
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Dark garnet. Big nose of blueberry jam, grilled meat and a hint of peppers and a little cedar at the end. This has huge depth, dark fruits, cinnamon , some candy apple, spice, layer after layer of black cherry and other fruit. There is vanilla in the mid palate and an exceptionally long finish predominated by the fruit. Tannins are soft, enough acidity to keep the fruit flavors sharp and focused. In spite of 16.4% alcohol this is not at all hot.
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Age has mellowed this beast, but it hasn't lost its appeal. This is a stunner. Muted tannins, dark jammy blue fruit, blueberry, blackberry, pepper, black olive, bacon fat. Reminds me of Syrah based northern Rhone to be honest. Velvet first, iron glove. An all time favorite Saxum drinking 100% at peak.Tobacco. High alcohol, but you'd never know as there is no heat. Tonight, for me, this is perfect.
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Delicious and classic Grenache (93%) nose of red and dark red fruits. On the palate it was dominated by red and dark red fruits like raspberries and several varieties of cherry, with a medium+ body. The acid was sufficient to keep the wine bright, and the tannins were completely resolved. The finish was long, but there was a touch of heat which could indicate advancing age. You may want to drink them sooner rather than later.
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--- COLOR: Deep garnet NOTE: Nose is sweet framboise liqueur, hints of garrigue and tar. Mouth is incredibly opulent, full of ripe red raspberry preserves and boysenberry jam. Lots of complicated savory notes in the mouth as well that really barrel on through to the complex finish. Mesquite in there somewhere? This is so good and brings me back for sip after sip. Still fresh, but probably peaking. Enjoy over the next couple of years.
Now that it was revealed as my favorite Grenache ever I’m not surprised. Glad this bottle (my last) is showing so well and that I have a few more trips I can make to it thanks to my Coravin.
DECANT: 3-5 hours GLASS USED: Pinot Noir TASTE: 9.6+ COST: 143 VALUE: 6.0 TRY AGAIN: now - 2016 PRE-POUR LEVEL: 100% PAIRING: Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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I've enjoyed this before, but this bottle was not as balanced for whatever reason. No decant, this had very forward fruit, with little secondary appearing as of yet. Very dark profile, the alcohol was overly prominent on this. Delicious, but the balance detracts. Long finish shows some heat, but is otherwise quite delicious. --- Opened up after 2 hours in glass -- alcohol is still too forward, but strong fruit is now more nuanced and showing some interesting herbal notes. Finish is stunning.
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This is a big beast of a wine...does come off as more sweet and ripe/hot than I was necessarily looking for...folks seemed to have no trouble happily drinking it
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Drop dead fabulous. Creamy dark fruit, seamless start to finish. I'm not good with notes but this blew everyone's minds at a really more french leaning OL.
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From the same auction lot as the bottle I consumed in May. Bottle was abused, and it puts a damper on the wine. Still enjoyable no doubt, but when you have a well-preserved bottle of this it's just thrilling.
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A heck of a Monday Night in Cleveland (E. 4th street): This was almost disappointing. Great wine, but I thought it would be a stunner and it was the least of the three Saxum's. Its biggest issue was that it came off sweet. Certainly as compared to the CdP flight, but even to the other Bone Rocks. A delicious wine, the nose has raspberries, cherries, and charred wood notes. On the palate, a lovely thick texture. Sweet red raspberry pie filling fruit. Long finish. Showing complex layering. Delicious wine.
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This bottle was bought at auction and the label was pretty messed up, so this may have been abused. Still had great enjoyment from it, but it was definitely hewing downhill as reflected by the score. The one constant in this wine is the level of glycerin, which makes it so exciting. It's just a thrill to take each sip. What a great wine. I hope someday Justin and Heather decide to reconstitute this Grenache-dominant blend from this block of blessed vines.
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This wasn't enjoyable to me at all. Years ago it was - amazing how much ones tastes can change. A wine that is way over the top. It didn't taste like wine, more like port.
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Jen's Fund Raiser Dinner II (Max's Bistro, Fresno Ca.): 93% Grenache, 7% Syrah....the grenache really shows here! Very high toned red berry fruit...a little too candied for me...yet with nice pretty florals and dried raspberry, smoke, and chocolate covered blueberries. Might have seemed sweeter to me tasted next to the 44mo and the BR.
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Fantastic wine, decanted and shared with some friends at Union Square in NYC (Danny Meyer restaurant - very accommodating on corkage and awesome food to boot). Let it decant about 45 minutes.
Dark purple color (not inky), nose is red fruit, raspberries, floral and aromatic. Classic Grenache nose.
Liqueur like concentration, blackberry, cherry, violets, lavender, smoke and pepper/spice. This Rayas with California fruit, simply spectacular wine. Tannins are light and smooth. Finish goes for 30 seconds
My guests ranged from very knowledgeable to just getting started with wine - blew away everyone. WOTN against some very big competition.
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Simply fantastic. Smooth as silk with absolutely no edges. Massively rich, with rolling layers of raspberry and blackberry. There is truly not much to compare this to.
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Deep garnet color, no bricking, wonderful nose with black berries, kirsch, multi tiered. Smooth, no hint of the underlying alcohol (16.4%). Only downside I can find is a pronounced green vegetal taste on the finish. Implies to me this was not or only partially de-stemmed and/or sorted with unripe grapes going into the fermenter. This seemed to disapate as the wine opened up, but was still noticeable. Long finish. Could use a little more time.
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Decanted for two hours before service. In the glass, a dark purple-tinted red. On the nose, a blast of ripe raspberries, a secondary note of strawberry, and initially, a noticeable alcoholic burn that went away after 30 minutes. On the palate, pure grenache liqueur, perhaps the purest expression of grenache I've tasted, which is somewhat odd since this does have 7% syrah in the blend, but I really didn't get any of the peppery elements I often detect with syrah, so there you go. For me, this wine highlights the almost pinot-like aspects of grenache: its silkiness on the palate and its almost sweet mineral complexity. Still some tannins on the long finish, so I think there is some improvement ahead. Also, while I'm normally very sensitive to alcohol, and detected it on the nose during the decant, there was absolutely no sign of the 16.4% alcohol on the palate. Good while we're enjoying it, perhaps less good a couple of hours later...
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IF ANYONE WANTS TO SELL/TRADE FOR THEIR BOTTLES OF THIS PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL AT troypeterson@usa.net. THANKS!
--- COLOR: Seems to be turning. Deep garnet with medium-garnet hazy rim. NOTE: This is just as good as it's ever been. After an hour that burst of uber-ripe black berry fruits in the nose, jammy, sweet, zin-like, are accented by some forest floor and pine (like a Pinot now), then a hint of white pepper. Not as floral as I remember, but still very enticing. Mouth is opulent with gobs and gobs of black berry liqueur, sweet BBQ sauce on roast beef, cherry tobacco, Jolly Rancher watermelon hints, and dried strawberry. The tannins are there, but they're velvety and add texture. The finish is where I find just a prickle of heat, but even then it's hardly noticeable as the cascade of sweet and savory flavors envelopes my mouth. As pure and thick and sweet as this is, the balance is striking and it has always gone well with any food I've thrown at it. I think for pure Grenache only the great 2007 Usseglio Mon Aieul has ever come close to this. This is probably at its peak and may be morphing a little but it's not fading and I think it has a few more years until it heads downhill. I don't think the bottles I just got at auction will ever find out how long it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop.
