Wow wow wow. Opened at 4 , Audoulized (sp?) until 8 or so. Paired with a pork porterhouse. So smooth, so delicious. I agree with previous comments that while 07 was WOTY this might surpass. Just amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My last note on this wine is more than five years ago. What's that Beatles song? "Getting Better All the Time." I am half way through my stash of these and any wine that pokes its nose above 95 points is exceptional. Outstanding. Whatever roughness there ever was is gone. Tannins are sweetened. Berries and more berries. Velvety mouth feel. Wonderful nose. Someone wrote that the 2008 is better than the 2007 that was the WS WOTY and they may be right. This was a pop and pour and might have been even better with some air. It is definitely driven by the Grenache. I'm hoping that the syrah will resolve into a bit of smooth pepper in the next few years, at which point the wine will move into the stratosphere and perhaps the best Rhone Ranger wine this side of Avignon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still has a lot of fruit. Very smooth. Delightful wine. However, I would not wait any longer to drink, and when you do, this bottle threw A LOT of sediment.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Replacement bottle from Saxum for previous corked bottle. Slo ox for 1.5 hours, then full decant for about 3.5 hours. This wine was in a really great place and firing on all cylinders. Deep dark color with no bricking. Beautiful soft but firm blue/dark fruit, smooth mouthfeel, but firm grip on the mid palate. Sweet tannins resolving but still present. Multiple secondary notes. Begs you to return for another sip. Long finish. Dare I say this wine appeared civilized and even sophisticated, while remaining firmly in control. Truly an enjoyable treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Only 90 minute decant, but that was plenty. Smooth, very nice red fruits (classic Grenache) but layered with lovely black fruits that hang on the palate. Some flashes of minerals and Oak that added complexity without creating a distraction. The alcohol was reasonably well resolved for this bottle. Finish was shorter than expected - 20 seconds, but still a very strong wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for one hour. Aromas of black raspberry, gamey meat, licorice, vanilla and spice. Ripe black and red fruit, gamey meat, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish with good depth. Full bodied. Served with smoked baby back ribs.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It seems that either our prior two bottles were flawed, or this just needed a lot of time. This bottle: pop and pour. In the glass, still looks just like it did years ago, no visual signs of aging. On the nose, grenache liqueur, crushed raspberries, and a hint of blueberry pie. On the palate, tannic structure still remains, but this has settled down to offer the non-fruit-bomb fruit that Saxum does so well. Leads with the grenache, but this shifts over to floral and saline notes on the mid-palate, finishing with equal parts ground pepper and strawberry. If I had one more bottle, I'd consider hiding it for five more years just to see what happens.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Powerful, pungent aromas. Rich layers of dark berries, trailed by earth, smoked meats and copious spices, including cinnamon. The mourvedre component seemed ascendant, with all the dark and solid elements. Still tannic and burly, despite the age. There was enough flesh from the fruit to stand up to the structure... and enough structure to stand up to the fruit. There is just a lot going on. No shrinking violet here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderfyl balance and just a wine that is drinking at its peak right now! Lots of lush fruit without being overdone but a solid acidity keeps it in balance. The alcohol is slightly too much in this vintage which is why I recommend to drink this now :-) But currently it is very nice!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Like the previous reviewer, I couldn’t rate this any higher due to the alcohol. Such a fantastic, complex and interesting wine. I found my own opinion shifting in a polarized way from hour to hour. I guess that should be one attribute of a great wine—keeping things interesting and forcing you to think about it. On opening, amazing aromas of plums and spice and other savory things that I couldn’t describe. On first tasting I could pick up some of the cough medicine others had mentioned, but interspersed with rich dark fruits and chocolate. Four hours later the main focus was the layers of fruit, primarily dark and plummy, and also licorice and chocolate. Round and full in they mouth with a long finish. It felt like you could ‘eat’ this wine. Later in the evening, I could not drink any more as the hot alcohol sensation was back, perhaps as it warmed from cellar temp, or perhaps after the food. But it literally was straight up alcohol, we could have used it to do shots and needed a chaser... Saved a glass for night two and again, started out really interesting, but eventually the alcohol dominated. This was made worse both nights by food—both casual dinners, night one was bison burgers and night two was pizza. But trying to drink with food turned it into rubbing alcohol. I have never had that experience before. So, this was a strange and tricky wine for me. It had moments of brilliance where it could have been rated in the high 90’s (rare for me) but then some moments of undrinkability. I’m glad we opened it (daughters bday and birth year) and I am a Saxum fan, but I won’t be seeking bottles of this particular wine in this vintage again.
