Dark Purple in colour. Notes of baking spice and black berries. Med Body, med acidity, smooth tannins. Goes down like ribena. Big but interesting. This would be a great wine with saucy baby back ribs.
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Nice nose of black fruit and spice. Adds a little smoked meat, raspberry and a touch of sweetness on the palate. Balanced and integrated. Good finish. Spot on for the drinking window now.
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Right where I thought an Older Saxum would be. Deep, rich, integrated, sill lots of fruit, light tannin in mouthfeel. I can't recommend cellaring longer, but I can encourage you to drink this now and enjoy with a delicious steak or any food that a Rhone like wine you choose
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I generally agree with the notes/flavor profiles of the last few tasting notes. The wine isn’t showing much age for being 14 years old. However, the nose showed quite a bit of heat/alcohol, as did the finish. It started to calm down after a few hours, but that could have just been me, as the wine was over 16%. So, nice wine, but not the best showing I have had from Saxum.
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Started drinking after about an hour of air and at 60 degrees. Drank over 2 - 3 hours.
Look: deep purple; many legs
Nose: Expressive nose of mushroom, wet forest floor, and ripe black berry. Great nose.
Palate: Dark berries, forrest floor, leather, tar, scorched earth, and baker's chocolate; very nice depth and concentration of flavor; long finish of leather and earth; very smooth, full body; med- round ripe tannins; med- acidity
Overall thoughts: This is the oldest Saxum I've had and honestly didn't expect it to age so beautifully. For me, this might be in pretty much a perfect drinking window. Everything is wonderfully integrated while still maintaining good structure. There are wonderful earthy and savory notes at/near the forefront of the wine while the fruit remains deep and powerful. Really excellent wine.
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Deep garnet, purple color, the bouquet explodes from the glass with lots of dark fruit and spice. The wine initially is a fruit bomb, with loads of dark fruit followed up by nice acidity and a long delicious finish. Still some nice tannins but not at all drying. Drinking beautifully.
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Deep garnet and color with slight bricking edge. Nose of crushed black fruits, leather, and hint of earth. Taste of blackberries, dark cherries, olives, and Smokebox. Still good fruit left but towards the end of its primary stage. Hides the alcohol with nice balance. Drink of the next two years for the fruit or wait another 3 to 5 for the tertiary flavors.
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Opened an hour in advance...expressive nose that I love from Saxum...rich dark fruit...nice weight, though still some tannins on the finish...has more life to go, though sadly my last bottle.
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Fall 2018. Very short decant. Could use more but didn't follow for all that long because it went down fast with four drinkers. Dinner with the Langes at our house. OMG. This is great and in a great place. If you do not like the style, keep your hands off and leave more for me. All the pieces are coming together with the rough edges all gone and everything integrated. Tertiary flavors? Not really very much, so miles to go before it gets to the decline, but it's in a smooth fruit driven place right now. Is there alcohol in it? Duh! You wouldn't drink it if they removed all of the alcohol. Red tree fruit, red berries, a tiny bit of pepper spice, seamless.
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Bought at an auction mainly to compare to the newer versions I’ve been drinking lately. Age definitely softens it out. Fruit is more mellow but still in the same style. Easy drinking and goes down well with food (grilled brats).
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Giant, warm cranberry blueberry raspberry pie with some licorice in it. Big, warm, hot, use as desert. Great with the peach pie. Probably would appreciate this better on its own, but not really my style anyway. Green Street/EWG.
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This big, flavorful wine has calmed down a bit since last tasted 2 years age and is now a nice complement to food. Dry and rich, it's approaching it's peak drinking window.
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from auction - curious to taste one of these with a decade under its belt. This wine is fun - and to put the following criticism in context, I'll say again here: I like it. There are some things "wrong" with it, as noted by some of the tasters below - it's sweet, it's huge and high-alc, it's jammy - but it's pretty well balanced, and the wine has charisma... like the boisterous dinner guest who talks a bit too much, a bit too loudly, but you just can't help but be drawn to him.
At this stage, the grenache is showing more than anything else - I'm getting that black currant / milk chocolate / touch of raspberry, with a bit of clove and cardamom. Not sure I'd pair it with food any more subtle than pizza or steak - but this is really enjoyable on its own.
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6 years since last bottle. Like the 2011 Reva and 2006 Raven next to it, lots of olive, and deep purple. There the similarity ends. The Saxum was substantially different in one word: sweet -- this must have residual sugar. Quit alluring with the first few sips, especially swirling it around on the palate. Some pepper joins the party. Sure, a bit tiring after a glass or two.
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A very well made wine...just not our favorite style. We enjoy GSMs from France. For us, this wine is way too sweet, too much alcohol, not enough acidity. It's made in the 'modern' style....if you like that, you will love this. It's a big, heavy, very fruity wine with many flavors. It's very smooth, and has a long finish. It is flamboyant and fun, just not as intellectual to us as wines made in the 'old world' style. In it's prime with no hint of decline. Hoping it will become more interesting with additional aging.
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Big Meat and Serious Syrah (Westport, CT): Another not for the faint of heart. Extra sweet black fruits. Some more pepper here as well. Perhaps a lower acidity wine. It's very fun though at the end of the night the intensity worked pretty well.
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Deep jammy berry fruit in the nose and flavor with blackberries and a hint of floral in the nose. Blackberries and black raspberries in the flavor with a touch of cloves on the edge. A complex wine with a thick mouthfeel and a long finish
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Best of new world in every way. Great concentration and purity of flavors. Dark and red fruits along with forest floor. Perfect acidity. The high alcohol level is not pronounced in this blockbuster style blend. Long finish.
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Decanted for a good hour. Needed. We always find it fascinating when wines like these (and some SQNs, Albans etc ) win us over. We are usually classic wine lovers but well made and balanced in their strength American beasts like this one do have a spot for us. Rich, not a shy wine, big in all aspects, from the 16.3% alc to the massive body. Not heavy or difficult though and does flow very nicely. Silky, supple, ripe tannin, well round but with a firm core of acidity too. Light spicy, red fruits on the finish. Very solid wine. 94 and drinks very well now.
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PnP, but could have used a good 30 minute decant. As this full-bodied wine opened in the glass, it revealed a primarily Syrah (63% of blend) nose of dark red, blue and black fruits with a touch of herbs. The kind of wine you just want to sniff all day. The palate mirrored the nose, with a bit of smoke, and a touch of minerality. The wine was balanced, and the alcohol (16.3 abv) was well robed by the fruit. At ten tears old this wine is still a big boy, but it begs to be let loose as, IMHO, it will not get any better, and may start to fade in the next several years. Drink it when you have the time to appreciate its gifts. Sorry to say, but I'm still on the waiting list to the mailing list.
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Dark blackish garnet color, full bodied, forward bold complex, concentrated black and blue berry fruits accented by a layer of spices, grilled meats, toast, tones of smoky tar, camphor, bell pepper and graphite with firm lingering tannins on the full finish.
Big, very well made wine that is extremely concentrated and full of dark black fruit with a ton of sweetness. Does not pair so well with food so best appreciated on its own. If you like big bruisers, then this is for you.
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Dark purple, but losing some of its brilliance; Deep blackberry-blueberry slight herb-tinged note; rich mouthfeel, not a big bruiser, maybe even a little tamed at this point. Tasty, well-aged, in good shape age wise. Don't have much experience with Saxum, and don't remember the wine distinctly as this was the 3rd bottle for dinner.
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Color: dark ruby core (nearly opaque) -> medium-deep ruby rim. Thick, funky Syrah-typical bouquet of roasted beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon (oh yeah!), creosote, leather, plums and Ouzo. Huge huge huge palate of beef blood, road tar, minerality and black, black fruit. This is delicious and even better than the last bottle I had about 8 months ago (thought I had rated that one but see I didn't). Agree with most that the ample alcohol is amazingly well hidden behind all the sweet, yet complex fruit. Great acidity and a long finish, I think this has plenty of time in hand so enjoy well into the future; I know I will . . . .
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Really in good place. Fruits are well balanced with tannins. Not a fruit bomb. Full bodied with cherries, leather and dark chocolate notes. Went well with short ribs and lamb
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Another great Saxum. Black fruits, minerals, camphor and spices. Layers of flavor, massive structure. Wonderful nose and long long finish. High in alcohol but you don't sense it.
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Absolutely soooooth and beautiful fruit at the same time (with 16.3% alcohol) and no heat!!! I may regret it tomorrow, but drank the entire bottle it was so good. :)
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Opened and sat in bottle an hour at the restaurant before serving. This is an extremely impressive wine. Dark and viscous. Wonderful nose of fruit with herbs jumps 2 feet from the glass. Palate full and maybe a tiny heavy handed but went very well with the heavily herbed NY steak & Pork Chops at Town Hall. Wish I had a few more.
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This was excellent. I hadn't opened one in quite awhile and it's singing now. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Drank it at La Folie and the somm was surprised how high the alcohol level was with no signs of heat. It was incredibly well balanced.
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At 8 years old, this wine is still bursting with youthful vigor. Taut and edgy upon opening, it needs at least 30 minutes in a decanter to loosen up and settle down. Displays a dense, lively core of grilled plums, boysenberries, black raspberries, beef blood, licorice, and tar. The wonderfully rich palate, however, is thrown slightly off balance by the rather acidic and angular finish. A really enjoyable wine nonetheless.
Decanted for 2 hours. Surprisingly refined at this stage with no ultra-hard edges. Loads of black fruit, cassis. Enjoy now or during the next 5-8 years. Excellent QPR ($45.00 at purchase, back when).
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Popped and poured. First impression is hot -- alcohol overwhelms pretty much everything. There is some red and black fruit and kind of a charcoal note, but the finish is hot. Maybe I just caught this at the wrong time or it's going to get better with air as others have noted, but this is hugely disappointing so far...
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No one would confuse this with a real Rhone. Starting with the nose, you get a real whiff of cherry, and the color is much lighter and the liquid more fluid than a hard core northern french wine. The tastes are ones of classic american syrah--cherry, tar, a bit of light spice, but with an wonderful eloquence. The finish is very smooth with a touch of sweet tannins, and last at least 90 seconds. A real stunner of a wine, but not what you want with a classic rhone pairing of venison or game. We had with skirt steak, and a real winner.
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Popped and poured. A little hot and didn't settle down by the time the bottle was gone. A slight disappointment compared to other Saxums. Would recommend giving this some more time.
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Colgin, SQN, SHS, Saxum, Bevan, DP ++++ (GHT): There is a some VA on the nose at first. Noticeable, but after a few minutes it blows off leaving raspberries, black raspberries, slight blueberries, grilled meats, and white pepper. Layered, complex and delicious. Full bodied but a bit slicker than the Bone Rock. Great balance. Long finish. No heat or noticeable alcohol. Saxums, for m, almost always have this nimbleness on a large frame (think Ali) that makes them easy to drink and complex.
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After reading the previous posters note I thought of trying a bottle of this wine. It is certainly in its prime and ready to drink. One of the better broken stones I've had the opportunity to drink just below the wonderful 2007.
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A monster. Assaults the senses with aroma and flavors of black fruits, leather, forest floor and minerals. Huge structure and a ways to go yet. Will be interesting to see this age.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Blackberry, raspberry, baking spice, bacon fat, blueberry and cocoa aromas. Initially some noticeable alcohol heat that dissipated with time. Rich, black and red berry fruit core with spice, chocolate and well integrated tannins. Leads to a very long (> 60 seconds), velvety smooth, finish. Big, aggressive, complex and well balanced. Paired with grilled pork chops.
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This wine is densely colored, garnet and opaque down the middle with translucence gained at the edge. The aromas are tar, cherry, cinnamon, earth, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, and camphor. The tastes are sweet cherry, pepper, cinnamon, tobacco, stone, garrigue, and black fruits. The finish is lengthy and the tannins were like smooth velvet. A wonderful with complex aromas and tastes.
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Wild and untamed upon opening, but mellowed a bit with time in the decanter -- but still a big, big wine. On the nose, primary boysenberry, with savory notes of roasted meat, bacon and smoke. Lots of Mouvedre influence. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, and more savory elements -- bacon fat and a hint of pepper. Pretty hot on the finish, and still a bit tannic. Just an overpowering wine, and not really my style.
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Drank with Rob. What a house ! ... and what a wine. Deep ruby. Nose nice but not overwhelming. Decanted over an hour. Deep lush purple berry fruit with long finish.
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Big and rich, with a ton of character. Not my favorite wine from Saxum, but, this still set the bar very high. In a class of its own among Paso rhones.
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Smoke, roasted meat, blood, spices and kirsch liqueur. The nose reminded me more of Alban than Saxum actually... Potent wine with predominantly red fruit, but also some darker fruit, smoke and provence spices. This was a viscous wine but with good acidity to support the more heavy parts of this wine. Showing no sign of ageing.
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Wish I could have let this breathe but couldn't wait to dive in with both feet. Still a wonderful bottle, generous and opulent fruit with a nice finish
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Served at the end of a dinner party where we had enjoyed 2001 Dominus and 2001 Mouton. The reaction of the croud was 'Wow, what is that?' This is typical of Saxum: the fruit goes to 11 on a 10 point scale but is so incredibly balanced it makes you say 'Wow' and not 'Ugghh!' After all the food and drink, I can not be specific about this but it was pretty yummy but not subtle or sophisticated and just the right exclamation point on a great evening.