It should be hot at 16.4%, and it smells a little like it's going to be hot, but there's hardly any alcohol burn anywhere. Weird.
After 8 hours I'm bumping this up to 9.5 because there's just something mystical about it, that "X Factor" as Wine Spectator calls it, that keeps drawing me in. It's not just one point better than the 2008 Favia Rompecabezas, and it's probably more than 2 points better, but I've got to stick to some standards and mark off where there are rough edges. It's ephemeral and ethereal and whatever other "e"-driven words you'd like to use. Magic in a bottle!
DECANT: 1-6 hours. GLASS USED: Syrah TASTE: 9.5 OTHER: COST: 100 VALUE: 8.5 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: see CT TRY AGAIN: now - 2015 PAIRING: Anything. Today it was Hook Burger's Bacon Hickory Burger with cheddar and onion rings. That's where I got the "sweet BBQ sauce on roast beef" from. Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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OMG Someone said this was like drinking crack ! and it was that good. I'm horrible with TN but had to chime in about the how amazing this wine is. Strong raspberries more red than black. It's so sad that Justin doesn't make this wine any more. LOVE IT. Seamless, smooth and hedonistic. What a treat !
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My all time favorite Saxum. Flirting with perfection. Loved it. Denser than a black hole. Dark fruit. Complex. Massive wine, not for the light hearted.
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An evening with Chave, SQN, Captain Kirk and others (The Greenhouse Tavern): Also from Magnum. The group overwhelmingly preferred this to the Sanctus Sanctorum and this got one vote for WOTN! The nose has black and red raspberries, charcoal, violets and smoke. On the palate, I found this slightly sweet (others found the Sanctus sweeter), full of fruit, mostly raspberries and black raspberries. A slight licorice note. This is seamless and easy to drink with a lush texture. Another long finish. Other that the JFTOLI, no wine was more universally liked. As Tom noted, it has the dichotomy that is a trademark of Saxum, it is a huge wine that is so light on its feet. Awesome!
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I am absolutely horrid with tasting notes, but, I wanted to chime in on this bottle. It was stellar. I noticed many other reviewers quite happy with this wine right now as well. I am not sure how it could get any better, but, I will try my best to keep my remaining bottles a little bit longer.
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Opened this based upon the recent string of very positive notes over the last ~6 months....and boy, did this rock. Opened this morning and Slow O'd for the day. No formal notes taken (16.4% abv will do that) but jeez, seemlessly integrated, no heat, lingering finish. Dinner was barely finished and we were done with the bottle...this only happens when there is something special going on. Best Saxum yet...too bad JS hasn't done this bottling since 05. 99, 100, what's the difference...it was that good.
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Decanted for two hours. Bright vibrant nose of blueberries, skittles and fruit roll-ups. Fresh fruits on the palate including blueberries with some spice and pepper. Finish goes on forever. No noticeable heat. Probably finest CA grenache I have ever had. What an awesome wine.
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SQN, Mollydooker, Saxum, Spotteswood: I really liked this wine. The nose is explosive with raspberries, black raspberries, smoke and day old campfire. Great juicy texture. On the palate, delicious, young and full of vigor. Easy to drink. Red and mostly purple fruits. Great balance. Long finish. Great.
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Simply spectacular. Dark purple color. Nose is explosive with floral and dark fruit notes. Super smooth texture. On the palate, notes of earth, smoke and tons of dark fruit. No heat for me. Delicious.
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Rich raspberry, licorice and minerals on a milky frame with long powerful finish. There is a silkiness that is pleasing but in the end, the candied fruit gains prominence.
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We have never had a better grenache....this is a near perfect wine...last of our 3 bottles...bit of heat from etoh initially but this blew off at 2 hour mark and it was again a wonderful grenache experience with Daniel Lindley's 8 course tasting...he is a natural- creative beyond belief....one of the absolute best in the country....proverbial big fish in a smallish pond...
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Breathtaking jam packed stunner that is loaded up with lush red fruit, and amazing depth and concentration. Gushing, rich pomegranite jam, red licorice and currant. Phenomenal structure and balance with an enormously complex finish and aftertaste. Fabulous now, but this will go for many years in the cellar. The best wine poured at the 2011 festival. Tasted from magnum. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Hospice du Rhone Rendezvous.
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--- COLOR: Lovely light garnet NOTE: Still an intoxicating (in a number of ways, esp w/16.4abv) elixir after all these years. The alcohol is more pronounced from top-to-toe than the last time we had this in Dec 09. Sadly, I don't think it will improve. Happily, it's still drinking great! Nose is an explosion of Italian brandied cherries, candied raspberries, cognac, sweet cherry pipe tobacco and brown sugar. Yep, it's that good sucka! Mouth is still such a beautiful red-fruit liqueur melange that I can't even put my finger on it. One moment its raspberries, next strawberries, kirsch, then pomagranate, oh my! This is the definition of opulence and richness. I know I'm a sucker for high-alcohol wines, but this one just gives so much pleasure that you hardly notice the heat. Even the finish is plump and round, with a full expression of previously-mentioned liqueurs layering across my tongue for up to a minute, intermingled (or "complicated" as Mr Tanzer would say) by a strong mineral component reminiscent of a great CDP (Usseglio Mon Aieul comes to mind). This is the last time this Grenache was bottled on its own. After 2005 all of it went into the other bottlings and ultimately led to the 2007 JBV snagging the #1 spot on WS. It lives on in greatness!!!
DECANT: 1 hr GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.4 COST: 105 VALUE: 7.9 (expensive, but worth it if you haven't tried it) PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 12/09 TRY AGAIN: n/a PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Wow, wow , wow. Opened and poured. This is so smooth. The nose is awesome. Earthy, slightly like a humid barn, tons of black and red raspberries, a bit or scorched earth. On the palate, this is velvety. no hint of heat. Delicious. Just a wow wine. Its still young but is so worth opening right now. It goes down so easily.
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Drank side by side with the 2003 Rocket Block. They were different exoperiences but both excellent.Blueberry and chocolate on palate and nose. Baking spice as well. Huge finish, easier to drink than the 2003.More floral. Lots of glycerin and slghly more sweet than the 2003. Is 5 year window the right place for this wine for my palate?
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Beautiful wine. Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with nice acidity to offset sweet tannins. Floral nose, dark fruit and minerals on the palate. Long velvety finish. Delicious.
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Saxum vs. the field (Palate in Glendale, CA): – tasted a single glass blind over approx. 15 minutes – – wine was decanted for 2 hours before going back into bottle 3 hours before the tasting -- – 93% Grenache, 7% Syrah --
This didn’t give much on the NOSE: it was very tight, with a hint of orange oil –– NOSE reminded me of the 2008 Loring - Divergence, but not nearly as expressive. On the palate: creamy; sweet red fruits; oak; hint of spice; full bodied, with soft, round tannins; alcohol is very noticeable –– I recall referring to this as “vodka wine” –– it was pretty bad. 16.4% alc.
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Saxum versus The Field (Palate, Glendale, CA): Served blind. Sweet candy like nose with some cocoa and heat. Sweetly flavored with notes of hard candies and sweet fruit. Lean in feel with lingering tannin and solid acidity. I liked the acid/tannin combo but the candy notes pushed it back away for me.
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Floral, big with lots of strawberry jam, cherry tart and some maple. I was expecting a bomb but while sweet in tone, it's well measured and medium red toned in the glass.