The alcohol took this down a point for me out of the gate. The nose screams Grenache - in a good way. There are some other nice elements to this wine that seem to be lurking beneath but can't fully break free of the alcohol @15.8% (and I would have guessed 16.5%). Would like to see if the alcohol can become integrated in time and the secondary elements can show better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Badly corked. Only bottle of Saxum ever to have any defect. I have been buying since inception, and have enjoyed many many very good wines. ---- happens.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
After the 2012 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones last night, I had to have my other bottle of this Saxum James Berry just to compare. I gave this bottle a full 4 hours in the decanter and was rewarded for my patience. The experience was very similar, and as pleasurable, as our previous bottle -- and slightly more pleasurable than last night's 2012 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones. The nose was bursting with light red, dark red, and some blue fruits, along with a touch of earthiness. The medium plus bodied palate was smooth and presented the same assortment of light red, dark red and blue fruits, earth, and a good dose of spice and some pepper. The acidity was balancing, the tannins were completely integrated, and the finish was medium to plus... and smooth. This wine is certainly ready to deliver considerable pleasure right now (with enough air), and probably for several years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Based on previous TNs, especially TEDERF's (3/6/20) and PERLASTEVE's (11/25/19), I decided to open this wine several hours before dinner. Upon decanting, there was quite a bit of sediment, much of it stuck to the underside of the bottle. Here's how the wine progressed: Initial = very tight; low fruit; high acid. At 1.5 hours = the wine began to flesh out. The nose presented some ripe red berries. The palate yielded red fruits, earth and a touch of drying tannins, but still high acidity. At 3 hours the wine appeared to be stabilizing so we began to drink it as an accompaniment to a glorious rack of dry rubbed pork ribs (hey - it's July 4th!). As a note - the wine continued to open a bit more throughout the meal, so give it lots of air to reach its full potential. The nose was bursting with red fruits, some darker fruits, and a touch of earthiness. The medium plus bodied palate was smooth and presented the same red fruits, darker fruits, and earth, along with a good dose of spice and some pepper. The acidity was balancing, the tannins were completely integrated, and the finish was medium to plus... and smooth. This wine is certainly ready to deliver considerable pleasure right now (with enough air), and probably for several years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1 hour decant Great. Dark fruit, charcoal, and some banana and chocolate ( I’ve never tasted that. ) Good balance, complexity and structure with fabulous secondary flavors with a ripe mango finish I like that his better than the 2007. Borders on an after dinner dessert wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
15.8% abv. Medium ruby, very aromatic. Ripe plum, mint, baking spice and a touch of lavender on the finish. Great intensity and length. This 12-year old Saxum is aging beautifully. No real urgency to drink this, but probably best over the next 3-4 years. Certainly delicious and very distinctive now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took to dinner at Forsythia with Amanda and Robert. Opened about 5 hours prior to dinner and decanted entire time. This bottle was beautiful. Robert requested a "big and bold" wine -- this one filled the bill. Dark, dark fruit. Well integrated tannins. Some spice and pepper. Paired very well with the foie and the pork. Everyone enjoyed this one. Very happy to have one more bottle in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
52% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre. My last of three bottles. Had as a PnP. As full bodied and concentrated as past bottles. Mildly chewy tannins and mild acidity. If you're not a fan of ripe wines, stay away. Wow. Aromatic, with sweet, sweet cherry notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1.5 liter at June Baby, Seattle (incredible southern food). Nose initially closed but palate of mostly ripe fruit, ganache dominant. Lighter body than most notes said. Most noticeable aspect was the alcohol, 15.8%. Usually pasa robles high alcohol is noticeable but not bothersome. Bottle opened for 4-5 hours, then decanted at restaurant over a 2 hour meal. With food the heat was mostly well integrated and/or dissipated. Was a delicious, moderately complex and medium body. Decent finish. Given other’s comments, i wished i would have decanted for 5 hours rather than just had bottle open. Elements definitely started building during the meal/ decant. My rating would have been 95+ if decanted earlier. So bottom line, decant for good period, especially larger format bottles stored well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