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I've got to be in the mood to appreciate this, but when I am, it's quite good. Huge nose of kirsh and licorice. Oily texture with With sweet red fruit. Abundant acidity on the long sweet finish.
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2 hour decant - consumed over 1 hour. Absolutely stunning. This wine has come along beautifully since we last had it about 2 years ago. Enticing nose of blue and black fruit and spice. Follows through on the palate, with layers of blackberry, blueberry, spice box, baking spices. The alcohol is seamlessly integrated, the tannins are well integrated, and the wine is just beautifully balanced. Another stunning wine from Justin and co.
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Ponderous nose with smokey beef, dark fruits and a hint of coconut. The palate is bright up front with red berries but it releases into dark fruits, charcoal, and hints of baking spices. The finish has a touch of heat and is a tiny bit clipped. Otherwise amazing.
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Decanted 2 hours and drank over 5. Extracted and somewhat candied red fruit dominate initially with a strange bitter note that I could never put my finger on. Most of the huge structure and heat that plagued my last bottle a few years back have softened and brought this into an early drinking window, although some of the heat re-emerged at about 4 hours in. I can see the love for these Saxums although typically not my style, they are well made and work well in a cocktail type setting. I just think they would be so much better if toned down a bit and not so extracted and ripe.
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Note after 4 hours in the decanter. Dries cherries, plums and hints of floral notes on the nose. Similar on the palate. Seems a bit more red fruit driven then the blue fruit driven I typically get from Saxum. Certainly extracted - with a nice long finish. In its optimal drinking window.
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This blew me away. Shared with a cousin who is a big Cab drinker and his jaw hit the floor. Popped and poured...ready to go about 20 minutes later with an incredible nose and a silky mouthfeel. Finish was 40+ seconds. Much better than the 2008 BS I had two weeks prior or the 2009 BS I had later in the week. Learning that Saxums with 4-5 years of age are the way to go.
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Consumed at the SAFW Reunion. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, raspberry, pepper, spice and toasty oak. Big, rich and concentrated fruit. A creamy texture in the mouth. Tannins are not totally resolved, but soft enough for an enjoyable wine. A long peppery finish. I really like the look of an ice-ax on the label; however, it’s probably a small pick-ax.
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90 minute decant which is really needed. Another hour or two would have been better. Incredibly lively, layered, in-your-face wine. Not as brooding as the 2005 though. Alcohol is apparent but doesn't overpower. This has at least a decade ahead to improve.
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16.3% alcohol. 63% syrah, 24% grenache, 13% mourvedre. Dark, but transparent ruby. Lovely floral and fruit aromas from 10" off the glass. The overriding palate impression is black cherry and black raspberry. A little bramble, a little smoke, but very pure. Great balance and extraordinary concentration and intensity. No noticable alcohol. The aftertaste goes on and on.
I didn't know how I'd react to this very modern, fruit forward, full flavor wine. It is fantastic. My omnivore creds are still intact.
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Dense ruby color through the middle and color lightens but still very dense to the rim. The aromas were olive, tar, blackberry jam. The tastes were tea, dark fruit, blackeberry, raspberry, pepper, tar, and olive. The tannins were velvety and there was mouth watering acidity. The body was nice and the finish was long.
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Same as before, but seemed a little less complex and a bit more brambly, like Zin. Probably the Grenache component getting a little funky, so I knocked it down one point. Good wine.
9.3
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Better than it's ever been...the overall weight and texture has softened considerably, with sweet fruit (the dark fruits I remember from prior tastings are shifting toward a balance of red and dark), moderate tannin, and (perhaps most surprising) a nice acidity to redeem what could otherwise come across as a too heavy/flabby wine. Bottle age appears to have moderated this wines thick/viscous mouthfeel, though the flavor profile does retain an overly burnt/toasted note (I assume straight out of a charred barrel), which is what keeps this from soaring to a 95-ish point enjoyment level.
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Decanted for two hours, and it wasn't enough. In the glass, almost black. On the nose, crushed raspberries and secondary aromatics of pine and black pepper. On the palate, a rich texture, lots of dark fruit with notes of currants and prunes, beef blood, and minerals, with a moderately long and slightly acidic finish. While the tannins aren't overbearing, I don't think this is anywhere near its peak. Try again in 3-5 years.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): I liked this a lot. Funky, meaty, pine cones, minty. Sweet creamed corn even on the nose. Lots of black fruit with some fresh linen scents. Palate is massive much bigger than the nose lets on in fact. Sweet rich, creamy and fruit forward. So young still. Massive yet caressing for me. Hold for another five to seven years until tasting again I believe.
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How is it possible for a wine with 16.3% alcohol to be good, and this is actually very good. I just feel that somehow, dialed down slightly, this would really be special.
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Another terrific showing. I didn't realize that this was my last bottle. Concentrated with a black and blue fruit profile. On the label16.3% alc but in perfect balance.......how does Justin do this?
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Ruby, garnet and medium viscosity in the glass. Glowing nose of raspberry, citrus, pepper, pipe tobacco and herbs. Secondary black fruit and saddle hide. Medium body and firm backbone with reductive raspberry, cranberry, pepper and herbs (mint) on the palate. Secondary blueberry, coffee, tobacco, citrus, olive and mushroom. Moderately complex. Super tight, which sorted itself out with time. Long, long finish. Superb food wine…91 on its own.
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Simply remarkable. A little bit black evening gown; a little bit short leather mini-skirt. Very broad, well-balanced fruit - red, blue, black and a touch of raisin/prune, but doesn't go into the olive flavors that I associate with Cayuse (and don't find particularly flattering). Very complex on the palate - fruit, spice, texture all seem to evolve in the mouth. Finish goes on longer than a Charlie Sheen rant. Epic wine.
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Pretty nearly perfect wine. Just bursting with fruit and varietal character, but totally without rough edges. Decanted and breathed for 2 hours before drinking. Maybe the best Saxum wine I've had yet.
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This is a very nice gift from a friend. The style, and ripeness level is just not for me. Very similar in taste as some recent wines: Les Pavots, Cos d'Estournel, Luc Morlet, Harlan, Quilceda Creek, etc. Many will gush, and in fact I could drink the wine, I am just excited by a different style and philosophy of wine/winemaking.
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Outstanding! Clearly a powerful syrah, but incredibly well balanced. Raspberry, compote, and pepper are prominent, with something almost fragrant or floral in between. Plenty of life ahead but drinking beautifully now...
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Mandatory 2 hours decant minimum at this time. If you dont decant it, you're wasting your wine. After 2 hours the wine really turned it up another notch.
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Initially tasted on Pop 'n Pour, but primarily consumed after 2 hour decant. A bit closed on PnP, but really blossomed with some air. Great nose with a nice mix of spice, meat and fruit elements. Silky palate, and heat kept in check despite the high alcohol content. Very nicely balanced, tremendous dark fruit and berries with a touch of baking spices and licorice. Long, long finish, leaving toasted marshmallow behind. Really, really good.
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Tight, tight, tight when opened. Very hard to coax any fruit from the nose, almost pruney and slightly bretty like a ripe-vintage CDP; noticeable spice element. After a few hours deep dark fruits emerge with the spice component in the background. Full bodied with a bit of heat on the finish. Did I open an Amarone by mistake? Bottle was open for about 4 hours, re-corked and sat at cellar temp until re-opened 24 hours later. Holy mackerel, this wine kicks ass! The nose has softened significantly and gives blueberry and blackberry scents with less of the spices. Minimal heat detected tonight, nicely balanced with soft tannins, firm structure and long finish. Looking at prior notes, this was previously ready from pop-and-pour, seems to be in a phase where decanting or Audouzing will benefit. Then again, at 16.3% maybe I'm just a bit ripped. Either way, much more enjoyable on day 2.
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Meat and pepper in the nose. Plenty of fruit and spice on the palate, but well balanced and not overly sweet. Long finish though alcohol a bit on the high side.
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Wow! Highly extracted, rich, delicious blackberry/blueberry fruit with spice and earth flavors, loved the texture, wished it wasn't so high in alcohol but you can't have everything. This wine is an example of why Saxum and Paso have emerged as a world class wine area. This wine would certainly compete evenly with a Cayuse. Maybe better!
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At first when popped and poured, this had some bitter elements that made me think "uh oh". However, with some swirling and waiting, the dark blue and black fruit flavors began to emerge. Oer the course of a couple hours this wine totally blossomed, making me wish I had decanted for an our or more. Licorice, hints of bacon, some meat, and bits of black pepper all combined to make this a rich, complex, tasty drink. Had I had a single glass when opened and scored it then, it would have garnered an 88 at best--yet another example of why I like to enjoy a wine over the course of time and why it is so hard, for me, to get a lot out of tastings with loads of different wines. Well done! (PE: 96)
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A bit different from the one I had a month or so ago. Started with a funky nose that through me off (this was blind, the nose did not say Saxum). Dark fruit, spice and some meaty components. Nice, big, not quite in balance. Maybe a bit too warm in the glass.
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Very little fruit to speak of, from the first sip through 3 hours of tasting at various points from the decanter. Over the hill? Everything else was there, especially the nose and firm tanic backbone. One of those wtf bottles....
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Decanted and let rest for about 1 hour; tasted over a three hour period with dinner. Dark color; nice nose of pepper and black fruits. A tad sweet but with a strong black pepper note. A hint of bacon and steak with some prunes and pepper. I think I enjoyed this when it was younger and more vibrant.
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Pleasantly surprised at how complex and balanced this was. Big, yes, but more spice than a fruit bomb. Bacon fat, dark fruit and brown sugar/nutmeg/clove on the nose. Lots of fruit on the palate, black yes, but also red, with spices coming through also. No claim that this speaks terroir, but it does say Saxum and is delicious to drink.
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Note after 24 hours. Nose of bacon fat, blackberries and plum. Blueberries, black cherries, anise and black pepper on the palate. Fruit bomb but with structure. 30 plus second finish.
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Like every Saxum of late, this is a wonderful wine. Inky purple color. Nose included notes of blackberry, charcoal and a touch of licorice. Palate consisted of meat, blackberry and tar. Full bodied with velvety texture. Long finish. Yummy.
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This is the high end of outstanding. We popped and poured this at a steakhouse in NYC, which is not the way to treat it, but it was still a fantastic wine. The most surprising thing about it is thet it oozes raspberry fruit even though the blend is more syrah and less grenache. There's meatiness and depth, a bit of spice, cherry, power and finesse at the same time with a great mouth feel that makes the wine just slide down your mouth. Dark red color and very long finish. If you like wine with flavor, this is a GREAT choice.
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Aromas of strawberry, raspberry preserves, garrigue, rock dust. Thrusting but only a slight heat prickle. More dark, plummy fruit notes emerge. On the palate, darker, woodsy fruit steps to front stage. Medium bodied, surprisingly lithe. The finish leads with menthol, a slight whiskey barrel note, then finishes with strawberry, garrigue lingering for a minute. Open and airy. Since release this has losted its baby fat, becoming more focused and sharp.
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Pulled from cellar at noon and threw half bottle into decanter, half back in fridge for tomorrow. Initial nose very gamey with red fruits and a bit of spice. After 8 hour decant (probably a bit long, I'd recommend 2-3 hours next time), the Nose still has some meat-like characteristics, blackberry, hint of holiday spices. Palate is very plush and juicy, bit of soy, lots of fruit, juicy finish if not especially long. Really tasting some of the Mourvedre on the finish, smoke and tar linger in the mouth. Really nice wine, definitely drinkable with some air. 50+5+11+16+10
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COLOR: Purplish-garnet w/ruby rim NOTE: Lovely blackberry liqueur nose with mesquite smoke swirling up inside, really intense although it doesn't leap from the glass. Mouth is a fantastic melange of blackberry liqueur, blackened marshmallows, cherry pipe tobacco and black licorice hints. Finish gives off a little heat (no wonder at 16.3%), but still takes me on a long 45+ second ride of black fruit jam, dark chocolate truffles from Bernard Callebaut, leather and cinnamon. Time has served this well, as 18 months improved my score by 1.5 points. Velvety tannins. Drinks great now, but this has the stuffing to just keep going for years, perhaps well beyond 2015. Stacy enjoyed this a lot. 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre. The Vinturi'd glass had the same nose and finish, but the midpalate had been stripped of some of its density and opulence (how did that happen and is it my imagination?), both things I love in these Saxums.
Syrah definitely dominates the character of this wine. A really big wine that carries its 16.3% alcohol remarkably well and exhibits lots of deep, dark fruits, a hint of licorice, and mild pepperiness on the finish, and a degree of minerality throughout that keeps it from getting plump. Big and impressive, but not wildly aromatic or complex. Definitely outstanding.
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Didn't give it enough time to decant. Beautiful wine with big, rich flavors. Love Saxum and a nice change of pace from the cooler climate Syrahs I've been enjoying.
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Decanted about 4 hours. The nose had black currant and tar, smoked meat and raspberry, a little dirt, and some creamy vanilla. The palate was rich and juicy, with tar and roasted meat, black currant and raspberry, mushroom, and a good creamy oak finish.