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This is one of the best wines we've ever had...listed at over 16% ETOH but not problematic. Seamless...tannins integrated, nothing to sully a pure joyous grenache experience. Paired with a chefs tasting at St Johns. This affirms my belief that Saxums are best left alone deep in the back of the cellar for a while.
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Blind Grenache Tasting w/ Ben Smith, Dick Boushey, Bob Betz, and MrBigJ (Wild Ginger, Seattle, WA): (Group's #2 (my #1)) – 3 first place votes, 3 second place votes, 1 third place vote, 2 fourth place votes, 1 fifth place vote – The nose had cassis, anise and a smoky perfume on the nose, which initially seemed a little volatile, but settled down in a very short period of time. The palate was packed with smooth and rich raspberry and blueberry flavors that just gained in richness through the long finish. I got to taste this wine a couple weeks ago for the first time, and at that time I called it the best Grenache that I had ever tasted. I still think that, even after this tasting although it was really close with the Pegau Cuvee da Capo. My WOTN.
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The nose of this wine had dark fruit aromas and some floral/perfume notes. The palate had very ripe and rich raspberry and blueberry flavors with some smoke and spice nuances. Very nice mouthfeel, and a long finish. When I first tasted this, I said that this may be the best Grenache that I have ever had. I felt that way the whole evening with this wine. It just kept getting better and better for me. I think that I liked the fact that it wasn't all just red fruits here. Great stuff.
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Rich and pretty nose of mixed dark fruits, florals, tar and a little dried herbs. Rich flavors of berries, currants, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity and tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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The nose had blackberry and pepper, mushroom and vanilla, and some pepper at the end. The palate was rich and thick, with blackberry, pepper, mocha, earth, and a nice shot of vanilla on the finish.
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Love this wine. Just bought another case from Vinfolio. Explosive, rich, exotic. Great intensity and superlong aftertaste. This is Grenache at its most flamboyant and sexy best.
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Decanted for four hours, consumed over the next four. The best glass was the last, which makes me think I should have decanted for eight hours. Dark, but not as dark as the bone rock. But the mouthfeel was thicker. Dense. The wine was big, at times too big. However, the air seemed to soften things, including the alcohol, and when everything was in balance, it was delicious.
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Over the top. Wife gives this it a 95; I give it an 89. Not to my taste . . . alcoholic, ripe and so rich. At times it's unclear this is even wine. Acidity is not as high as it should be to balance the ripeness. Over the course of the evening, it mellowed, but still not a big fan of this style.
undrinkable...i followed the decanting advice from a note here where the winemaker gave the advice. based on the numerous positive, even superlative notes, i have to believe that the high alcohol and extraction have led to high bottle variation. both bottles have been undrinkable, sickly sweet, no spice, no varietal flavor, just bum favored 7-11 slurpee's. Once marketplace gets back to norm I will sell the rest
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Monster wine. Very sweet, almost port-like. Very much like an '03 Chateauneuf, but even richer and more heavily oaked. Wasn't exactly to my taste, bu I could appreciate it for what it is.
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I decanted this wine for at least a couple of hours before drinking. Despite the decanting it evolved significantly in the glass as we drank it. I wouldn't have picked it as a grenache when we first started drinking it but after about 30 minutes it definitely showed quite a bit of grenache characteristics. It will be interesting to see how this wine evolves over the years. It's great now but I think it will be even better with an additional couple years of age.
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This was one of my WOTY in 2008 so I was delighted to revisit it and see if I still loved it. I did. A very big wine that delivered total pleasure. Tons of fruit both black and blue, big (huge really!), but not syrupy. Nice acidity. I enjoyed it with and without food. At Justin's suggestion, I opened it in the morning, recorked it, kept at cellar temp and then brough to dinner and drank 12 hours later. Perfect.
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Grenache Smackdown (Wally's, Arlington Heights): nose: very rich and powerful nose that is extremely ripe that is chock full of black fruits, black cherries, plums, and black currants. Very big and ripe with some heat on the nose, but the heat isn't getting in the way too much and the fruit was certainly there, but held itself too
taste: massive and full bodied on the palate that is filled with ripe tones of black fruits, black cherries, plums, and all sorts of dark berries. Extremely rich and ripe on the palate, but not too much heat either
overall: a big and juicy grenache based wine. Ripe without being overdone, this is big and rich and doesn't mess around at all
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Anything but graceful. Over the top, fruit bomb, cough syrup come to mind. Stated alcohol well over 16% approaching 17%. Definitely not my style. Peculiar rating for IWC but then again its JR and not ST.
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Floral notes, pine needle, spice, cherries and ripe blackberries form a complex, outright exciting nose. Excellent palate, with energetic entry, complex midpalate, and spicey long finish. A real winner. I find the RS very well integrated, and well in the background.
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A nice Saxum, but not at all as good as the others I have had. This wine has serious RS, and tastes more like a port than a table wine. I have had tons of Saxums...and this is a step below most.
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incredible density of fruit. black cherry, blackberry, cassis, chocolate. last time i tasted this kind of fruit density was in the 01 masseto. great wine.
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Although this was a wonderful bottle, I was maybe expecting a bit more. Ifeel the 2005 Booker was better when I had it. Still, this was great.
Deep dark color to it. Took a couple of hours to really show. Nose of Mocha, black Cherries and a ton of other dark fruits really coming into play along with just a bit of earth. Full bodied wine with the dark fruits really taking over and showing itself all the way through to the finish. Good acidity to keep this from becoming flabby and the tannins were there to give this some good backbone.
The thing is, on night 2, the fruit was definitely still there, but all the acid had left. The tannins softened, which was great, but it all of a sudden felt just a touch off balance to me with no acid to speak of.
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Hugely over the top. Big honkin Cali Rhone kicking my ass. Frankly, way too much. Not sure that this will ever mellow out. If ass kicking fruit bomb rhonish stuff is your speed, bingo, otherwise, go elsewhere.
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Dr Fein's Birthday (Prime Rib): Expressive... fruit forward with a hint of smoke and spice. Lots of personality. Did not decant. Excellent... WOTN for many
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My Birthday (Palate Food + Wine): Bright cherry, strawberry, asphalt, campfire nose and palate. So much good stuff going on, this wine really shines in mixed company, but some time I need to just hole up with it for an evening and really get to know it better.
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Worldwide Grenache (Boka - Chicago): Big, rich and dense nose of sweet blueberry fruit and spices. Palate is stuffed with loads of fruit, toast and herbal notes. But not yet delineated or overly expressive. Hold or give it a long decant.
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popped, and tasted a cough medicine with overwhelming sugar...moved to the decanter for two hours...settled down somewhat but still perplexing in terms of figuring out what this was...very thick, glycerine, dark berry, not much else..maybe this was opened too early...satisfying at the end of the night, but I was left excepting much more
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Ruby red in color. Nose of raspberries. Tastes of cherry, kirsch, blackberry, garrigue, spice and charred oak. Has an abundance of bright fruit undoubtably from the high Grenache content in the mid palate and finish. Good balance and not hot or over the top like some past vintages of this wine despite the high 16.4% alcohol. Full bodied with nice acidity. Complex, powerful finish with very good depth and length. A blend of 93% Grenache and 7% Syrah.
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An interesting combination of power and delicacy. Very complex and balanced; a lot of fun to drink now, not sure how it will age. No signs of the 16%+ alcohol.