from a magnum that was decanted for over 4 hours. Seems to be at it's prime now however no rush to drink my last 2 bottles. Not sure that I love over 1/2 of the wine being grenache however it was quite tasty for sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, huckleberry, plum, smoked meat, cocoa and spice. Black and blue fruit, dark chocolate, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish with good depth. Silky smooth mouth feel. Rich and full bodied. Served with smoked pulled pork.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saxum Tasting (Zurich): Comprehensive vertical tasting of several Saxum vineyards and a total of 24 wines. Most wines on a good to very good level in the 93 to 95 points range, just one on an exceptional (97+ points) level (James Berry Bone Rock 08). The consistency of the wine-making at Saxum is impressive but the tasting proofed to be rather a bit boring with less difference between the vineyards and vintages showing than expected and wished for. Heart Stone stood out a bit (bigger vats used, little new oak) thanks to more terroir expression. James Berry (mostly Grenache) and James Berry Bone Rock (elevated complexity and sexiness) were great. Best vintage (we tried wines from 2003 to 2011) is clearly the 2007 which produced the wines with the most depth.
TN: I'm a big fan of Central Californian Grenache based wines as the combination of the warm climate with the elegance and light-footedness of grape seem a match made in heaven. Hence it is no wonder that the highest scores in this mini-vertical (6 vintages) went to the wines with the highest share of Grenache in the blend (perfect correlation!). The 2008 consists of 52% Grenache (rest Syrah, Mourvedre). This is the older sibling of the 2011, also dominated by herbal notes, green notes, stems adding additional complexity and freshness to the wine. Along that lots of dark fruit which is quite ripe - a tad too ripe for my taste buds. Hence, the slightly lower rating vs the 2011 (94 points). Nevertheless, a very good wine, dense but fresh and light with a good balance and length. No extensive decant needed here, still a few more years on the hip might add one or the other pleasant aromatic layer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Grand Saxum Tasting (Gustav in Zurich): Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.
Tasting note: Ripe fruit, spices, some pepper. A bit of heat but not in a bad way. Smooth and well balanced palate with layered fruit and spice providing for a long finish with lots of pleasure. Palate really the driver of the score here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This records a Dec 2018 tasting. 52% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre. As I've previously noted, that's a lot of grenache, but this is outstanding. Similar to my Jan 2019 notes, full-bodied and concentrated. Aromatic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This records a January 2019 tasting. 52% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre. That's a lot of grenache, but this is outstanding. Full-bodied and concentrated. Aromatic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is just a terrific G (52%)/S (17%)/M (31%) blend that is absolutely peaking and perfect now. Close to 16% ABV- but fully integrated. Everything saxum does is great but anything from James berry vineyard seems stellar
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An amazing Syrah (70%)/mourvedre (30%) blend that is absolutely perfect now- no rush but peak over next ~2yrs- we had with lamb and then a glass each the next day with a rosemary spatchcocked chicken- perfect!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first Saxum, and I see what the fuss is all about. A GSM blend with the Grenache predominant, so it’s a California version of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But since it’s American, the style is more fruit forward with minimal funk. In fact, very clean bright plum and black cherry blend to an exceptionally tasty fruit punch backed up by careful oak. It would benefit from firmer tannins since the structure is a bit weak, but it’s delicious anyway. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quick decant at dinner. This may be in the perfect drinking window right now. Seemed to be mellowing out a bit, yet firing on all cylinders. I hear that the 08 Saxums are drinking well - this certainly is. Balance, harmony and power. Another great bottle of Saxum...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saxum Vertical Tasting (Mathias@Michael): Boiled and compact fruit with an edge of alcohol dominating it. Lots of cherry fruit but also a huge acidity, liquor and chocolate. Clearly not the best JB but still a very solid wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted but began drinking immediately and over the next 90 minutes at dinner in Chicago at Gibsons Italia. Saxum was drinking great. Velvety, smooth, and balanced. No rough edges, just the right amount of alcohol, fruit, tannins and several layers emerged as the night went on.