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A cornucopia of scents and flavors with dark blue fruits, rich spices (clove), roasted coffee. Undetectable 16.3 % alcohol as this is a rich, full-bodied, balanced wine with ooddles of fruit. Not much of an earth or mineral element, this is all about fruit. One of my favorite Saxum wines to date.
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BIG wine. I mean big. Opened it 5 hours before consuming. Still a little tight. BUT by the end of the night it was unreal good. Olive, roasted meats, deeeeeeeep blackberries. A touch of mineral. Wonderful.
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16.3% ABV. Tasted this over a couple of days. Note mostly from day 2. Fairly complex nose that I could not quite pin down. Variously, I sense kirsch, balsa wood, and a ham note along with an undercurrent of something reminiscent of dry stones. Full bodied with ripe red fruit. This is still somewhat tightly wound on the palate I think. Nice.
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Rhone / Rhone Ranger night (Snohomish, WA): The nose showed blackberry, roasted meat, espresso and anise aromas. Just a really amazing nose that I really enjoyed. The palate had cassis, smoke, coffee and mineral flavors. Very full bodied with a huge mouthfeel and very long finish. This is a great bottle of wine, and one of my favorite Saxums that I have tasted to date.
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Decanted for an hour, nice but nothing like my memory of my previous bottle. Opened for an ITB friend. Hot on the finish. I save some for tomorrow.. hope is shows better. I'd rather not rate this.
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Loved it, first bottle of Saxum I ever had. Hooked. Dense purple fruit, but light on its feet. Spice. Amazingly complex. Lined the cellars with Saxum since, and have never regretted it. Haha.
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Decanted 1 hour, enjoyed over 2 with a tri tip sandwich, portabello mushroom mac & cheese, and cole slaw. Huge nose of black fruit, meat and smoke. Very gamy, minerally, earthy wine, deep flavors, rich texture. Amazing how a wine with such ripe fruit and high alcohol can be so well balanced. This keeps improving with bottle age, will hold off on opening another for a year. Love the evolutionary track that this wine is on.
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This is typical of Justin Smith....Stunning Rich Ripe rhone varietals. This wine is so easy to drink! Really a treat. Get some if you can. But the mailing list is full.........
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Very inviting nose of baking spices and freshly crushed berries. The palate has dark and red berries, a little beef, nutmeg and an interesting flowery component. Certainly has mellowed out some, fairly balanced at this point though a little time should make it even smoother. I am not waiting for my last bottle.
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Full throttle, amazing California syrah based Rhone. Too old to recall particulars, but this bottle was absolutely outstanding. It crushed all three bottles of the Saxum James Berry Vineyard I have had subsequently. This is the one to have in my book.
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I did a two hour decant while I cooked dinner (NY Strip). This wine matched very well the the strips. Big and beefy with very little alcohol detected. There is only two slight negatives with this bottle. On the first glass, the nose was off. I smell sweet almost prefume fragrance. Very offputting. It did blow off however. Second, I think that this has not come together yet. While it was good now, I can't wait for what it will be in several years. Glad I have several more.
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Mindblowing... Justin Smith you are the man. No decant, tight upon opening, but was firing on all cylinders after about 45 minutes. I can't recall a wine I've ever tasted that was as pronounced and had as much depth as this. Espresso, blackberry, truffle, and toast intermingle with some sensational fruit, offering a level of complexity rarely found. Buy and drink every bottle you can find.
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Stunning. No formal notes, but layered, balanced and well structured. 4 hour decant and drank over the next 90 minutes. Great black fruit notes, layered with a subtle leather n licorice note and a floral hint on the finish. Superb length...just so amazingly well balanced - forceful, yet elegant. A killer wine and another extraordinary bottle from Saxum. will benefit from more time in bottle, but fun to drink now! 96-97
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Rene Geoffroy, Huet, Bosquet du Pape Chante Merle, Girard, Saxum (Our Home): Purple in color. This came out of the bottle a bit pruney. With about 20 minutes of air, it improved showing black raspberries, grilled meats and pepper. On the palate, this is nice, but as Saxum's go, a bit weaker than all of my most recent experiences. Not bad, just seemed tight and not as giving. I would hold these at this point or decant.
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blueberry, vanilla, touch of asparagus. nice soft attack, followed by acidity. nice but not with the typical complexity/broadness I like in saxum. Tasted very OZ like. (ran through vinturi)
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Huge and tight upon opening. Opened up quickly for it's age and it's stunning 16.2 ABV. Agree with previous comments about it's fruit forward Barossa quality. Definitely new world in style without being jammy. Blueberries, vanilla, and spice. Decnt finish but I didn't get the length of the 06 James Berry. Will sit on my second bottle for a while.
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Gave this about an hour of air and then drank it with a nice dinner of big dishes. Nose was glorious, didn't find the blueberries overwhelming at all. I found dark fruits, cassis and cedar. the palate was multilayered and went on for 90 seconds or more. I liked this wine a lot.
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double decanted through a vinturi and served about 2 hours later. no detail notes but again this (Saxum) is great with a chocolate dessert and well conceals it alcohol. inky purple core, intense fruit palate, sweet tannin finish. I have had '03 and '04 recently and found the flavor is more precise and velvety with age. There is no question it drinks well now, but I expect an upside with storage. 93-95
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Showed better than expected straight out of the bottle. Sweet raspberry, vanilla and cedar. More Barossa than Rhone. Worked well with a goat cheese and later......BBQ. Decanted for an hour or more and changed but didn't improve. I tend to like the 14% reds. Or maybe I should score this a 100, write a glowing review and sell my other bottles. Seriously though....LOVE THE LABEL.
No problem on night 2. Less fruit driven. Friend commented it smelled like olives.
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Is the Linne Calodo better? Like a piece of blueberry pie; cassis, olives and spicecake on the nose; torrents of blueberry fruit, with a silky texture just wash over and consume your mouth; the taste simply lingers for days; 60 second finish. What it does, it does superbly. But is this as complex as some others? Very tasty.
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Big, big wine that could use more bottle time to soften and to lose a bit of the heat. Much better on the second taste an hour later. Revisited on night 2 and some of the heat had disapated, but still a powerhouse wine. Will leave a bit in the bottle for a day 3 impression. Nice tannins that were not overpwering, with nice fruit and good acidity.
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Dense, opaque purple color. Pop and poured; this initially showed a clipped mid palate, then after that resolved itself, a short finish. However, this wine hit its stride in a big way after about 60-75 minutes. Aromas of blue fruits, green olive, and forest fire show through to flavors of ripe blue and red berry fruit, raw meats, mineral, and light charcoal notes. With gorgeous weight and texture, this wine possesses waves of complex flavors, yet remains deft and crisp, showing a long finish. Surprisingly, there's no noticeable heat from the 16% alcohol. This is a well crafted, delicious wine worthy of serious contemplation. 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache, and 13% Mourvedre.
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Syrahs and Duck (PDH, New York City): Sweet cherry, spicy (not pepper). I didn't like this as much as I hoped. I own a couple, so I'll hold off on opening them.
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Spicy and smooth with notes of chocolate and dark black fruit. Has settled down a lot since January 2009 - not as much shock and awe. Served cool to mute the heat.
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The nose had very ripe dark fruit aromas with notes of roasted meat, anise, and perfume. The palate had cassis and nice mineral flavors with some gamy notes. This had a beautiful mouthfeel and a very long finish. I had only tasted a Saxum wine once before this bottle, but I am beginning to be a huge fan!
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Decanted in a R mag for 2 hours, drank over 1.5 hours/Nose was spicy with tart blue fruit, slight vanilla, and slight heat/Was really feeling the grenache and mourverde in the taste, brown spice, hard red fruit, tarred black fruit/No secondary flavors or much complexity at all/Finish was more of the same with moderate tannins, would imagine that more air or cellar time would bode well for this wine/Highly enjoyable, not for those who want to find a deeper life meaning through wine right now. Give this some time to see if the secondaries kick in, but don't fault yourself for giving it air and enjoying now.
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Decanted 3 hours, drank over 3. This wine has really started to come together. Harmonious, smooth, supple, rich & elegant. Fresh dark fruits, zesty acidity, earthy, meaty, delicious. Such wonderful complexity.
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63% Syrah 14% Grenache 13% Mouvedre 16.3% alc Wow, served at the proper temp this wine rocks! Intense concentration and a wide spectrum of flavors. Full bodied and mouthcoating with moderate tannins and no sign of heat. Intense flavors, blueberry pie with a nice mix of assorted spices and. This is flat out delicious! 50+5+14+17+7=93+
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way too young - and at this point, unapproachable in my opinion. ridiculously extracted fruit...like drinking strawberry reduction sauce. with 16.3% alcohol, this is just bizarro world at this point.
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Northern Rhones and Cali Syrahs for an out of towner (think cafe, chicago IL): nose: a complete and stark contrast to the other syrahs that were at the table. this smelled more like a cocktail with huge jammy fruit of blackberries, dark cherries, dark berry tones, mocha, and a bit of heat. The fruit was rampant, though toned back a slight bit from when I put it in the decanter earlier in the day. A big massive bowl of fruit, though not neccessarily gloppy, just a ton of dark fruits that don't fully distinguish themselves as syrah per se, just a whole lot of dark fruit
taste: huge, rich, and extracted fruit that is very jammy with massive tones of blackberries, black and dark cherries, mocha, and all sorts of other jammy black fruits. A bit over the top and the heat is a bit bothersome as it hits on the back end
overall: this is extremely well done for the style that it is aiming for. Not really the style that I like, but I have to respect the wine making on it. That said, the alcohol is massive on this and I don't know how this will or if it will tame down with time.
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I still have all my 2006s sitting in the cellar so thanks to Rob for sharing this bottle with us. You know what, this wine lives up the the rep again. There is a lovely strawberry, mineral and licorice interplay, against what is a listed alcohol of 16.3% and I swear I can't find any booze out of place. Some choco/mocha on the finish and it's a young wine but when the youth sheds and the wine folds together, this will be an awesome complete drink.
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Very dark in color with sweet nose exploding with raspberry, boysenberry, graham cracker. Palate is full bodied and exploding with this same fruit yet soft with great complexity. Long finish. This is more like an Aussie shiraz -- just bombastic but it is well put together. Think Mollydooker. High in alcohol but not hot at all. If you like aussie's then you'll love this. If you like Cote Rotie with earth and mineral then this is not for you.
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Old School Wineauxs do Rhones (The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch): Big nose showing the berry pie with some mocha and stem notes. Huge but balanced but excellent acidity. Love the acidity Justin gets in these, never tart and sets Saxum apart from lots of similar wines.
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Dark purple color. Nose of blueberry and tobacco. Tastes of blackberry, tobacco, currant, garrigue and black pepper. Excellent balance with nice freshness. Fine tannins. Rich finish with very good depth of fruit. No signs of heat despite the lofty 16.3% alcohol. 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache and 14% Mourvedre.
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A very good wine, showing big sweet tannins and nice spice. The RS seemed to distract a little on this wine though, and it was a little hot. I wonder if it is just in a wierd spot right now as I think it could be better. It was still fun to drink, but definately not the most balanced wine right now.
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Very good -- still a little tight. Needs time in the bottle and/or decanter. Still, the wine is massive, with wonderful plum and cherry flavors and a rich, meaty texture.
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A weekend of fine wines in LA (Sloan,Maiden,Grange,Rousseau,Shafer HS and more) (Los Angeles): Not quite as big as the James Berry 06 but still a big young wine. Probably the only wine able to stand up against the fried chicken we ate that night. Double Decanted the night before. Very ripe berries with 5 space and cherry on the nose with a bit of mint. A very brooding wine that's trying to let the fruit burst out. A heavy mouthfeel of ripe cherries, strawberry with brute like acidity. Not much heat on the wine unlike the JBV.
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Gorgeous wine. Double decanted and then took to a steak house, I wanted a big young wine to stand up to the steak and this delivered. Huge nose of black cherry, smoke, game. Massive wine, but any heat that would be there is hidden well by the fruit. Very tasty and concentrated (although not as much as the '05 which was unreal.) Dark fruits really showing with just a touch of sweetness. Loooooong finish with a bit of a spicy kick and great backbone to it. I personally think this wine will age quite nicely.
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Jammy nose. Black cherry. Extracted. A little young but already very drinkable. A little tangy on the tongue. Serious alcohol content but you can't taste it at all.
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Rich and ripe, great delineation of flavors, but definitely not for the faint of heart--a bruiser and a heavy mouthfeel. Dark fruits--blueberry, blackberry, with pepper and roasted/burnt espresso bean. It says 16.3% alcohol...does that likely mean 16.8% (given an allowable 0.5% variance)?
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A massive wine but not heavy on the palate. Pure & seductive with layers of black & blue fruits with a hint of graphite and black pepper. For such a young wine this is drinking extremely well. 50+5+13+17+8=93
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Decanted for 6hrs and then back in the bottle for 24hrs. Fat, thick and ripe. Dark, chocolatey fruit along with some charcoal, white pepper and underbrush. Smooth finish will little heat. Nice but I much prefer the 2005 (a cooler vintage)
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Took to restaurant, popped and poured into a decanter and drank over the next 90 minutes. This was rich and outstanding. The most accessible young Saxum I have ever had. Will likely improve with age, but no need to wait.