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The color of freshly laid asphalt. Highly perfumed nose showing coal, ink, spearmint and white flowers. Dark, woodsy almost medicinal fruit on the palate along with red grapefruit. Finished a little hot. Hopefully a couple years with settle this one down. A powerful wine but not close to the brilliant 2003.
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Saxum/Rhone Ranger dinner with Justin Smith (New York): Huge, explosive nose showing kirsch, plums, cherries, herbs, smoke and some alcohol. Intensely rich on the palate with concentrated red fruits, smoke and herbs, soft tannins and a very long finish showing heat. The alcohol in this wine was very prominent on the nose and palate and I struggled to drink more than a few sips of this.
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I'm not sure what it is, perhaps my palate is changing, but this was not nearly as good as the first time I've opened it. Nose of raspberry and some asian spice, a very classic american Grenache nose to me. It was very very sweet on the palate, it went well with cookies. Decent complexity, but it reminds me of the SQN Atlantis Grenache that I'm also not a fan of.
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Ruby and purple in color. Nose of sweet dark berry fruit. Tasting of raspberry, garigue, kirsch and earth. Excellent mid palate depth and concentration. Well balanced with no heat despite its lofty 16.4% alcohol however I would recommend serving this wine on the cooler side otherwise the heat might peek through the huge cloak of fruit. Full bodied with a rich mouth feel and texture. Beautiful complexity in the layered and complex finish that lingers for over a minute.
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Woof. Lugged this one to London, and it repaid me for the trip. Crisp, bright berry fruits, coffee, tar, long finish, great with food. I was expecting something overwhelmingly powerful, but this was all about power through finesse. You know it could kick your ass like Chuck Norris, but it's just too zen to do so.
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This was pretty closed down but with 2 hours of decanting the amazing complex fruit started to show itself. The nose was still restrained but full throttle on the palate. It will be interesting to see how this wine develops.
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I concur with The Godfather on this wine. Very tight upon opening. 2+ hours in the decanter and this was smoking. Excellent mouthfeel and complexity. The nose never really appeared but superb on the palate. Long, long finish.
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near perfect nose, gobs of dark luscious black fruits, espresso, seasoned leather...amazing mid palate with multi-layered complexity, silky tannins, high alcohol content perfectly integrated. saxum rocks it big time.
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Decidedly sweet and not at all CdP in style, this wine ROCKS when you enjoy it alongside a gruyer-bomb fritatta with asparagus and pancetta. It's an unbelievable combination, like Port & Stilton, Sauternes & Bleu.
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Saxum Offine In The OC, w/ Justin Smith (Sage Newport Beach): Tasted from a barrel sample. I believe Justin told us that this wine is aged in mostly neutral oak--my response to that was "huh"? Man, again affirms for me that wines with less wood can work and can be as good or better than those which contain more. To me, this beats the 2003 RB across the board: intense concentration, strawberry on roids, forward with a rich core. Uh, sign me up. And to think I have said I can't figure out Grenache? This is 93% Grenache, with the balance of Syrah, and by god, this works for me.
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3/5/2023 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second of two bottles, the first one was opened in 2010. Same score, but different wine. This was lighter, sweeter, but somehow more balanced. 16.4%, but didn’t show any heat. Not sure how long it will age, but it seems like a good after dinner wine at this point.
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12/17/2022 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
This was a bit too rich and sweet for my palate. BB xmas party
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7/15/2021 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Decanted one hour before service. In the glass and on the nose, much the same as it was back in 2012 - dark, purple-tinted red, and a blast of raspberries and strawberries on the nose. Less of an alcoholic note on the aromatics, but initially, that wasn't true on the palate, and I thought we might be in trouble. However, 30 minutes of air was enough for the alcoholic note to recede into the distant background, leaving us with a wine that really hasn't budged much over the intervening decade. Grenache liqueur, silky palate, mid-palate complexity, and while there are still some structured tannins on the long finish, they aren't assertive. Probably a good time to check in if you haven't already done so.
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10/31/2019 - imbibe wrote: 92 Points
First tasted with artisanal sausage with cardamom, orange, etc and held its own, then was more than equal to an assortment of industrial halloween candy. Fun to drink and plennnnnnnty of life left in it.
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5/12/2019 - shadow wrote: 96 Points
The legend, this girl is fresh and delicious, no end in sight.
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1/13/2018 - Winerut Likes this wine: 95 Points
Improved after 2 hour decant. Well balanced. Amazing long finish. Several years to go on this one IMO.
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11/8/2017 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 95 Points
Blackberry and boysenberry compote laced with black pepper, smoke, and bacon fat. Huge wine, and quite the crowd pleaser. While very high in alcohol- it never seems over the top, although it’s admittedly probably best served as a cocktail wine rather than with food. Very good tonight- this hasn’t evolved much in the past several years.
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9/2/2017 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
Still so youthful, this shows concentrated black and blue berry fruit, black plum, strawberry preserves, vanilla. Soft tannins give this a beautiful coating mouthfeel. Beautiful finish did not show the heat Even though it must be in there. It is big, and drank better without food than with, but really a delicious drink. A crowd pleaser.
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10/1/2016 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning. Still vibrant and young. This wine so far is ageless. Powerful fruit with spice and pepper. Really a delight.
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8/24/2016 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous tasting note.
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7/1/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark garnet. Big nose of blueberry jam, grilled meat and a hint of peppers and a little cedar at the end. This has huge depth, dark fruits, cinnamon , some candy apple, spice, layer after layer of black cherry and other fruit. There is vanilla in the mid palate and an exceptionally long finish predominated by the fruit. Tannins are soft, enough acidity to keep the fruit flavors sharp and focused. In spite of 16.4% alcohol this is not at all hot.
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7/1/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Age has mellowed this beast, but it hasn't lost its appeal. This is a stunner. Muted tannins, dark jammy blue fruit, blueberry, blackberry, pepper, black olive, bacon fat. Reminds me of Syrah based northern Rhone to be honest. Velvet first, iron glove. An all time favorite Saxum drinking 100% at peak.Tobacco. High alcohol, but you'd never know as there is no heat. Tonight, for me, this is perfect.
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3/25/2016 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious and classic Grenache (93%) nose of red and dark red fruits. On the palate it was dominated by red and dark red fruits like raspberries and several varieties of cherry, with a medium+ body. The acid was sufficient to keep the wine bright, and the tannins were completely resolved. The finish was long, but there was a touch of heat which could indicate advancing age. You may want to drink them sooner rather than later.
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4/1/2015 - phenricsson wrote: 99 Points
One of my favorite wines. 14th bottle I've drunk. Had this side by side with the 03, both superb but slight edge to 05
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2/21/2015 - risaacs Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. I think time in the bottle did great things for this one.
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9/1/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 96 Points
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COLOR: Deep garnet
NOTE: Nose is sweet framboise liqueur, hints of garrigue and tar. Mouth is incredibly opulent, full of ripe red raspberry preserves and boysenberry jam. Lots of complicated savory notes in the mouth as well that really barrel on through to the complex finish. Mesquite in there somewhere? This is so good and brings me back for sip after sip. Still fresh, but probably peaking. Enjoy over the next couple of years.
Now that it was revealed as my favorite Grenache ever I’m not surprised. Glad this bottle (my last) is showing so well and that I have a few more trips I can make to it thanks to my Coravin.