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP Dark dark purple Showing a little age towards the rim. Carmel, sugar plum, blackberry jam, tough leather, wood, black currant, brown sugar all nose, also quite a bit of heat. Really nice flavors, sugar plums, vanilla. Soft flavors, but heat. Very pleasurable wine, but the alcohol is high. Delicious, but lots of booze, also not as smooth and rounded as I would like. A bit obtuse. Very good wine with buddies for steak. A whole bottle by yourself is too much in my opinion. Very much an over the top GSM blend.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Crimson in color. 15.8% ABV. Blockbuster nose of black fruits, scorched earth, molten licorice and flowers. Full bodied with nice acidity. Exceptional balance. Rich and powerful with great concentration. Black cherry liqueur, creme de cassis and grilled meats on the palate. The finish is extraordinarily long, silky and seamless. This wine takes your breath away. Stunning effort. Drink over the next 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red fruit on the nose. Huge red fruit and leather and spicebox notes. White pepper. Black cherry, stewed prune. Still so young. But drinking well now. Drink over 10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour from Magnum for the Superbowl with family and friends. Seven people altogether. Despite other bottles, there was nothing left in this one well before the Hail Mary fell short and the game was history.
This wine developed in the glass as it took on air. The longer I toyed with it, the more background fruit came out. At the beginning, it was a well-balanced, spice and roasted meet driven wine. The longer I waited, the more fruit arose. Red fruit. Cherry and plum. A tiny bit of berry. This wine probably had at least another decade in it, probably two or three. Another great effort by Justin Smith.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Aromatic nose of blackberry, smoked meat, plum, dried herbs and vanilla. Black and red berries, coffee, spice and vanilla flavors. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied, dense and layered. Served with a Swedish buffet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another great one. Great balance and smoothness. Could this be better than the 2007 at this stage?Fruit has melded together and the edge is off. Meaty wine with raspberry, cherry, a garrigue thing with herbs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Reddish purple in color. Nose of spice, vanilla and black pepper. Velvety mouthfeel deep and complex to the taste — blackberry jam, pepper, vanilla, and warmth that fills the palate. A certain style for sure — big and bold. Long finish. I loved it, my wife not as much for the style and lack of bite.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rhys, Saxum, Lillian with the Orchestra (Blossom Music Center): This took quite some time to settle down. It really could use more time, but if you open it, give it an hour or two of air. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, iodine, black pepper, roasted meats and herbs. On the palate, this is good, but for my tastes signaled a shift in style for Saxum. The wines used to have this lightness to them (yes, for a monster wine). Starting in 07, but really 08, they seem to have more structure and a depth that really takes time to work thru. On the palate, this results in fruit that is still big, but now a bit like a murky pool that you can't see the bottom of until air or cellaring resolves. This is not a bad thing, but in this case, the wine really blossomed after about an hour of opening. Juicy black raspberries, medium tannins, some spice, some earthiness and a bit peppery. Lush texture. A bit plums/raisins at first but that seemed to integrate and lessen as the wine opened. Long finish. A truly profound wine. I have very few 08's left as I drank most of the too young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Killer juice with a long life ahead of it. Drinking so well now it will be hard to keep my hands off these until they reach their peak in the next 5+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1 hour before service. The appearance and aromatics haven't changed much from our 2014 note, but I would say that the alcohol has faded into the background, so the palate is improved in that respect. On the other hand, the wine seems to have entered a bit of an awkward phase with respect to the fruit - it currently comes across a somewhat one-dimensional blackberry liqueur, even with a couple more hours of air. Still unsure where this is headed...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP Great wine. Very smooth. Velvety mouth feel. Raspberry, cherry cola, strawberry all nose. This wine is drinking great right now. Velvety mouthfeel. Cherry cola and strawberry on the pallet. Great wine. Weight heavy, acid medium.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I hate to be contemptuous, and I hate to overgeneralize, but my opinion is that California winemaking sucks compared to European winemaking. And this wine sucks compared to Chateauneuf du Pape. Like most highly rated California wines, this wine offers jam (let's be real). And vague hints of Syrah spices, lavender, and vanilla. Tannins are soft. It's not bad; jam is tasty. But it lacks anything of interest to my tastes. Drink now.