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Decanted 3 hours, drank over the next 3. Extremely dark color. Intensity in 10 cities on the nose and palate. Black raspberries, bacon, plum, earth. Rich, brooding, elegant, sweet and savory. Velvet in the mouth. Long finish. Akin to a tremendous pancake breakfast with all the trimmings minus the pancakes...
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Another kickass bottling from Saxum. The sixth bottle of Saxum for me and my first Broken Stones. For a wine that was deep, dark, and brooding purple it was surprisingly graceful. Yeah, I know, 16% alcohol but it straddles the fence so well that my "boys" were never in any danger. Nose of crushed raspberries, kirsch liqueur, and some molasses cookie but never any intruding alcohol. Weighty but not overly dense on the palate with notes of citrus, dark berries, minerals, and tannins showing a competent grip. A strong, tangy, and balanced finish left me wondering how Justin can possibly keep walking this tightrope but who am I to question a wine ninja?
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Berry pie with some menthol stem notes. Fat heavy palate that seems to fall off a bit at the end and a touch of heat. Stem type notes also show up on the palate with berry sauce. The second day the palate seems to have evened out a bit with the Mouvedre realy standing up and some slightly green astringency on the finish with a touch of minerality, add a touch of woodiness on the nose. Clearly not as dense, wrapped up and tannic as the 05's but I think this needs another 6 months at least to even out a bit. Definitely on the yummy hedonistic side of the spectrum.
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Really great wine and I sometimes think the best of Saxums lineup. These really drink so well young. Amazing balance to the wine with all the fruit packed in, yet this is not nearly as dense or heavy as expected. Pushing the extration limits but its got so much going on that a candied or fakiness quality never enters consideration. In fact its not even a heavyweight wine really in mouthfeel. Deep and dark red fruits dominate. Finishes spicy and peppery. A complete wine.
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Big, bold, meaty aromas and flavors. I get beef, blood, roasted cherry and strawberry notes, along with some interesting gamey and floral components. Quite dense, but at the same time lively on the palate. Really outstanding wine.
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OMFG..how does Saxum get such a focused, balanced wine wrapped up in 16% alcohol? Wonderfully elegant silky texture with cassis and wildberry. Deep, precise refined dark fruit flavors of cassi and berries with charcol, raspberryand a beem of light citrus notes running through the middle. One of those bottle that is both refined, elegant and hedonism all in one. A true joy to drink.
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Dinner with the Osborn's (Home): A very deep and dark purple color. Nose of black fruits. Tastes of blackberry, blueberry, leather, black pepper and earth. Good balance with the freshness that I remember with these wines to keep the huge extraction in check. Full bodied with plenty of structure and sweet tannins. Good depth and complexity on the long rich finish. This wine has restored faith for me in the 2006 vintage of Saxum. A blend of 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache and 13% Mourvedre. A whopping 16.3% alcohol. I thought Justin's was trying to bring the alcohols back down to earth? Obviously not in this vintage.
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Lovely, rich wine. Tar, earth, crushed stone and cassis. A little over the top, but drinking beautifully. Highly extracted and complex. Cant imagine that this will improve much with age. Great California wine. A beautiful expression of Paso Robles.
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Let me start of my saying, I really don't know how to rate this wine, but I can say I really enjoyed it. I am sure I did not give it the chance to show in its best light, as I only received the shipment a few days ago. I decanted for 3 hours. Upon opening, the predominant note was graphite, then blueberry. When we finally tried it it had lots of dark mature fruit which made me mostly think about blueberries and boysenberries, with some gamy fat, a light touch of white pepper and that graphite slightly powdered mineral note. There was noticeable heat, but I expect that in a 16% wine. The first sip it was more noticeable, but with the food it became less so. The raw extract here is super and makes me think of gooey berry compote, mixed with some lean bacon fat. This was my first bottle as I have only had the chance to taste Saxum before at offlines, where I did not really get to focus on it for more than 5 minutes. I liked it much more this way. Matched very well with the Grass Fed Veal Chops, Broccoli Rabe, and roasted hampton fingerlings. I will go so far as to say this is the best bottle of American CdP I have had.
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Not really ready for drinking. After an hour or more in the decanter and then back in the bottle, there's still a fair bit of heat. Another 30 minutes in the glass and this baby is starting to show it's Saxumy pedigree. To whit, berries--crushed, lavender, smoke, tar, spice/pepper. All good stuff, and in another month or two, I'd reckon this will settle down. Will it be a long-ager? You're asking the wrong guy.
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Decanted 2 hours, note is from the following evening after being back in the bottle 20ish hours. Blackberry, blueberry and graphite nose with a bot of pepper with the slightest bit of the high alcohol coming through as well. Beautifully silky in the mouth and a 30+ second finish that reiterates the blueberry nose before the tannins shut you down. This thing is so big and lucious you don't notice the alcohol in the taste, it is all blueberry, background of pepper, and the lovely "gamey meat" flavor I get in some Syrahs. Gonna be tough not to drink these guys young as they are so good right now....must.....exhibit.....restraint.
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2/29/2024 - rexmerlot wrote: 91 Points
Dark Purple in colour. Notes of baking spice and black berries. Med Body, med acidity, smooth tannins. Goes down like ribena. Big but interesting. This would be a great wine with saucy baby back ribs.
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7/24/2023 - sachsen wrote: flawed
bretty
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2/5/2023 - peterk Likes this wine:
I really liked this - time has been generous to it
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3/18/2021 - Barakahn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nice nose of black fruit and spice. Adds a little smoked meat, raspberry and a touch of sweetness on the palate. Balanced and integrated. Good finish. Spot on for the drinking window now.
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2/20/2021 - larrybbaldwin Likes this wine: 96 Points
A wine in its perfect place. Bright, fruit laced and acid lifted. I love this.
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12/25/2020 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fruit with a long finish.
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11/3/2020 - NY Wino wrote: 97 Points
Another terrific bottle of Saxum...this wine has it all going on. Great nose, huge but elegant fruit, long delicious finish.
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4/20/2020 - jfkwines wrote: 92 Points
Right where I thought an Older Saxum would be. Deep, rich, integrated, sill lots of fruit, light tannin in mouthfeel. I can't recommend cellaring longer, but I can encourage you to drink this now and enjoy with a delicious steak or any food that a Rhone like wine you choose
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4/11/2020 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 92 Points
I generally agree with the notes/flavor profiles of the last few tasting notes. The wine isn’t showing much age for being 14 years old. However, the nose showed quite a bit of heat/alcohol, as did the finish. It started to calm down after a few hours, but that could have just been me, as the wine was over 16%. So, nice wine, but not the best showing I have had from Saxum.
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4/4/2020 - JRockEsq Likes this wine: 96 Points
Started drinking after about an hour of air and at 60 degrees. Drank over 2 - 3 hours.
Look: deep purple; many legs
Nose: Expressive nose of mushroom, wet forest floor, and ripe black berry. Great nose.
Palate: Dark berries, forrest floor, leather, tar, scorched earth, and baker's chocolate; very nice depth and concentration of flavor; long finish of leather and earth; very smooth, full body; med- round ripe tannins; med- acidity
Overall thoughts: This is the oldest Saxum I've had and honestly didn't expect it to age so beautifully. For me, this might be in pretty much a perfect drinking window. Everything is wonderfully integrated while still maintaining good structure. There are wonderful earthy and savory notes at/near the forefront of the wine while the fruit remains deep and powerful. Really excellent wine.
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3/6/2020 - Topper wrote:
Big, and slightly grumpy. Needed a much longer decant
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12/30/2019 - NY Wino wrote: 94 Points
Deep garnet, purple color, the bouquet explodes from the glass with lots of dark fruit and spice. The wine initially is a fruit bomb, with loads of dark fruit followed up by nice acidity and a long delicious finish. Still some nice tannins but not at all drying. Drinking beautifully.
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7/20/2019 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet and color with slight bricking edge. Nose of crushed black fruits, leather, and hint of earth. Taste of blackberries, dark cherries, olives, and Smokebox. Still good fruit left but towards the end of its primary stage. Hides the alcohol with nice balance. Drink of the next two years for the fruit or wait another 3 to 5 for the tertiary flavors.
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1/26/2019 - hanasowner wrote: 89 Points
Opened an hour in advance...expressive nose that I love from Saxum...rich dark fruit...nice weight, though still some tannins on the finish...has more life to go, though sadly my last bottle.
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12/22/2018 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fall 2018. Very short decant. Could use more but didn't follow for all that long because it went down fast with four drinkers. Dinner with the Langes at our house. OMG. This is great and in a great place. If you do not like the style, keep your hands off and leave more for me. All the pieces are coming together with the rough edges all gone and everything integrated. Tertiary flavors? Not really very much, so miles to go before it gets to the decline, but it's in a smooth fruit driven place right now. Is there alcohol in it? Duh! You wouldn't drink it if they removed all of the alcohol. Red tree fruit, red berries, a tiny bit of pepper spice, seamless.
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12/1/2018 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
A crowd pleaser, largely consistent with our previous note from a few years ago, but this hasn't really evolved much over that period.
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10/5/2018 - briquette wrote: 88 Points
Way too much alcohol and syrupy for me.
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6/22/2018 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely lovely wine! Smooth and complex. Hits on all notes.
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6/17/2018 - norzano Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought at an auction mainly to compare to the newer versions I’ve been drinking lately. Age definitely softens it out. Fruit is more mellow but still in the same style. Easy drinking and goes down well with food (grilled brats).
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5/20/2018 - FourCorks Likes this wine: 97 Points
Super long finish. Great GSM.
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4/30/2018 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Giant, warm cranberry blueberry raspberry pie with some licorice in it. Big, warm, hot, use as desert. Great with the peach pie. Probably would appreciate this better on its own, but not really my style anyway. Green Street/EWG.
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1/29/2018 - MLwine wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Big, fruity, and smooth, but a fair bit over the top. Will be curious to see if this integrates better on Day Two.
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1/10/2018 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
This big, flavorful wine has calmed down a bit since last tasted 2 years age and is now a nice complement to food. Dry and rich, it's approaching it's peak drinking window.
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12/11/2017 - Jahull03 wrote:
from auction - curious to taste one of these with a decade under its belt. This wine is fun - and to put the following criticism in context, I'll say again here: I like it. There are some things "wrong" with it, as noted by some of the tasters below - it's sweet, it's huge and high-alc, it's jammy - but it's pretty well balanced, and the wine has charisma... like the boisterous dinner guest who talks a bit too much, a bit too loudly, but you just can't help but be drawn to him.
At this stage, the grenache is showing more than anything else - I'm getting that black currant / milk chocolate / touch of raspberry, with a bit of clove and cardamom. Not sure I'd pair it with food any more subtle than pizza or steak - but this is really enjoyable on its own.
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10/28/2017 - cadamson Likes this wine: 89 Points
6 years since last bottle. Like the 2011 Reva and 2006 Raven next to it, lots of olive, and deep purple. There the similarity ends. The Saxum was substantially different in one word: sweet -- this must have residual sugar. Quit alluring with the first few sips, especially swirling it around on the palate. Some pepper joins the party. Sure, a bit tiring after a glass or two.
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10/19/2017 - wine4ever wrote: 91 Points
A very well made wine...just not our favorite style. We enjoy GSMs from France. For us, this wine is way too sweet, too much alcohol, not enough acidity. It's made in the 'modern' style....if you like that, you will love this. It's a big, heavy, very fruity wine with many flavors. It's very smooth, and has a long finish. It is flamboyant and fun, just not as intellectual to us as wines made in the 'old world' style. In it's prime with no hint of decline. Hoping it will become more interesting with additional aging.
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7/29/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Big Meat and Serious Syrah (Westport, CT): Another not for the faint of heart. Extra sweet black fruits. Some more pepper here as well. Perhaps a lower acidity wine. It's very fun though at the end of the night the intensity worked pretty well.
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4/2/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep jammy berry fruit in the nose and flavor with blackberries and a hint of floral in the nose. Blackberries and black raspberries in the flavor with a touch of cloves on the edge. A complex wine with a thick mouthfeel and a long finish
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3/18/2017 - oaxaca90049 wrote: 95 Points
Sublime. Drinking beautifully. I took it to a dinner party and everyone was blown away.
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1/28/2017 - djs Likes this wine: 98 Points
Best of new world in every way. Great concentration and purity of flavors.
Dark and red fruits along with forest floor. Perfect acidity. The high alcohol level is not pronounced in this blockbuster style blend. Long finish.
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11/30/2016 - Vitispulmonus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still youthful and a bit acidic but very good. Lots of fruit. Probably will score a bit higher in a year or two
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11/26/2016 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for a good hour. Needed.
We always find it fascinating when wines like these (and some SQNs, Albans etc ) win us over. We are usually classic wine lovers but well made and balanced in their strength American beasts like this one do have a spot for us.