DECANT: 3-5 hours
GLASS USED: Pinot Noir
TASTE: 9.6+
COST: 143
VALUE: 6.0
TRY AGAIN: now - 2016
PRE-POUR LEVEL: 100%
PAIRING:
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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8/5/2014 - jhieb Likes this wine: 96 Points
My last bottle. I put this up against a great 2010 CNdP, and people were blown away by this wine. So smooth and velvety. Wish I had more.
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4/15/2014 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
I've enjoyed this before, but this bottle was not as balanced for whatever reason. No decant, this had very forward fruit, with little secondary appearing as of yet. Very dark profile, the alcohol was overly prominent on this. Delicious, but the balance detracts. Long finish shows some heat, but is otherwise quite delicious.
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Opened up after 2 hours in glass -- alcohol is still too forward, but strong fruit is now more nuanced and showing some interesting herbal notes. Finish is stunning.
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2/20/2014 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
Enormous amounts of flavor. Rich, fruity. Huge wine, many felt it was too much for a wine but I think it was still in balance. Love this wine.
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2/9/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big exuberant wine with explosive fruit. Decanted two hours. Received great praise from all who tasted.
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1/18/2014 - jhieb Likes this wine: 96 Points
Profound stuff.
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10/26/2013 - Mr T wrote:
This is a big beast of a wine...does come off as more sweet and ripe/hot than I was necessarily looking for...folks seemed to have no trouble happily drinking it
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8/31/2013 - oaxaca90049 wrote: 95 Points
Drop dead fabulous. Creamy dark fruit, seamless start to finish. I'm not good with notes but this blew everyone's minds at a really more french leaning OL.
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7/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
From the same auction lot as the bottle I consumed in May. Bottle was abused, and it puts a damper on the wine. Still enjoyable no doubt, but when you have a well-preserved bottle of this it's just thrilling.
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6/4/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
A heck of a Monday Night in Cleveland (E. 4th street): This was almost disappointing. Great wine, but I thought it would be a stunner and it was the least of the three Saxum's. Its biggest issue was that it came off sweet. Certainly as compared to the CdP flight, but even to the other Bone Rocks. A delicious wine, the nose has raspberries, cherries, and charred wood notes. On the palate, a lovely thick texture. Sweet red raspberry pie filling fruit. Long finish. Showing complex layering. Delicious wine.
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6/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a better bottle than the last and showed true to baseline form. Great stuff. 9.4+.
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5/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle was bought at auction and the label was pretty messed up, so this may have been abused. Still had great enjoyment from it, but it was definitely hewing downhill as reflected by the score. The one constant in this wine is the level of glycerin, which makes it so exciting. It's just a thrill to take each sip. What a great wine. I hope someday Justin and Heather decide to reconstitute this Grenache-dominant blend from this block of blessed vines.
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3/29/2013 - Vinum Bellator Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great balance - esp. with 16.5% alcohol. Tastes delicious! Wish I had more. Its the last bottle.
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1/24/2013 - JOsgood wrote:
This wasn't enjoyable to me at all. Years ago it was - amazing how much ones tastes can change. A wine that is way over the top. It didn't taste like wine, more like port.
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12/25/2012 - jonnyoro wrote:
Too sweet.
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11/15/2012 - LikeABC wrote:
absolutely outstanding! Wish Justin still made Rocket Block as this and the 03's are some of my favorite wines of all time.
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11/15/2012 - Mrbuzz wrote: 91 Points
Jen's Fund Raiser Dinner II (Max's Bistro, Fresno Ca.): 93% Grenache, 7% Syrah....the grenache really shows here! Very high toned red berry fruit...a little too candied for me...yet with nice pretty florals and dried raspberry, smoke, and chocolate covered blueberries. Might have seemed sweeter to me tasted next to the 44mo and the BR.
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9/28/2012 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine, decanted and shared with some friends at Union Square in NYC (Danny Meyer restaurant - very accommodating on corkage and awesome food to boot). Let it decant about 45 minutes.
Dark purple color (not inky), nose is red fruit, raspberries, floral and aromatic. Classic Grenache nose.
Liqueur like concentration, blackberry, cherry, violets, lavender, smoke and pepper/spice. This Rayas with California fruit, simply spectacular wine. Tannins are light and smooth. Finish goes for 30 seconds
My guests ranged from very knowledgeable to just getting started with wine - blew away everyone. WOTN against some very big competition.
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8/27/2012 - jhieb wrote: 95 Points
Simply fantastic. Smooth as silk with absolutely no edges. Massively rich, with rolling layers of raspberry and blackberry. There is truly not much to compare this to.
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8/5/2012 - Geoff wrote: 94 Points
Deep garnet color, no bricking, wonderful nose with black berries, kirsch, multi tiered. Smooth, no hint of the underlying alcohol (16.4%). Only downside I can find is a pronounced green vegetal taste on the finish. Implies to me this was not or only partially de-stemmed and/or sorted with unripe grapes going into the fermenter. This seemed to disapate as the wine opened up, but was still noticeable. Long finish. Could use a little more time.
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7/28/2012 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for two hours before service. In the glass, a dark purple-tinted red. On the nose, a blast of ripe raspberries, a secondary note of strawberry, and initially, a noticeable alcoholic burn that went away after 30 minutes. On the palate, pure grenache liqueur, perhaps the purest expression of grenache I've tasted, which is somewhat odd since this does have 7% syrah in the blend, but I really didn't get any of the peppery elements I often detect with syrah, so there you go. For me, this wine highlights the almost pinot-like aspects of grenache: its silkiness on the palate and its almost sweet mineral complexity. Still some tannins on the long finish, so I think there is some improvement ahead. Also, while I'm normally very sensitive to alcohol, and detected it on the nose during the decant, there was absolutely no sign of the 16.4% alcohol on the palate. Good while we're enjoying it, perhaps less good a couple of hours later...
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6/1/2012 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 95 Points
IF ANYONE WANTS TO SELL/TRADE FOR THEIR BOTTLES OF THIS PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL AT troypeterson@usa.net. THANKS!
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COLOR: Seems to be turning. Deep garnet with medium-garnet hazy rim.
NOTE: This is just as good as it's ever been. After an hour that burst of uber-ripe black berry fruits in the nose, jammy, sweet, zin-like, are accented by some forest floor and pine (like a Pinot now), then a hint of white pepper. Not as floral as I remember, but still very enticing. Mouth is opulent with gobs and gobs of black berry liqueur, sweet BBQ sauce on roast beef, cherry tobacco, Jolly Rancher watermelon hints, and dried strawberry. The tannins are there, but they're velvety and add texture. The finish is where I find just a prickle of heat, but even then it's hardly noticeable as the cascade of sweet and savory flavors envelopes my mouth. As pure and thick and sweet as this is, the balance is striking and it has always gone well with any food I've thrown at it. I think for pure Grenache only the great 2007 Usseglio Mon Aieul has ever come close to this. This is probably at its peak and may be morphing a little but it's not fading and I think it has a few more years until it heads downhill. I don't think the bottles I just got at auction will ever find out how long it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop.
It should be hot at 16.4%, and it smells a little like it's going to be hot, but there's hardly any alcohol burn anywhere. Weird.
After 8 hours I'm bumping this up to 9.5 because there's just something mystical about it, that "X Factor" as Wine Spectator calls it, that keeps drawing me in. It's not just one point better than the 2008 Favia Rompecabezas, and it's probably more than 2 points better, but I've got to stick to some standards and mark off where there are rough edges. It's ephemeral and ethereal and whatever other "e"-driven words you'd like to use. Magic in a bottle!