The only California winemaker I like is Rhys. Really, I just poured this out. It's a waste of my time to drink jam.
Beautiful, big, ripe fruit driven wine, with some tertiary notes just starting to develop. Excellent concentration of flavors, very fine and nicely integrated tannins, but while there is a good degree of complexity, it was missing a bit of a wow factor that I usually get from Saxum. As this warmed up, the alcohol started to become much more apparent (we chilled it a bit before diving in for seconds), which was the closest thing to a flaw. This is entering a nice drinking window of early maturity. My somewhat tame response to this is due in large part to it being totally outclassed by the 2000 Pierre Usseglio Mon Aieul that it was served with, which was spectacular. Objectively, this is an outstanding wine, but it has a big reputation to live up to and it ran into a near perfect bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple and inviting, aromas of violets, honeysuckle, and damp forest yield to soft cassis, mint chocolate and blackberry to which bittersweet chocolate, white pepper and minerals fuse in a protracted finish. An outstanding full-bodied wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromatic nose of black raspberry, chocolate covered cherries, smoked meat, anise, vanilla and spice. Cherry, black raspberry, grilled meat, chocolate, vanilla and spice on the palate. Full bodied with a rich, mouth coating texture. Leads to a very long finish. Served with grilled pork chops.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This continues to be an excellent wine, as per prior notes. Lots of wild berry fruit, solid but smooth tannins. The high alcohol concentration is barely noticeable. Paired very nicely as a pop and pour with our son's (the CIA trained chef) prepared meal of Chinese food leftovers and fried rice!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for a couple of hrs then returned to the bottle & so'd for a couple of more, dark crimson, explosive blue/blackberries, mod. tannins, long finish; still seems a little young to me but wonderful to drink now!
Got better with more time; BB group guessed a great 07 CDP (close); upped a point, great wine & no rush to drink!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A saxum tasting at Cooking School (ICASI): Inky purple in color. This was pop and pour and needed more air/time. The nose has black raspberries, spice, and grilled meats. On the palate, this is very tight. As it unwinds in the glass with some vigorous swirling it shows its power. Tons of black raspberry fruit with some smoked meat notes and pepper. Just delicious. Formidable tannins still. Nice acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took several coravin hits from this over the past several months. It is a great wine, but it has this underlying green streak, like stems or wet seaweed, that detract from it. That wasn't there early on in its life, but it is becoming more pronounced and does not disappear with hours of decanting. Sad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: light to medium-deep ruby core -> medium ruby rim. Forward bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, a little iodine, animal fur and iron. Nose really hasn't changed from over a year ago and neither has the palate which still strikes me as a little overly sweet; really full, ripe, almost jammy fruit that was held back from going over the cliff by some nice minerals, roasted meat elements and acidity. Still a little hot to my palate keeping my score from going higher. Great length and certainly UFC intense. Interesting to me that the tannins seem more noticeable than last year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
very good aromatics on opening. tannins came into better balance after a couple/few hours in the decanter. Lingering finish. For my tastes, could use a bit more time. Very good wine, with that certain inner energy that bodes well