Rich, not a shy wine, big in all aspects, from the 16.3% alc to the massive body. Not heavy or difficult though and does flow very nicely. Silky, supple, ripe tannin, well round but with a firm core of acidity too. Light spicy, red fruits on the finish. Very solid wine. 94 and drinks very well now.
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10/12/2016 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP, but could have used a good 30 minute decant. As this full-bodied wine opened in the glass, it revealed a primarily Syrah (63% of blend) nose of dark red, blue and black fruits with a touch of herbs. The kind of wine you just want to sniff all day. The palate mirrored the nose, with a bit of smoke, and a touch of minerality. The wine was balanced, and the alcohol (16.3 abv) was well robed by the fruit. At ten tears old this wine is still a big boy, but it begs to be let loose as, IMHO, it will not get any better, and may start to fade in the next several years. Drink it when you have the time to appreciate its gifts. Sorry to say, but I'm still on the waiting list to the mailing list.
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9/10/2016 - rogerr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Probably my least favorite Saxum to date probably because it is a bit too ripe.
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8/6/2016 - ravbik wrote: 92 Points
Full bodied complex red . Became sweeter as night went on. became port like
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5/22/2016 - SFBill wrote: 90 Points
Dark, fruity and forward. Not subtle at all. I liked it, but did not find much complexity.
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2/27/2016 - rmcnees wrote: 93 Points
Dark blackish garnet color, full bodied, forward bold complex, concentrated black and blue berry fruits accented by a layer of spices, grilled meats, toast, tones of smoky tar, camphor, bell pepper and graphite with firm lingering tannins on the full finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/02/dyquem-quintessa-saxum-highlight-otbn.html
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1/6/2016 - Geoff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruit, heavy bodied, tannic, slight greenness on the aftertaste. Long finish.
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11/27/2015 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
Big, very well made wine that is extremely concentrated and full of dark black fruit with a ton of sweetness. Does not pair so well with food so best appreciated on its own. If you like big bruisers, then this is for you.
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10/4/2015 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple, but losing some of its brilliance; Deep blackberry-blueberry slight herb-tinged note; rich mouthfeel, not a big bruiser, maybe even a little tamed at this point. Tasty, well-aged, in good shape age wise. Don't have much experience with Saxum, and don't remember the wine distinctly as this was the 3rd bottle for dinner.
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9/13/2015 - BVal wrote: 94 Points
Color: dark ruby core (nearly opaque) -> medium-deep ruby rim. Thick, funky Syrah-typical bouquet of roasted beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon (oh yeah!), creosote, leather, plums and Ouzo. Huge huge huge palate of beef blood, road tar, minerality and black, black fruit. This is delicious and even better than the last bottle I had about 8 months ago (thought I had rated that one but see I didn't). Agree with most that the ample alcohol is amazingly well hidden behind all the sweet, yet complex fruit. Great acidity and a long finish, I think this has plenty of time in hand so enjoy well into the future; I know I will . . . .
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9/13/2015 - ravbik wrote: 95 Points
Really in good place. Fruits are well balanced with tannins. Not a fruit bomb. Full bodied with cherries, leather and dark chocolate notes. Went well with short ribs and lamb
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9/7/2015 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another great Saxum. Black fruits, minerals, camphor and spices. Layers of flavor, massive structure. Wonderful nose and long long finish. High in alcohol but you don't sense it.
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7/18/2015 - snarfglk wrote: 91 Points
Very enjoyable (even with 16.3% alcohol).
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5/23/2015 - Mr T wrote:
YUM...PNP with friends after freezing by the pool....very tasty and nicely balanced....likely can go years but only lasted 15 minutes with us
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2/7/2015 - briquette wrote: 89 Points
Huge alcohol bomb. Nothing subtle about this. Good but not my cup of tea
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1/1/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted about 90 minutes. Rich nose. Fruit rich but a bit harsh. Well liked by everyone. Wasn't my favorite.
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12/7/2014 - Mr T wrote:
PNP and then drunk over 2 hours with good friends
Ripe for sure but good balance and some acid
Paired well with slightly sweet Asian food
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10/13/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Another great bottle. Took about an hour or two to really open up. Then it was great!
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9/27/2014 - snarfglk wrote: 91 Points
Absolutely soooooth and beautiful fruit at the same time (with 16.3% alcohol) and no heat!!! I may regret it tomorrow, but drank the entire bottle it was so good. :)
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8/26/2014 - docvino.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep flavor for such high alcohol. Minimal heat on the finish. Mostly dark fruit and a great complement to steak.
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7/30/2014 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just a great Syrah that is drinking beautifully. Should age well for at least another five years.
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7/12/2014 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, bright red fruit. Very enjoyable, but probably time to drink up?
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7/12/2014 - Mike V wrote: 95 Points
Opened and sat in bottle an hour at the restaurant before serving. This is an extremely impressive wine. Dark and viscous. Wonderful nose of fruit with herbs jumps 2 feet from the glass. Palate full and maybe a tiny heavy handed but went very well with the heavily herbed NY steak & Pork Chops at Town Hall. Wish I had a few more.
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5/25/2014 - LongViewCellars Likes this wine: 95 Points
Saxum Dinner with WB buddies. Top 3 of the night out of 12.
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3/6/2014 - Gabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was excellent. I hadn't opened one in quite awhile and it's singing now. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Drank it at La Folie and the somm was surprised how high the alcohol level was with no signs of heat. It was incredibly well balanced.
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2/21/2014 - Paul Lin wrote: 92 Points
At 8 years old, this wine is still bursting with youthful vigor. Taut and edgy upon opening, it needs at least 30 minutes in a decanter to loosen up and settle down. Displays a dense, lively core of grilled plums, boysenberries, black raspberries, beef blood, licorice, and tar. The wonderfully rich palate, however, is thrown slightly off balance by the rather acidic and angular finish. A really enjoyable wine nonetheless.
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2/11/2014 - Knicksfan wrote: 95 Points
really spectacular now. So complex, so interesting.
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1/6/2014 - snarfglk wrote: 92 Points
Hard to believe, but this is the real deal, even with a WHOPPING 16.3% alcohol. Not hot, don't even taste the high alcohol. Just damn good.
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1/1/2014 - fredman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Surprisingly refined at this stage with no ultra-hard edges. Loads of black fruit, cassis. Enjoy now or during the next 5-8 years. Excellent QPR ($45.00 at purchase, back when).
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12/31/2013 - KevinS wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. First impression is hot -- alcohol overwhelms pretty much everything. There is some red and black fruit and kind of a charcoal note, but the finish is hot. Maybe I just caught this at the wrong time or it's going to get better with air as others have noted, but this is hugely disappointing so far...
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12/7/2013 - huntly Likes this wine: 96 Points
No one would confuse this with a real Rhone. Starting with the nose, you get a real whiff of cherry, and the color is much lighter and the liquid more fluid than a hard core northern french wine. The tastes are ones of classic american syrah--cherry, tar, a bit of light spice, but with an wonderful eloquence. The finish is very smooth with a touch of sweet tannins, and last at least 90 seconds. A real stunner of a wine, but not what you want with a classic rhone pairing of venison or game. We had with skirt steak, and a real winner.
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11/26/2013 - andre.cobianchi wrote: 95 Points
I
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11/16/2013 - mfkidd wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. A little hot and didn't settle down by the time the bottle was gone. A slight disappointment compared to other Saxums. Would recommend giving this some more time.
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11/8/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Colgin, SQN, SHS, Saxum, Bevan, DP ++++ (GHT): There is a some VA on the nose at first. Noticeable, but after a few minutes it blows off leaving raspberries, black raspberries, slight blueberries, grilled meats, and white pepper. Layered, complex and delicious. Full bodied but a bit slicker than the Bone Rock. Great balance. Long finish. No heat or noticeable alcohol. Saxums, for m, almost always have this nimbleness on a large frame (think Ali) that makes them easy to drink and complex.
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11/1/2013 - leadpencil wrote: 95 Points
Blackberry, limestone. No hint of 16.3 alcohol. Delicious
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10/25/2013 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 94 Points
After reading the previous posters note I thought of trying a bottle of this wine. It is certainly in its prime and ready to drink. One of the better broken stones I've had the opportunity to drink just below the wonderful 2007.
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10/25/2013 - jlanzmo Likes this wine: 98 Points
Hi alcohol but AMAZING
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10/18/2013 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
A monster. Assaults the senses with aroma and flavors of black fruits, leather, forest floor and minerals. Huge structure and a ways to go yet. Will be interesting to see this age.
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10/13/2013 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Blackberry, raspberry, baking spice, bacon fat, blueberry and cocoa aromas. Initially some noticeable alcohol heat that dissipated with time. Rich, black and red berry fruit core with spice, chocolate and well integrated tannins. Leads to a very long (> 60 seconds), velvety smooth, finish. Big, aggressive, complex and well balanced. Paired with grilled pork chops.
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9/22/2013 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is densely colored, garnet and opaque down the middle with translucence gained at the edge. The aromas are tar, cherry, cinnamon, earth, blackberry, blueberry, minerals, and camphor. The tastes are sweet cherry, pepper, cinnamon, tobacco, stone, garrigue, and black fruits. The finish is lengthy and the tannins were like smooth velvet. A wonderful with complex aromas and tastes.
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9/21/2013 - JOJ wrote: 88 Points
Wild and untamed upon opening, but mellowed a bit with time in the decanter -- but still a big, big wine. On the nose, primary boysenberry, with savory notes of roasted meat, bacon and smoke. Lots of Mouvedre influence. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, and more savory elements -- bacon fat and a hint of pepper. Pretty hot on the finish, and still a bit tannic. Just an overpowering wine, and not really my style.
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8/24/2013 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with Rob. What a house ! ... and what a wine. Deep ruby. Nose nice but not overwhelming. Decanted over an hour. Deep lush purple berry fruit with long finish.
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7/6/2013 - patwjr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped & poured, drank over 3 hours. Nice, big yet smooth fruit bomb.
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6/15/2013 - jhieb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big and rich, with a ton of character. Not my favorite wine from Saxum, but, this still set the bar very high. In a class of its own among Paso rhones.
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5/9/2013 - MayValley wrote: 93 Points
Smoke, roasted meat, blood, spices and kirsch liqueur. The nose reminded me more of Alban than Saxum actually...
Potent wine with predominantly red fruit, but also some darker fruit, smoke and provence spices. This was a viscous wine but with good acidity to support the more heavy parts of this wine. Showing no sign of ageing.
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4/5/2013 - BrianMc wrote: 94 Points
Wish I could have let this breathe but couldn't wait to dive in with both feet. Still a wonderful bottle, generous and opulent fruit with a nice finish
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3/31/2013 - VoteferPedro wrote: 93 Points
Served at the end of a dinner party where we had enjoyed 2001 Dominus and 2001 Mouton. The reaction of the croud was 'Wow, what is that?' This is typical of Saxum: the fruit goes to 11 on a 10 point scale but is so incredibly balanced it makes you say 'Wow' and not 'Ugghh!' After all the food and drink, I can not be specific about this but it was pretty yummy but not subtle or sophisticated and just the right exclamation point on a great evening.
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3/28/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Exceptional depth, focus and red/black fruit concentration. Bright, pure and balanced.
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3/27/2013 - WDK wrote: 93 Points
I've got to be in the mood to appreciate this, but when I am, it's quite good. Huge nose of kirsh and licorice. Oily texture with With sweet red fruit. Abundant acidity on the long sweet finish.
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2/18/2013 - dd wrote:
at this point still over the top in fruit, very good to aussie like right now
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2/3/2013 - Grape Stuff Likes this wine: 97 Points
2 hour decant - consumed over 1 hour. Absolutely stunning. This wine has come along beautifully since we last had it about 2 years ago. Enticing nose of blue and black fruit and spice. Follows through on the palate, with layers of blackberry, blueberry, spice box, baking spices. The alcohol is seamlessly integrated, the tannins are well integrated, and the wine is just beautifully balanced. Another stunning wine from Justin and co.
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1/30/2013 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Ponderous nose with smokey beef, dark fruits and a hint of coconut. The palate is bright up front with red berries but it releases into dark fruits, charcoal, and hints of baking spices. The finish has a touch of heat and is a tiny bit clipped. Otherwise amazing.
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1/26/2013 - glaze3 wrote:
Decanted 2 hours and drank over 5. Extracted and somewhat candied red fruit dominate initially with a strange bitter note that I could never put my finger on. Most of the huge structure and heat that plagued my last bottle a few years back have softened and brought this into an early drinking window, although some of the heat re-emerged at about 4 hours in. I can see the love for these Saxums although typically not my style, they are well made and work well in a cocktail type setting. I just think they would be so much better if toned down a bit and not so extracted and ripe.
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1/18/2013 - cookie7 wrote: 92 Points
Note after 4 hours in the decanter. Dries cherries, plums and hints of floral notes on the nose. Similar on the palate. Seems a bit more red fruit driven then the blue fruit driven I typically get from Saxum. Certainly extracted - with a nice long finish. In its optimal drinking window.
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1/11/2013 - drcookie wrote:
A great bottle.