DECANT: 1-6 hours.
GLASS USED: Syrah
TASTE: 9.5
OTHER:
COST: 100
VALUE: 8.5
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: see CT
TRY AGAIN: now - 2015
PAIRING: Anything. Today it was Hook Burger's Bacon Hickory Burger with cheddar and onion rings. That's where I got the "sweet BBQ sauce on roast beef" from.
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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5/12/2012 - oaxaca90049 wrote: 97 Points
OMG Someone said this was like drinking crack ! and it was that good. I'm horrible with TN but had to chime in about the how amazing this wine is. Strong raspberries more red than black. It's so sad that Justin doesn't make this wine any more. LOVE IT. Seamless, smooth and hedonistic. What a treat !
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4/23/2012 - andrewdodd86 wrote: 99 Points
My all time favorite Saxum. Flirting with perfection. Loved it. Denser than a black hole. Dark fruit. Complex. Massive wine, not for the light hearted.
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4/15/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 97 Points
An evening with Chave, SQN, Captain Kirk and others (The Greenhouse Tavern): Also from Magnum. The group overwhelmingly preferred this to the Sanctus Sanctorum and this got one vote for WOTN! The nose has black and red raspberries, charcoal, violets and smoke. On the palate, I found this slightly sweet (others found the Sanctus sweeter), full of fruit, mostly raspberries and black raspberries. A slight licorice note. This is seamless and easy to drink with a lush texture. Another long finish. Other that the JFTOLI, no wine was more universally liked. As Tom noted, it has the dichotomy that is a trademark of Saxum, it is a huge wine that is so light on its feet. Awesome!
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3/23/2012 - jonphillips wrote:
Sigh, what to think, what to think. Too much for me? Or nice and different.
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1/1/2012 - L Fisher wrote:
I am absolutely horrid with tasting notes, but, I wanted to chime in on this bottle. It was stellar. I noticed many other reviewers quite happy with this wine right now as well. I am not sure how it could get any better, but, I will try my best to keep my remaining bottles a little bit longer.
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12/23/2011 - numcwrt2 wrote: 99 Points
Opened this based upon the recent string of very positive notes over the last ~6 months....and boy, did this rock. Opened this morning and Slow O'd for the day. No formal notes taken (16.4% abv will do that) but jeez, seemlessly integrated, no heat, lingering finish. Dinner was barely finished and we were done with the bottle...this only happens when there is something special going on. Best Saxum yet...too bad JS hasn't done this bottling since 05. 99, 100, what's the difference...it was that good.
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12/6/2011 - cookie7 wrote: 97 Points
Decanted for two hours. Bright vibrant nose of blueberries, skittles and fruit roll-ups. Fresh fruits on the palate including blueberries with some spice and pepper. Finish goes on forever. No noticeable heat. Probably finest CA grenache I have ever had. What an awesome wine.
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11/27/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
SQN, Mollydooker, Saxum, Spotteswood: I really liked this wine. The nose is explosive with raspberries, black raspberries, smoke and day old campfire. Great juicy texture. On the palate, delicious, young and full of vigor. Easy to drink. Red and mostly purple fruits. Great balance. Long finish. Great.
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11/24/2011 - wdb001 wrote: 98 Points
Simply spectacular. Dark purple color. Nose is explosive with floral and dark fruit notes. Super smooth texture. On the palate, notes of earth, smoke and tons of dark fruit. No heat for me. Delicious.
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9/26/2011 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
Rich raspberry, licorice and minerals on a milky frame with long powerful finish. There is a silkiness that is pleasing but in the end, the candied fruit gains prominence.
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7/31/2011 - chadwick721 wrote: 95 Points
Best grenache-based wine I've ever tasted. I didn't know that grenache could taste this good. High alcohol (16.4%) but not much heat on the palate.
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7/12/2011 - E wrote: 99 Points
We have never had a better grenache....this is a near perfect wine...last of our 3 bottles...bit of heat from etoh initially but this blew off at 2 hour mark and it was again a wonderful grenache experience with Daniel Lindley's 8 course tasting...he is a natural- creative beyond belief....one of the absolute best in the country....proverbial big fish in a smallish pond...
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4/29/2011 - wine maestro Likes this wine: 97 Points
Breathtaking jam packed stunner that is loaded up with lush red fruit, and amazing
depth and concentration. Gushing, rich pomegranite jam, red licorice and currant.
Phenomenal structure and balance with an enormously complex finish and aftertaste.
Fabulous now, but this will go for many years in the cellar. The best wine poured at
the 2011 festival. Tasted from magnum. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Hospice du Rhone Rendezvous.
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4/17/2011 - smokie wrote: 92 Points
As Kool and the Gang once said, "It's too hot, baby. Nice port though. Definitely an after dinner drink.
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3/4/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 94 Points
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COLOR: Lovely light garnet
NOTE: Still an intoxicating (in a number of ways, esp w/16.4abv) elixir after all these years. The alcohol is more pronounced from top-to-toe than the last time we had this in Dec 09. Sadly, I don't think it will improve. Happily, it's still drinking great! Nose is an explosion of Italian brandied cherries, candied raspberries, cognac, sweet cherry pipe tobacco and brown sugar. Yep, it's that good sucka! Mouth is still such a beautiful red-fruit liqueur melange that I can't even put my finger on it. One moment its raspberries, next strawberries, kirsch, then pomagranate, oh my! This is the definition of opulence and richness. I know I'm a sucker for high-alcohol wines, but this one just gives so much pleasure that you hardly notice the heat. Even the finish is plump and round, with a full expression of previously-mentioned liqueurs layering across my tongue for up to a minute, intermingled (or "complicated" as Mr Tanzer would say) by a strong mineral component reminiscent of a great CDP (Usseglio Mon Aieul comes to mind). This is the last time this Grenache was bottled on its own. After 2005 all of it went into the other bottlings and ultimately led to the 2007 JBV snagging the #1 spot on WS. It lives on in greatness!!!
DECANT: 1 hr
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.4
COST: 105
VALUE: 7.9 (expensive, but worth it if you haven't tried it)
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 12/09
TRY AGAIN: n/a
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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2/9/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
This bottle was a touch more restrained (everything is relative, it was still explosive and exotic) than previous bottles but still great.
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2/9/2011 - phenricsson Likes this wine: 96 Points
beautiful clear brilliant color. Light (Grenache). Big, exotic, brown sugar, delicious.
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1/4/2011 - Mr T wrote:
Ditto what Loren had to say...this was gone before I could say who wants a second glass on New Year's eve
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12/30/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 97 Points
Wow, wow , wow. Opened and poured. This is so smooth. The nose is awesome. Earthy, slightly like a humid barn, tons of black and red raspberries, a bit or scorched earth. On the palate, this is velvety. no hint of heat. Delicious. Just a wow wine. Its still young but is so worth opening right now. It goes down so easily.
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12/29/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 94 Points
Drank side by side with the 2003 Rocket Block. They were different exoperiences but both excellent.Blueberry and chocolate on palate and nose. Baking spice as well. Huge finish, easier to drink than the 2003.More floral. Lots of glycerin and slghly more sweet than the 2003. Is 5 year window the right place for this wine for my palate?
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10/17/2010 - wdb001 wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful wine. Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with nice acidity to offset sweet tannins. Floral nose, dark fruit and minerals on the palate. Long velvety finish. Delicious.