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12/21/2012 - hanasowner wrote: 95 Points
This blew me away. Shared with a cousin who is a big Cab drinker and his jaw hit the floor. Popped and poured...ready to go about 20 minutes later with an incredible nose and a silky mouthfeel. Finish was 40+ seconds. Much better than the 2008 BS I had two weeks prior or the 2009 BS I had later in the week. Learning that Saxums with 4-5 years of age are the way to go.
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12/14/2012 - vinoballo wrote: 93 Points
Still a little tight, with some astringent notes.
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11/21/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Consumed at the SAFW Reunion. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, raspberry, pepper, spice and toasty oak. Big, rich and concentrated fruit. A creamy texture in the mouth. Tannins are not totally resolved, but soft enough for an enjoyable wine. A long peppery finish. I really like the look of an ice-ax on the label; however, it’s probably a small pick-ax.
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11/19/2012 - plitton wrote: 94 Points
90 minute decant which is really needed. Another hour or two would have been better. Incredibly lively, layered, in-your-face wine. Not as brooding as the 2005 though. Alcohol is apparent but doesn't overpower. This has at least a decade ahead to improve.
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10/25/2012 - MLwine wrote: 94 Points
Well-integrated and complex. Delightful.
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9/10/2012 - Mike Dildine wrote: 94 Points
16.3% alcohol. 63% syrah, 24% grenache, 13% mourvedre. Dark, but transparent ruby. Lovely floral and fruit aromas from 10" off the glass. The overriding palate impression is black cherry and black raspberry. A little bramble, a little smoke, but very pure. Great balance and extraordinary concentration and intensity. No noticable alcohol. The aftertaste goes on and on.
I didn't know how I'd react to this very modern, fruit forward, full flavor wine. It is fantastic. My omnivore creds are still intact.
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9/7/2012 - leadpencil wrote: 94 Points
Dark brick red. Full bodied. Black raspberry, chalk, cocoa, scorched earth. Nice acidity.
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8/24/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
Ditto previous
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8/22/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
Dense and delicious.
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8/5/2012 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dense ruby color through the middle and color lightens but still very dense to the rim. The aromas were olive, tar, blackberry jam. The tastes were tea, dark fruit, blackeberry, raspberry, pepper, tar, and olive. The tannins were velvety and there was mouth watering acidity. The body was nice and the finish was long.
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8/1/2012 - tp096255 wrote: 93 Points
Same as before, but seemed a little less complex and a bit more brambly, like Zin. Probably the Grenache component getting a little funky, so I knocked it down one point. Good wine.
9.3
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7/26/2012 - Employee500 wrote: 93 Points
Better than it's ever been...the overall weight and texture has softened considerably, with sweet fruit (the dark fruits I remember from prior tastings are shifting toward a balance of red and dark), moderate tannin, and (perhaps most surprising) a nice acidity to redeem what could otherwise come across as a too heavy/flabby wine. Bottle age appears to have moderated this wines thick/viscous mouthfeel, though the flavor profile does retain an overly burnt/toasted note (I assume straight out of a charred barrel), which is what keeps this from soaring to a 95-ish point enjoyment level.
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7/25/2012 - sjdoc Likes this wine: 96 Points
needed an hour to open up and become more powerful and balanced
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6/9/2012 - jshufelt wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for two hours, and it wasn't enough. In the glass, almost black. On the nose, crushed raspberries and secondary aromatics of pine and black pepper. On the palate, a rich texture, lots of dark fruit with notes of currants and prunes, beef blood, and minerals, with a moderately long and slightly acidic finish. While the tannins aren't overbearing, I don't think this is anywhere near its peak. Try again in 3-5 years.
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4/27/2012 - yui wrote: 96 Points
Wow
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4/21/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): I liked this a lot. Funky, meaty, pine cones, minty. Sweet creamed corn even on the nose. Lots of black fruit with some fresh linen scents. Palate is massive much bigger than the nose lets on in fact. Sweet rich, creamy and fruit forward. So young still. Massive yet caressing for me. Hold for another five to seven years until tasting again I believe.
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4/21/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Others liked this a lot. Sweet black fruit aromas and flavors without much or any subtlety or nuance. Heat really protrudes at end.
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3/27/2012 - jaylew1 wrote:
How is it possible for a wine with 16.3% alcohol to be good, and this is actually very good. I just feel that somehow, dialed down slightly, this would really be special.
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3/17/2012 - InflationHedge wrote: 94 Points
Not as powerful as the previous bottle, but still a vibrant wine that captivates. Similar notes, just turn down the volume.
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2/29/2012 - ScottS wrote: 94 Points
Another terrific showing. I didn't realize that this was my last bottle. Concentrated with a black and blue fruit profile. On the label16.3% alc but in perfect balance.......how does Justin do this?
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2/18/2012 - christophee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby, garnet and medium viscosity in the glass. Glowing nose of raspberry, citrus, pepper, pipe tobacco and herbs. Secondary black fruit and saddle hide. Medium body and firm backbone with reductive raspberry, cranberry, pepper and herbs (mint) on the palate. Secondary blueberry, coffee, tobacco, citrus, olive and mushroom. Moderately complex. Super tight, which sorted itself out with time. Long, long finish. Superb food wine…91 on its own.
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2/13/2012 - rdunn Likes this wine: 96 Points
Simply remarkable. A little bit black evening gown; a little bit short leather mini-skirt. Very broad, well-balanced fruit - red, blue, black and a touch of raisin/prune, but doesn't go into the olive flavors that I associate with Cayuse (and don't find particularly flattering). Very complex on the palate - fruit, spice, texture all seem to evolve in the mouth. Finish goes on longer than a Charlie Sheen rant. Epic wine.
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2/12/2012 - Baggio wrote: 96 Points
Pretty nearly perfect wine. Just bursting with fruit and varietal character, but totally without rough edges. Decanted and breathed for 2 hours before drinking. Maybe the best Saxum wine I've had yet.
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12/25/2011 - Julex wrote: 97 Points
Extraordinary indeed. Enjoyed more than Alban REVA from same year.
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12/9/2011 - sonodoc wrote: 95 Points
Pop and pour, and still an excellent wine. Raspberry, cherry, a little spice. Smooth...
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9/25/2011 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 87 Points
This is a very nice gift from a friend. The style, and ripeness level is just not for me. Very similar in taste as some recent wines: Les Pavots, Cos d'Estournel, Luc Morlet, Harlan, Quilceda Creek, etc. Many will gush, and in fact I could drink the wine, I am just excited by a different style and philosophy of wine/winemaking.
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8/23/2011 - InflationHedge wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding! Clearly a powerful syrah, but incredibly well balanced. Raspberry, compote, and pepper are prominent, with something almost fragrant or floral in between. Plenty of life ahead but drinking beautifully now...
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8/22/2011 - Vinobruin wrote: 95 Points
Mandatory 2 hours decant minimum at this time. If you dont decant it, you're wasting your wine. After 2 hours the wine really turned it up another notch.
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8/10/2011 - dhammer53 wrote:
I drank this at The Cheese Cave in Claremont CA with WineBerserkers. I have nice friends that are willing to share delicious wine. This was so good.
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7/30/2011 - Fugu Me wrote:
Initially tasted on Pop 'n Pour, but primarily consumed after 2 hour decant. A bit closed on PnP, but really blossomed with some air. Great nose with a nice mix of spice, meat and fruit elements. Silky palate, and heat kept in check despite the high alcohol content. Very nicely balanced, tremendous dark fruit and berries with a touch of baking spices and licorice. Long, long finish, leaving toasted marshmallow behind. Really, really good.
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7/22/2011 - cookie7 wrote: 94 Points
30 minutes in a decanter. Loads of black pepper and spice, great structure and a 30+ second finish. Heat in check. Great wine.
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7/5/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Still tight and a little closed on first glance. Opened up nicely over 2-3 hours and was really singing. Will hold my last bottle 3-5 years.
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6/18/2011 - vinocerus wrote:
Tight, tight, tight when opened. Very hard to coax any fruit from the nose, almost pruney and slightly bretty like a ripe-vintage CDP; noticeable spice element. After a few hours deep dark fruits emerge with the spice component in the background. Full bodied with a bit of heat on the finish. Did I open an Amarone by mistake? Bottle was open for about 4 hours, re-corked and sat at cellar temp until re-opened 24 hours later. Holy mackerel, this wine kicks ass! The nose has softened significantly and gives blueberry and blackberry scents with less of the spices. Minimal heat detected tonight, nicely balanced with soft tannins, firm structure and long finish. Looking at prior notes, this was previously ready from pop-and-pour, seems to be in a phase where decanting or Audouzing will benefit. Then again, at 16.3% maybe I'm just a bit ripped. Either way, much more enjoyable on day 2.
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4/22/2011 - kliu112 wrote: 91 Points
Meat and pepper in the nose. Plenty of fruit and spice on the palate, but well balanced and not overly sweet. Long finish though alcohol a bit on the high side.
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4/1/2011 - bonedocnine wrote: 90 Points
A little hot on the finish.
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3/30/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely loved this bottle. Better now than the 07 even. Deep, rich nose. Rich, spicy, exotic, sweet but with great structure. Long aftertaste.
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2/26/2011 - Amerique wrote: 96 Points
Wow! Highly extracted, rich, delicious blackberry/blueberry fruit with spice and earth flavors, loved the texture, wished it wasn't so high in alcohol but you can't have everything. This wine is an example of why Saxum and Paso have emerged as a world class wine area. This wine would certainly compete evenly with a Cayuse. Maybe better!
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2/25/2011 - MarkC Likes this wine: 94 Points
At first when popped and poured, this had some bitter elements that made me think "uh oh". However, with some swirling and waiting, the dark blue and black fruit flavors began to emerge. Oer the course of a couple hours this wine totally blossomed, making me wish I had decanted for an our or more. Licorice, hints of bacon, some meat, and bits of black pepper all combined to make this a rich, complex, tasty drink. Had I had a single glass when opened and scored it then, it would have garnered an 88 at best--yet another example of why I like to enjoy a wine over the course of time and why it is so hard, for me, to get a lot out of tastings with loads of different wines. Well done! (PE: 96)
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2/6/2011 - cadamson wrote: 91 Points
A bit different from the one I had a month or so ago. Started with a funky nose that through me off (this was blind, the nose did not say Saxum). Dark fruit, spice and some meaty components. Nice, big, not quite in balance. Maybe a bit too warm in the glass.
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1/28/2011 - alr6767 wrote:
Very little fruit to speak of, from the first sip through 3 hours of tasting at various points from the decanter. Over the hill? Everything else was there, especially the nose and firm tanic backbone. One of those wtf bottles....
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1/16/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 93 Points
Violets and floral nose. Great red fruit and baking spice. Not as chewy as I expected. Medium weight, heat a non issue.
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12/25/2010 - t_moderne wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and let rest for about 1 hour; tasted over a three hour period with dinner. Dark color; nice nose of pepper and black fruits. A tad sweet but with a strong black pepper note. A hint of bacon and steak with some prunes and pepper. I think I enjoyed this when it was younger and more vibrant.
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12/23/2010 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Pleasantly surprised at how complex and balanced this was. Big, yes, but more spice than a fruit bomb. Bacon fat, dark fruit and brown sugar/nutmeg/clove on the nose. Lots of fruit on the palate, black yes, but also red, with spices coming through also. No claim that this speaks terroir, but it does say Saxum and is delicious to drink.
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12/10/2010 - cookie7 wrote: 93 Points
Note after 24 hours. Nose of bacon fat, blackberries and plum. Blueberries, black cherries, anise and black pepper on the palate. Fruit bomb but with structure. 30 plus second finish.
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11/19/2010 - wdb001 wrote: 96 Points
Like every Saxum of late, this is a wonderful wine. Inky purple color. Nose included notes of blackberry, charcoal and a touch of licorice. Palate consisted of meat, blackberry and tar. Full bodied with velvety texture. Long finish. Yummy.
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10/30/2010 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 95 Points
This is the high end of outstanding. We popped and poured this at a steakhouse in NYC, which is not the way to treat it, but it was still a fantastic wine. The most surprising thing about it is thet it oozes raspberry fruit even though the blend is more syrah and less grenache. There's meatiness and depth, a bit of spice, cherry, power and finesse at the same time with a great mouth feel that makes the wine just slide down your mouth. Dark red color and very long finish. If you like wine with flavor, this is a GREAT choice.
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10/24/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Aromas of strawberry, raspberry preserves, garrigue, rock dust. Thrusting but only a slight heat prickle. More dark, plummy fruit notes emerge. On the palate, darker, woodsy fruit steps to front stage. Medium bodied, surprisingly lithe. The finish leads with menthol, a slight whiskey barrel note, then finishes with strawberry, garrigue lingering for a minute. Open and airy. Since release this has losted its baby fat, becoming more focused and sharp.
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10/13/2010 - Hollowine wrote: 92 Points
Pulled from cellar at noon and threw half bottle into decanter, half back in fridge for tomorrow. Initial nose very gamey with red fruits and a bit of spice. After 8 hour decant (probably a bit long, I'd recommend 2-3 hours next time), the Nose still has some meat-like characteristics, blackberry, hint of holiday spices. Palate is very plush and juicy, bit of soy, lots of fruit, juicy finish if not especially long. Really tasting some of the Mourvedre on the finish, smoke and tar linger in the mouth. Really nice wine, definitely drinkable with some air. 50+5+11+16+10
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9/19/2010 - Screameagle wrote: 89 Points
Just not up to previous bottles for me. Way too hot. Hope future bottles are as good as previous bottles I've consumed.