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10/4/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
Saxum vs. the field (Palate in Glendale, CA): – tasted a single glass blind over approx. 15 minutes –
– wine was decanted for 2 hours before going back into bottle 3 hours before the tasting --
– 93% Grenache, 7% Syrah --
This didn’t give much on the NOSE: it was very tight, with a hint of orange oil –– NOSE reminded me of the 2008 Loring - Divergence, but not nearly as expressive. On the palate: creamy; sweet red fruits; oak; hint of spice; full bodied, with soft, round tannins; alcohol is very noticeable –– I recall referring to this as “vodka wine” –– it was pretty bad. 16.4% alc.
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10/4/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Saxum versus The Field (Palate, Glendale, CA): Served blind. Sweet candy like nose with some cocoa and heat. Sweetly flavored with notes of hard candies and sweet fruit. Lean in feel with lingering tannin and solid acidity. I liked the acid/tannin combo but the candy notes pushed it back away for me.
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8/22/2010 - dd wrote:
outstanding
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7/24/2010 - the godfather wrote:
not great , not bad
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6/11/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Floral, big with lots of strawberry jam, cherry tart and some maple. I was expecting a bomb but while sweet in tone, it's well measured and medium red toned in the glass.
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6/10/2010 - E wrote: 99 Points
This is one of the best wines we've ever had...listed at over 16% ETOH but not problematic. Seamless...tannins integrated, nothing to sully a pure joyous grenache experience. Paired with a chefs tasting at St Johns. This affirms my belief that Saxums are best left alone deep in the back of the cellar for a while.
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6/5/2010 - last chance wrote: 97 Points
Blind Grenache Tasting w/ Ben Smith, Dick Boushey, Bob Betz, and MrBigJ (Wild Ginger, Seattle, WA): (Group's #2 (my #1)) – 3 first place votes, 3 second place votes, 1 third place vote, 2 fourth place votes, 1 fifth place vote – The nose had cassis, anise and a smoky perfume on the nose, which initially seemed a little volatile, but settled down in a very short period of time. The palate was packed with smooth and rich raspberry and blueberry flavors that just gained in richness through the long finish. I got to taste this wine a couple weeks ago for the first time, and at that time I called it the best Grenache that I had ever tasted. I still think that, even after this tasting although it was really close with the Pegau Cuvee da Capo. My WOTN.
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5/9/2010 - last chance wrote: 95 Points
The nose of this wine had dark fruit aromas and some floral/perfume notes. The palate had very ripe and rich raspberry and blueberry flavors with some smoke and spice nuances. Very nice mouthfeel, and a long finish. When I first tasted this, I said that this may be the best Grenache that I have ever had. I felt that way the whole evening with this wine. It just kept getting better and better for me. I think that I liked the fact that it wasn't all just red fruits here. Great stuff.
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5/1/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 93 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 21: WIML93-94?
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Rich and pretty nose of mixed dark fruits, florals, tar and a little dried herbs. Rich flavors of berries, currants, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity and tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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5/1/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 93 Points
The nose had blackberry and pepper, mushroom and vanilla, and some pepper at the end. The palate was rich and thick, with blackberry, pepper, mocha, earth, and a nice shot of vanilla on the finish.
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4/23/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
Love this wine. Just bought another case from Vinfolio. Explosive, rich, exotic. Great intensity and superlong aftertaste. This is Grenache at its most flamboyant and sexy best.
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4/3/2010 - Cow Town wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for four hours, consumed over the next four. The best glass was the last, which makes me think I should have decanted for eight hours. Dark, but not as dark as the bone rock. But the mouthfeel was thicker. Dense. The wine was big, at times too big. However, the air seemed to soften things, including the alcohol, and when everything was in balance, it was delicious.
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3/12/2010 - cookie7 wrote:
Decanted for two hours - probably could have used more. Big wine.
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3/7/2010 - SUN-J wrote:
Over the top. Wife gives this it a 95; I give it an 89. Not to my taste . . . alcoholic, ripe and so rich. At times it's unclear this is even wine. Acidity is not as high as it should be to balance the ripeness. Over the course of the evening, it mellowed, but still not a big fan of this style.
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2/16/2010 - yui wrote: 93 Points
very powerful
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2/13/2010 - JLL wrote: 72 Points
undrinkable...i followed the decanting advice from a note here where the winemaker gave the advice. based on the numerous positive, even superlative notes, i have to believe that the high alcohol and extraction have led to high bottle variation. both bottles have been undrinkable, sickly sweet, no spice, no varietal flavor, just bum favored 7-11 slurpee's. Once marketplace gets back to norm I will sell the rest
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2/3/2010 - brianst wrote: 98 Points
Drank at umi for JD's birthday dinner.
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12/31/2009 - kingb22 wrote: 97 Points
Great wine. Good caramel notes, along with some wood notes. Long finish.
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12/31/2009 - kingb22 wrote: 94 Points
Monster wine. Very sweet, almost port-like. Very much like an '03 Chateauneuf, but even richer and more heavily oaked. Wasn't exactly to my taste, bu I could appreciate it for what it is.
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12/6/2009 - Screameagle wrote: 93 Points
I decanted this wine for at least a couple of hours before drinking. Despite the decanting it evolved significantly in the glass as we drank it. I wouldn't have picked it as a grenache when we first started drinking it but after about 30 minutes it definitely showed quite a bit of grenache characteristics. It will be interesting to see how this wine evolves over the years. It's great now but I think it will be even better with an additional couple years of age.
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10/12/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
This was one of my WOTY in 2008 so I was delighted to revisit it and see if I still loved it. I did. A very big wine that delivered total pleasure. Tons of fruit both black and blue, big (huge really!), but not syrupy. Nice acidity. I enjoyed it with and without food. At Justin's suggestion, I opened it in the morning, recorked it, kept at cellar temp and then brough to dinner and drank 12 hours later. Perfect.
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10/12/2009 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
California Rhone Varietals at Apiary (Apiary Restaurant, New York City): Incredibly complex nose; Subdued entry; Dark brown sugar; Very soft and subtle
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10/12/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 92 Points
This came across as very sweet tonight - in a good way. Terrific balance and finish. Loved by everyone at the table.
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8/28/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Grenache Smackdown (Wally's, Arlington Heights): nose: very rich and powerful nose that is extremely ripe that is chock full of black fruits, black cherries, plums, and black currants. Very big and ripe with some heat on the nose, but the heat isn't getting in the way too much and the fruit was certainly there, but held itself too
taste: massive and full bodied on the palate that is filled with ripe tones of black fruits, black cherries, plums, and all sorts of dark berries. Extremely rich and ripe on the palate, but not too much heat either
overall: a big and juicy grenache based wine. Ripe without being overdone, this is big and rich and doesn't mess around at all
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8/5/2009 - YankeeClipper wrote:
Anything but graceful. Over the top, fruit bomb, cough syrup come to mind. Stated alcohol well over 16% approaching 17%. Definitely not my style. Peculiar rating for IWC but then again its JR and not ST.
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7/30/2009 - Haltermr wrote: 94 Points
Floral notes, pine needle, spice, cherries and ripe blackberries form a complex, outright exciting nose. Excellent palate, with energetic entry, complex midpalate, and spicey long finish. A real winner. I find the RS very well integrated, and well in the background.
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7/28/2009 - winelovr2001 wrote: 89 Points
A nice Saxum, but not at all as good as the others I have had. This wine has serious RS, and tastes more like a port than a table wine. I have had tons of Saxums...and this is a step below most.
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6/10/2009 - swazi wrote: 98 Points
incredible density of fruit. black cherry, blackberry, cassis, chocolate. last time i tasted this kind of fruit density was in the 01 masseto. great wine.
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6/1/2009 - yonster24 wrote: 91 Points
Although this was a wonderful bottle, I was maybe expecting a bit more. Ifeel the 2005 Booker was better when I had it. Still, this was great.
Deep dark color to it. Took a couple of hours to really show. Nose of Mocha, black Cherries and a ton of other dark fruits really coming into play along with just a bit of earth. Full bodied wine with the dark fruits really taking over and showing itself all the way through to the finish. Good acidity to keep this from becoming flabby and the tannins were there to give this some good backbone.
The thing is, on night 2, the fruit was definitely still there, but all the acid had left. The tannins softened, which was great, but it all of a sudden felt just a touch off balance to me with no acid to speak of.
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5/5/2009 - Greg Pierce wrote:
Hugely over the top. Big honkin Cali Rhone kicking my ass. Frankly, way too much. Not sure that this will ever mellow out. If ass kicking fruit bomb rhonish stuff is your speed, bingo, otherwise, go elsewhere.
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4/30/2009 - gr8r84u wrote: 95 Points
Dr Fein's Birthday (Prime Rib): Expressive... fruit forward with a hint of smoke and spice. Lots of personality. Did not decant. Excellent... WOTN for many
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4/11/2009 - ruddy wrote: 95 Points
My Birthday (Palate Food + Wine): Bright cherry, strawberry, asphalt, campfire nose and palate. So much good stuff going on, this wine really shines in mixed company, but some time I need to just hole up with it for an evening and really get to know it better.
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3/11/2009 - jerhardt wrote: 91 Points
Very big and modern; too much heat showing through this time around.
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2/12/2009 - winefool wrote: 89 Points
Wineflock - Worldwide Grenache (Boka): Medium nose of spicy red fruit. Hot red fruit on the palate. Just too much overripeness for me...
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2/12/2009 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Worldwide Grenache (Boka - Chicago): Big, rich and dense nose of sweet blueberry fruit and spices. Palate is stuffed with loads of fruit, toast and herbal notes. But not yet delineated or overly expressive. Hold or give it a long decant.
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1/17/2009 - JLL wrote: 88 Points
popped, and tasted a cough medicine with overwhelming sugar...moved to the decanter for two hours...settled down somewhat but still perplexing in terms of figuring out what this was...very thick, glycerine, dark berry, not much else..maybe this was opened too early...satisfying at the end of the night, but I was left excepting much more
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1/9/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 93 Points
Ruby red in color. Nose of raspberries. Tastes of cherry, kirsch, blackberry, garrigue, spice and charred oak. Has an abundance of bright fruit undoubtably from the high Grenache content in the mid palate and finish. Good balance and not hot or over the top like some past vintages of this wine despite the high 16.4% alcohol. Full bodied with nice acidity. Complex, powerful finish with very good depth and length. A blend of 93% Grenache and 7% Syrah.
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1/5/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
Great intensity and purity of fruit
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11/10/2008 - jerhardt wrote: 93 Points
An interesting combination of power and delicacy. Very complex and balanced; a lot of fun to drink now, not sure how it will age. No signs of the 16%+ alcohol.
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10/18/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
The color of freshly laid asphalt. Highly perfumed nose showing coal, ink, spearmint and white flowers. Dark, woodsy almost medicinal fruit on the palate along with red grapefruit. Finished a little hot. Hopefully a couple years with settle this one down. A powerful wine but not close to the brilliant 2003.
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10/17/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Justin Smith of Saxum Comes to NYC (New York, NY): My wine of the night. This was outstanding. Soft and fruity, but not at all syrupy. Amazing.
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10/17/2008 - salil wrote:
Saxum/Rhone Ranger dinner with Justin Smith (New York): Huge, explosive nose showing kirsch, plums, cherries, herbs, smoke and some alcohol. Intensely rich on the palate with concentrated red fruits, smoke and herbs, soft tannins and a very long finish showing heat. The alcohol in this wine was very prominent on the nose and palate and I struggled to drink more than a few sips of this.
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9/27/2008 - CMCLR wrote: 93 Points
Great fruit- a little more heat than I remember
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9/3/2008 - jivey wrote:
Peppermint candy, huge fruit, alcohol, hot, tar, motor oil... Not typical of this wine.
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7/4/2008 - pakabear wrote: 91 Points
I'm not sure what it is, perhaps my palate is changing, but this was not nearly as good as the first time I've opened it. Nose of raspberry and some asian spice, a very classic american Grenache nose to me. It was very very sweet on the palate, it went well with cookies. Decent complexity, but it reminds me of the SQN Atlantis Grenache that I'm also not a fan of.
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7/1/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Ruby and purple in color. Nose of sweet dark berry fruit. Tasting of raspberry, garigue, kirsch and earth. Excellent mid palate depth and concentration. Well balanced with no heat despite its lofty 16.4% alcohol however I would recommend serving this wine on the cooler side otherwise the heat might peek through the huge cloak of fruit. Full bodied with a rich mouth feel and texture. Beautiful complexity in the layered and complex finish that lingers for over a minute.
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5/26/2008 - ruddy wrote: 95 Points
Woof. Lugged this one to London, and it repaid me for the trip. Crisp, bright berry fruits, coffee, tar, long finish, great with food. I was expecting something overwhelmingly powerful, but this was all about power through finesse. You know it could kick your ass like Chuck Norris, but it's just too zen to do so.
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5/25/2008 - the godfather wrote: 95 Points
This was pretty closed down but with 2 hours of decanting the amazing complex fruit started to show itself. The nose was still restrained but full throttle on the palate. It will be interesting to see how this wine develops.
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5/24/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 95 Points
I concur with The Godfather on this wine. Very tight upon opening. 2+ hours in the decanter and this was smoking. Excellent mouthfeel and complexity. The nose never really appeared but superb on the palate. Long, long finish.
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4/24/2008 - cookie7 wrote: 95 Points
Wow this is a rocket!!! Very fruit forward, but with great complexity. Probably my favorite Saxum to date and I lilke them all!!!!
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3/15/2008 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 98 Points
near perfect nose, gobs of dark luscious black fruits, espresso, seasoned leather...amazing mid palate with multi-layered complexity, silky tannins, high alcohol content perfectly integrated. saxum rocks it big time.
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3/11/2008 - olm2000 wrote: 94 Points
exceptional wine...aromatic, full, balanced and long...this producer is stellar
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12/1/2007 - tp096255 wrote: 94 Points
Decidedly sweet and not at all CdP in style, this wine ROCKS when you enjoy it alongside a gruyer-bomb fritatta with asparagus and pancetta. It's an unbelievable combination, like Port & Stilton, Sauternes & Bleu.
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6/10/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Saxum Offine In The OC, w/ Justin Smith (Sage Newport Beach): Tasted from a barrel sample. I believe Justin told us that this wine is aged in mostly neutral oak--my response to that was "huh"? Man, again affirms for me that wines with less wood can work and can be as good or better than those which contain more. To me, this beats the 2003 RB across the board: intense concentration, strawberry on roids, forward with a rich core. Uh, sign me up. And to think I have said I can't figure out Grenache? This is 93% Grenache, with the balance of Syrah, and by god, this works for me.
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