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9/18/2010 - tp096255 wrote: 94 Points
Note to self: DO NOT VINTURI THIS WINE DIPWAD!!!
COLOR: Purplish-garnet w/ruby rim
NOTE: Lovely blackberry liqueur nose with mesquite smoke swirling up inside, really intense although it doesn't leap from the glass. Mouth is a fantastic melange of blackberry liqueur, blackened marshmallows, cherry pipe tobacco and black licorice hints. Finish gives off a little heat (no wonder at 16.3%), but still takes me on a long 45+ second ride of black fruit jam, dark chocolate truffles from Bernard Callebaut, leather and cinnamon. Time has served this well, as 18 months improved my score by 1.5 points. Velvety tannins. Drinks great now, but this has the stuffing to just keep going for years, perhaps well beyond 2015. Stacy enjoyed this a lot. 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre.
The Vinturi'd glass had the same nose and finish, but the midpalate had been stripped of some of its density and opulence (how did that happen and is it my imagination?), both things I love in these Saxums.
DECANT: 1 hr
GLASS USED: Syrah
TASTE: 9.4
COST: 50
VALUE: 8.5
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 01/09
TRY AGAIN: Now - 2015
PAIRING: Braised short ribs!
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9/15/2010 - O>-< wrote: 94 Points
Syrah definitely dominates the character of this wine. A really big wine that carries its 16.3% alcohol remarkably well and exhibits lots of deep, dark fruits, a hint of licorice, and mild pepperiness on the finish, and a degree of minerality throughout that keeps it from getting plump. Big and impressive, but not wildly aromatic or complex. Definitely outstanding.
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9/6/2010 - jgrapski wrote: 94 Points
Impressive
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8/22/2010 - emdub wrote: 93 Points
Didn't give it enough time to decant. Beautiful wine with big, rich flavors. Love Saxum and a nice change of pace from the cooler climate Syrahs I've been enjoying.
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8/15/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 4 hours. The nose had black currant and tar, smoked meat and raspberry, a little dirt, and some creamy vanilla. The palate was rich and juicy, with tar and roasted meat, black currant and raspberry, mushroom, and a good creamy oak finish.
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7/31/2010 - sonodoc wrote: 95 Points
Excellent! Lots of fruit, a little spice and earthy, full-bodied, but balanced and smooth.
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7/25/2010 - vinocerus wrote:
A cornucopia of scents and flavors with dark blue fruits, rich spices (clove), roasted coffee. Undetectable 16.3 % alcohol as this is a rich, full-bodied, balanced wine with ooddles of fruit. Not much of an earth or mineral element, this is all about fruit. One of my favorite Saxum wines to date.
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7/12/2010 - mmurmac wrote: 95 Points
BIG wine. I mean big. Opened it 5 hours before consuming. Still a little tight. BUT by the end of the night it was unreal good. Olive, roasted meats, deeeeeeeep blackberries. A touch of mineral. Wonderful.
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7/10/2010 - rralls wrote: 94 Points
Sat. wine lunch at Muss & Turner's
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7/1/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine:
16.3% ABV. Tasted this over a couple of days. Note mostly from day 2. Fairly complex nose that I could not quite pin down. Variously, I sense kirsch, balsa wood, and a ham note along with an undercurrent of something reminiscent of dry stones. Full bodied with ripe red fruit. This is still somewhat tightly wound on the palate I think. Nice.
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6/26/2010 - last chance wrote: 95 Points
Rhone / Rhone Ranger night (Snohomish, WA): The nose showed blackberry, roasted meat, espresso and anise aromas. Just a really amazing nose that I really enjoyed. The palate had cassis, smoke, coffee and mineral flavors. Very full bodied with a huge mouthfeel and very long finish. This is a great bottle of wine, and one of my favorite Saxums that I have tasted to date.
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6/26/2010 - gzim wrote:
Decanted for an hour, nice but nothing like my memory of my previous bottle. Opened for an ITB friend. Hot on the finish. I save some for tomorrow.. hope is shows better. I'd rather not rate this.
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6/23/2010 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Had @ Angus Barn for Mike's graduation.
Loved it, first bottle of Saxum I ever had. Hooked. Dense purple fruit, but light on its feet. Spice. Amazingly complex. Lined the cellars with Saxum since, and have never regretted it. Haha.
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6/14/2010 - blondon wrote:
Decanted 1 hour, enjoyed over 2 with a tri tip sandwich, portabello mushroom mac & cheese, and cole slaw. Huge nose of black fruit, meat and smoke. Very gamy, minerally, earthy wine, deep flavors, rich texture. Amazing how a wine with such ripe fruit and high alcohol can be so well balanced. This keeps improving with bottle age, will hold off on opening another for a year. Love the evolutionary track that this wine is on.
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6/7/2010 - bonedocnine wrote: 94 Points
This is typical of Justin Smith....Stunning Rich Ripe rhone varietals. This wine is so easy to drink! Really a treat. Get some if you can. But the mailing list is full.........
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5/31/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:
Very inviting nose of baking spices and freshly crushed berries. The palate has dark and red berries, a little beef, nutmeg and an interesting flowery component. Certainly has mellowed out some, fairly balanced at this point though a little time should make it even smoother. I am not waiting for my last bottle.
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4/16/2010 - alexhay wrote: 94 Points
Full throttle, amazing California syrah based Rhone. Too old to recall particulars, but this bottle was absolutely outstanding. It crushed all three bottles of the Saxum James Berry Vineyard I have had subsequently. This is the one to have in my book.
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4/4/2010 - winelovr2001 wrote: 91 Points
similar experience to previous tasting
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3/25/2010 - dionysis wrote: 95 Points
Improving -- still a big bruiser, and you have to be in the mood for this type of high octane wine, but it is a beauty.
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3/14/2010 - andy C wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding Drank with Dominick and Donna
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2/15/2010 - tconcilio wrote: 92 Points
I did a two hour decant while I cooked dinner (NY Strip). This wine matched very well the the strips. Big and beefy with very little alcohol detected. There is only two slight negatives with this bottle. On the first glass, the nose was off. I smell sweet almost prefume fragrance. Very offputting. It did blow off however. Second, I think that this has not come together yet. While it was good now, I can't wait for what it will be in several years. Glad I have several more.
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2/10/2010 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
RICH SILKY FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR, DARK BERRIES, CHOCOLATE, BLACK CHERRIES. ELEGANT WINE WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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2/7/2010 - SWatson wrote: 92 Points
Nicely made, but alcohol is just a touch too high.
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1/1/2010 - the godfather wrote:
No thanks, 06 not a good year for Saxum
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12/24/2009 - cellarbrator wrote: 98 Points
Mindblowing... Justin Smith you are the man. No decant, tight upon opening, but was firing on all cylinders after about 45 minutes. I can't recall a wine I've ever tasted that was as pronounced and had as much depth as this. Espresso, blackberry, truffle, and toast intermingle with some sensational fruit, offering a level of complexity rarely found. Buy and drink every bottle you can find.
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12/20/2009 - emdub wrote: 94 Points
Needed more time in the decanter. Big, explosive wine that stays in harmony from the upfront to the finish. Beautiful wine, needs more time.
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12/8/2009 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Delicious, rich, spectacular blackberry/blueberry fruit with vanillin and spice flavors, exquisite balance and texture, great finish
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11/26/2009 - Grape Stuff wrote: 96 Points
Stunning. No formal notes, but layered, balanced and well structured. 4 hour decant and drank over the next 90 minutes. Great black fruit notes, layered with a subtle leather n licorice note and a floral hint on the finish. Superb length...just so amazingly well balanced - forceful, yet elegant. A killer wine and another extraordinary bottle from Saxum. will benefit from more time in bottle, but fun to drink now! 96-97
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11/20/2009 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Rene Geoffroy, Huet, Bosquet du Pape Chante Merle, Girard, Saxum (Our Home): Purple in color. This came out of the bottle a bit pruney. With about 20 minutes of air, it improved showing black raspberries, grilled meats and pepper. On the palate, this is nice, but as Saxum's go, a bit weaker than all of my most recent experiences. Not bad, just seemed tight and not as giving. I would hold these at this point or decant.
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11/4/2009 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Killer, wide open nose of smoked meat, black fruit and asphalt. Palate is rich and dense but well balanced. Long, meaty finish. A pup.
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11/1/2009 - tim_c wrote: 97 Points
OMFG
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10/19/2009 - rogerr wrote: 94 Points
Balance, silky tannins, fruit, acid, mouth feel. Has it all. Love it.
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10/17/2009 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Good stuff. Both the Syrah and the Grenache were showing their stuff in this wine. Powerful, but also pretty light. Well made. 93+ pts.
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10/16/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 90 Points
blueberry, vanilla, touch of asparagus. nice soft attack, followed by acidity. nice but not with the typical complexity/broadness I like in saxum. Tasted very OZ like. (ran through vinturi)
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10/1/2009 - fisk15 wrote: 95 Points
Wow killer wine that is best at cellar temp and is still killer the next day. Wow
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9/25/2009 - stlbites wrote: 92 Points
Huge and tight upon opening. Opened up quickly for it's age and it's stunning 16.2 ABV. Agree with previous comments about it's fruit forward Barossa quality. Definitely new world in style without being jammy. Blueberries, vanilla, and spice. Decnt finish but I didn't get the length of the 06 James Berry. Will sit on my second bottle for a while.
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9/10/2009 - CMCLR wrote: 96 Points
Silky smooth, great balance.
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9/6/2009 - msny98 wrote: 93 Points
Gave this about an hour of air and then drank it with a nice dinner of big dishes. Nose was glorious, didn't find the blueberries overwhelming at all. I found dark fruits, cassis and cedar. the palate was multilayered and went on for 90 seconds or more. I liked this wine a lot.
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9/6/2009 - VoteferPedro wrote:
double decanted through a vinturi and served about 2 hours later. no detail notes but again this (Saxum) is great with a chocolate dessert and well conceals it alcohol.
inky purple core, intense fruit palate, sweet tannin finish.
I have had '03 and '04 recently and found the flavor is more precise and velvety with age. There is no question it drinks well now, but I expect an upside with storage. 93-95
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8/28/2009 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
Showed better than expected straight out of the bottle. Sweet raspberry, vanilla and cedar. More Barossa than Rhone. Worked well with a goat cheese and later......BBQ. Decanted for an hour or more and changed but didn't improve. I tend to like the 14% reds. Or maybe I should score this a 100, write a glowing review and sell my other bottles. Seriously though....LOVE THE LABEL.
No problem on night 2. Less fruit driven. Friend commented it smelled like olives.
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8/24/2009 - jtcseventysix wrote: 93 Points
Is the Linne Calodo better? Like a piece of blueberry pie; cassis, olives and spicecake on the nose; torrents of blueberry fruit, with a silky texture just wash over and consume your mouth; the taste simply lingers for days; 60 second finish. What it does, it does superbly. But is this as complex as some others? Very tasty.
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8/21/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote: 93 Points
Big, big wine that could use more bottle time to soften and to lose a bit of the heat. Much better on the second taste an hour later. Revisited on night 2 and some of the heat had disapated, but still a powerhouse wine. Will leave a bit in the bottle for a day 3 impression. Nice tannins that were not overpwering, with nice fruit and good acidity.
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8/14/2009 - scott davis wrote: 94 Points
Dense, opaque purple color. Pop and poured; this initially showed a clipped mid palate, then after that resolved itself, a short finish. However, this wine hit its stride in a big way after about 60-75 minutes. Aromas of blue fruits, green olive, and forest fire show through to flavors of ripe blue and red berry fruit, raw meats, mineral, and light charcoal notes. With gorgeous weight and texture, this wine possesses waves of complex flavors, yet remains deft and crisp, showing a long finish. Surprisingly, there's no noticeable heat from the 16% alcohol. This is a well crafted, delicious wine worthy of serious contemplation. 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache, and 13% Mourvedre.
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8/8/2009 - cookie7 wrote: 93 Points
Two hour decant. Big fruit forward wine. Just a hint of heat, but not off putting. Again I found this to be drinking well young.
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7/30/2009 - GA wrote: 91 Points
7/09 Good fruit and finish - decent balance - young. 91 pts.
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7/29/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Syrahs and Duck (PDH, New York City): Sweet cherry, spicy (not pepper). I didn't like this as much as I hoped. I own a couple, so I'll hold off on opening them.
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7/29/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 92 Points
Spicy and smooth with notes of chocolate and dark black fruit. Has settled down a lot since January 2009 - not as much shock and awe. Served cool to mute the heat.
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7/27/2009 - the godfather wrote: 92 Points
Hides the 16.3% alchohol well but damn that's high. Another tasty Saxum.
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7/13/2009 - yui wrote: 95 Points
wow. great balance, but at extreme levels. log fiinish. better the next day
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7/4/2009 - last chance wrote: 95 Points
The nose had very ripe dark fruit aromas with notes of roasted meat, anise, and perfume. The palate had cassis and nice mineral flavors with some gamy notes. This had a beautiful mouthfeel and a very long finish. I had only tasted a Saxum wine once before this bottle, but I am beginning to be a huge fan!
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6/20/2009 - JLL wrote: 92 Points
Decanted in a R mag for 2 hours, drank over 1.5 hours/Nose was spicy with tart blue fruit, slight vanilla, and slight heat/Was really feeling the grenache and mourverde in the taste, brown spice, hard red fruit, tarred black fruit/No secondary flavors or much complexity at all/Finish was more of the same with moderate tannins, would imagine that more air or cellar time would bode well for this wine/Highly enjoyable, not for those who want to find a deeper life meaning through wine right now. Give this some time to see if the secondaries kick in, but don't fault yourself for giving it air and enjoying now.
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6/5/2009 - blondon wrote:
Decanted 3 hours, drank over 3. This wine has really started to come together. Harmonious, smooth, supple, rich & elegant. Fresh dark fruits, zesty acidity, earthy, meaty, delicious. Such wonderful complexity.
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5/19/2009 - ScottS wrote: 93 Points
63% Syrah 14% Grenache 13% Mouvedre 16.3% alc
Wow, served at the proper temp this wine rocks! Intense concentration and a wide spectrum of flavors. Full bodied and mouthcoating with moderate tannins and no sign of heat. Intense flavors, blueberry pie with a nice mix of assorted spices and. This is flat out delicious!
50+5+14+17+7=93+
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5/2/2009 - tooch wrote: 89 Points
way too young - and at this point, unapproachable in my opinion. ridiculously extracted fruit...like drinking strawberry reduction sauce. with 16.3% alcohol, this is just bizarro world at this point.
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5/1/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Northern Rhones and Cali Syrahs for an out of towner (think cafe, chicago IL): nose: a complete and stark contrast to the other syrahs that were at the table. this smelled more like a cocktail with huge jammy fruit of blackberries, dark cherries, dark berry tones, mocha, and a bit of heat. The fruit was rampant, though toned back a slight bit from when I put it in the decanter earlier in the day. A big massive bowl of fruit, though not neccessarily gloppy, just a ton of dark fruits that don't fully distinguish themselves as syrah per se, just a whole lot of dark fruit
taste: huge, rich, and extracted fruit that is very jammy with massive tones of blackberries, black and dark cherries, mocha, and all sorts of other jammy black fruits. A bit over the top and the heat is a bit bothersome as it hits on the back end
overall: this is extremely well done for the style that it is aiming for. Not really the style that I like, but I have to respect the wine making on it. That said, the alcohol is massive on this and I don't know how this will or if it will tame down with time.
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4/27/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I still have all my 2006s sitting in the cellar so thanks to Rob for sharing this bottle with us. You know what, this wine lives up the the rep again. There is a lovely strawberry, mineral and licorice interplay, against what is a listed alcohol of 16.3% and I swear I can't find any booze out of place. Some choco/mocha on the finish and it's a young wine but when the youth sheds and the wine folds together, this will be an awesome complete drink.
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3/28/2009 - J-Sho wrote: 94 Points
Very dark in color with sweet nose exploding with raspberry, boysenberry, graham cracker. Palate is full bodied and exploding with this same fruit yet soft with great complexity. Long finish. This is more like an Aussie shiraz -- just bombastic but it is well put together. Think Mollydooker. High in alcohol but not hot at all. If you like aussie's then you'll love this. If you like Cote Rotie with earth and mineral then this is not for you.
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3/11/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Old School Wineauxs do Rhones (The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch): Big nose showing the berry pie with some mocha and stem notes. Huge but balanced but excellent acidity. Love the acidity Justin gets in these, never tart and sets Saxum apart from lots of similar wines.
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3/11/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple color. Nose of blueberry and tobacco. Tastes of blackberry, tobacco, currant, garrigue and black pepper. Excellent balance with nice freshness. Fine tannins. Rich finish with very good depth of fruit. No signs of heat despite the lofty 16.3% alcohol. 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache and 14% Mourvedre.
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3/10/2009 - cookie7 wrote: 92 Points
Took to a restaurant and popped and poured into decanter. Last glass was by far the best. Great young Saxum - just give it some air.
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3/9/2009 - winelovr2001 wrote: 90 Points
A very good wine, showing big sweet tannins and nice spice. The RS seemed to distract a little on this wine though, and it was a little hot. I wonder if it is just in a wierd spot right now as I think it could be better. It was still fun to drink, but definately not the most balanced wine right now.
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3/6/2009 - dionysis wrote: 94 Points
Very good -- still a little tight. Needs time in the bottle and/or decanter. Still, the wine is massive, with wonderful plum and cherry flavors and a rich, meaty texture.
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3/3/2009 - clayfu wrote: 93 Points
A weekend of fine wines in LA (Sloan,Maiden,Grange,Rousseau,Shafer HS and more) (Los Angeles): Not quite as big as the James Berry 06 but still a big young wine. Probably the only wine able to stand up against the fried chicken we ate that night. Double Decanted the night before. Very ripe berries with 5 space and cherry on the nose with a bit of mint. A very brooding wine that's trying to let the fruit burst out. A heavy mouthfeel of ripe cherries, strawberry with brute like acidity. Not much heat on the wine unlike the JBV.
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2/28/2009 - yonster24 wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous wine. Double decanted and then took to a steak house, I wanted a big young wine to stand up to the steak and this delivered. Huge nose of black cherry, smoke, game. Massive wine, but any heat that would be there is hidden well by the fruit. Very tasty and concentrated (although not as much as the '05 which was unreal.) Dark fruits really showing with just a touch of sweetness. Loooooong finish with a bit of a spicy kick and great backbone to it. I personally think this wine will age quite nicely.
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2/20/2009 - vinoballo wrote: 94 Points
Jammy nose. Black cherry. Extracted. A little young but already very drinkable. A little tangy on the tongue. Serious alcohol content but you can't taste it at all.
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2/20/2009 - vinoballo wrote: 94 Points
Tangy on the tongue. Consensus of black cherry and currants. Extracted. Jammu nose. A little young. Paired well with mild blue cheese.
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2/4/2009 - t_moderne wrote: 92 Points
Wow. Deeply concentrated; great nose. Wonderful balance of fruit, leather, beef and cherries. Long long finish.
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2/3/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 91 Points
Rich and ripe, great delineation of flavors, but definitely not for the faint of heart--a bruiser and a heavy mouthfeel. Dark fruits--blueberry, blackberry, with pepper and roasted/burnt espresso bean. It says 16.3% alcohol...does that likely mean 16.8% (given an allowable 0.5% variance)?
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1/26/2009 - ScottS wrote: 93 Points
A massive wine but not heavy on the palate. Pure & seductive with layers of black & blue fruits with a hint of graphite and black pepper. For such a young wine this is drinking extremely well.
50+5+13+17+8=93
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1/24/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 6hrs and then back in the bottle for 24hrs. Fat, thick and ripe. Dark, chocolatey fruit along with some charcoal, white pepper and underbrush. Smooth finish will little heat. Nice but I much prefer the 2005 (a cooler vintage)
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1/13/2009 - cookie7 wrote: 94 Points
Took to restaurant, popped and poured into a decanter and drank over the next 90 minutes. This was rich and outstanding. The most accessible young Saxum I have ever had. Will likely improve with age, but no need to wait.
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1/10/2009 - blondon wrote:
Decanted 3 hours, drank over the next 3. Extremely dark color. Intensity in 10 cities on the nose and palate. Black raspberries, bacon, plum, earth. Rich, brooding, elegant, sweet and savory. Velvet in the mouth. Long finish. Akin to a tremendous pancake breakfast with all the trimmings minus the pancakes...
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1/7/2009 - Jared wrote: 93 Points
Another kickass bottling from Saxum. The sixth bottle of Saxum for me and my first Broken Stones. For a wine that was deep, dark, and brooding purple it was surprisingly graceful. Yeah, I know, 16% alcohol but it straddles the fence so well that my "boys" were never in any danger. Nose of crushed raspberries, kirsch liqueur, and some molasses cookie but never any intruding alcohol. Weighty but not overly dense on the palate with notes of citrus, dark berries, minerals, and tannins showing a competent grip. A strong, tangy, and balanced finish left me wondering how Justin can possibly keep walking this tightrope but who am I to question a wine ninja?
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1/3/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 94 Points
In typical Saxum fashion, this drinks like a sexy chocolate bomb. Needs more time in the bottle.
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12/31/2008 - WetRock wrote:
Berry pie with some menthol stem notes. Fat heavy palate that seems to fall off a bit at the end and a touch of heat. Stem type notes also show up on the palate with berry sauce. The second day the palate seems to have evened out a bit with the Mouvedre realy standing up and some slightly green astringency on the finish with a touch of minerality, add a touch of woodiness on the nose. Clearly not as dense, wrapped up and tannic as the 05's but I think this needs another 6 months at least to even out a bit. Definitely on the yummy hedonistic side of the spectrum.
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12/30/2008 - Ekoostik wrote: 95 Points
Really great wine and I sometimes think the best of Saxums lineup. These really drink so well young. Amazing balance to the wine with all the fruit packed in, yet this is not nearly as dense or heavy as expected. Pushing the extration limits but its got so much going on that a candied or fakiness quality never enters consideration. In fact its not even a heavyweight wine really in mouthfeel. Deep and dark red fruits dominate. Finishes spicy and peppery. A complete wine.
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12/26/2008 - MarkC wrote: 94 Points
Big, bold, meaty aromas and flavors. I get beef, blood, roasted cherry and strawberry notes, along with some interesting gamey and floral components. Quite dense, but at the same time lively on the palate. Really outstanding wine.
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12/25/2008 - tim_c wrote: 95 Points
OMFG..how does Saxum get such a focused, balanced wine wrapped up in 16% alcohol? Wonderfully elegant silky texture with cassis and wildberry. Deep, precise refined dark fruit flavors of cassi and berries with charcol, raspberryand a beem of light citrus notes running through the middle. One of those bottle that is both refined, elegant and hedonism all in one. A true joy to drink.
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12/13/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with the Osborn's (Home): A very deep and dark purple color. Nose of black fruits. Tastes of blackberry, blueberry, leather, black pepper and earth. Good balance with the freshness that I remember with these wines to keep the huge extraction in check. Full bodied with plenty of structure and sweet tannins. Good depth and complexity on the long rich finish. This wine has restored faith for me in the 2006 vintage of Saxum. A blend of 63% Syrah, 24% Grenache and 13% Mourvedre. A whopping 16.3% alcohol. I thought Justin's was trying to bring the alcohols back down to earth? Obviously not in this vintage.
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12/13/2008 - pian0_player wrote: 94 Points
Lovely, rich wine. Tar, earth, crushed stone and cassis. A little over the top, but drinking beautifully. Highly extracted and complex. Cant imagine that this will improve much with age. Great California wine. A beautiful expression of Paso Robles.
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12/12/2008 - gzim wrote: 94 Points
Let me start of my saying, I really don't know how to rate this wine, but I can say I really enjoyed it. I am sure I did not give it the chance to show in its best light, as I only received the shipment a few days ago. I decanted for 3 hours. Upon opening, the predominant note was graphite, then blueberry. When we finally tried it it had lots of dark mature fruit which made me mostly think about blueberries and boysenberries, with some gamy fat, a light touch of white pepper and that graphite slightly powdered mineral note. There was noticeable heat, but I expect that in a 16% wine. The first sip it was more noticeable, but with the food it became less so.
The raw extract here is super and makes me think of gooey berry compote, mixed with some lean bacon fat.
This was my first bottle as I have only had the chance to taste Saxum before at offlines, where I did not really get to focus on it for more than 5 minutes. I liked it much more this way.
Matched very well with the Grass Fed Veal Chops, Broccoli Rabe, and roasted hampton fingerlings.
I will go so far as to say this is the best bottle of American CdP I have had.
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12/7/2008 - ruddy wrote: 91 Points
Not really ready for drinking. After an hour or more in the decanter and then back in the bottle, there's still a fair bit of heat. Another 30 minutes in the glass and this baby is starting to show it's Saxumy pedigree. To whit, berries--crushed, lavender, smoke, tar, spice/pepper. All good stuff, and in another month or two, I'd reckon this will settle down. Will it be a long-ager? You're asking the wrong guy.
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12/3/2008 - jolson wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours, note is from the following evening after being back in the bottle 20ish hours. Blackberry, blueberry and graphite nose with a bot of pepper with the slightest bit of the high alcohol coming through as well. Beautifully silky in the mouth and a 30+ second finish that reiterates the blueberry nose before the tannins shut you down. This thing is so big and lucious you don't notice the alcohol in the taste, it is all blueberry, background of pepper, and the lovely "gamey meat" flavor I get in some Syrahs. Gonna be tough not to drink these guys young as they are so good right now....must.....exhibit.....restraint.
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11/28/2008 - t_moderne wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and let rest for about an hour. Dark and concentrated wine. Black cherries and some clay elements. Nicey cooked steak in the glass.
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10/17/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Justin Smith of Saxum Comes to NYC (New York, NY): Nice! but needs some time.
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