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 11/7/2015 (Grande Colonial Hotel (Nine Ten Restaurant), La Jolla, California): From magnum. Clear inky garnet color. Extravagant, hedonistic bouquet of blueberry-blackberry pie, cloves, cocoa, melted licorice, creosote, camphor. Seaquam noted some Band-Aid. The fruit was ultra-ripe with a baked quality. Rich and generous on the palate, full body, low acidity, voluptuous. No surprise this wine and producer have such a devoted following.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful, starting with a fragrant alluring nose and moving to a slight sweetness that quickly transitions to a fruit forward, viscous long finish. Truly a wine worth every penny.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium garnet, almost completely opaque. Extremely viscous and slow-moving "legs". Moderately pronounced aroma of blackberries, black cherries, smoke, tar, oak. Full-bodied and rich, plenty of black fruit flavors with tar and smoke, but very balanced. Very concentrated fruit that dominates the tannin. The aftertaste keeps going on, building some licorice on the finish. Despite having a high alcohol, it does not come across as a "hot" wine. This is outstanding, but was actually the lightest of the six GSM vineyards we tasted. It was our 3rd favorite of six, after '07 Bone Rock and '07 Booker. It was still fabulous five hours later. Opened seven hours before pouring. Give this time to air and open...can be enjoyed now but will easily last for years. Ric
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank from a magnum. Hot at first, but after the wine sat in the glass for a few minutes it opened up beautifully. I'd hold on to it for another few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My least favorite Saxum yet-thick, dense, cumbersome and cloying in the mouth. Initial impression was favorable with an amazingly complex nose of dried figs, berries and tarry notes that led into a wine that seemed short on acid to support its meaty texture. Good but not great imho
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice nose of blackberry jam and flowers. Good fruit on the palate but very noticeable alcohol and a bit of astringency. Have a feeling that a long decant would have improved it. But still good. 91+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely blend of Grenache 52%, Mourvedre 31%, and Syrah 17%. Opened a hour but not decanted. At first, the cheery fruit of the Grenache dominated, but gradually the darker, more structural varietals came into view. 15.8% alcohol, but not hot. A complicated, which is to say interesting, wine that evolved over the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big Reds; 8/1/2014-8/2/2014 (my house): Thank you for the recommendations for a 3 hour decant, that was about right. Had a 3 ounce pour and then revisited with a small pour a few hours later. There is a lot going on in this wine. It drinks like a high-end top cuvee Chateauneuf in a more modern style. Initially it has a blackberry brandy quality and is slightly hot. After some time in glass, the layers start to unwind and you have fruit that is all over the map, red, black, a little blue. Cured meat, damp earth, minerals, and a thick rich mouthfeel. I noticed creme brulee at the very end. This is plush, full-bodied and the finish is quite long. I was liking this more and more as I drank it, and it showed best at the very end. I really hope these Saxums will improve with age and make great old bones. 94 with likely improvement in the next few years, hopefully longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4th of July Weekend Wines - Lots of 'em; 7/3/2014-7/7/2014 (Northeast Ohio): Pop and pour, this needs time and air. Purple in color. On opening it was a bit port-like and alcoholic. With some air, it settles down, eventually developing a rich lush texture. Lots of black raspberries, cherries, macerated cherries, some floral notes and camphor. On the palate, this is delicious and easy to drink. While the alcohol is not noticeable on the palate, one glass and I was buzzed. I had a bit more and then decided to open something else and leave the remains for others. A little bit of this goes a long way. That's not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. I think a few more years of cellaring will be well rewarded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: medium deep ruby core -> medium ruby rim. Forward bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, a little iodine, animal fur and iron. Palate struck me as a little overly sweet; really full, ripe, almost jammy fruit that was held back from going over the cliff by some nice minerals, roasted meat elements and acidity. It does come across as a little hot to my palate keeping my score from going higher but there's still a lot to like here. Great length and certainly UFC intense. See that I tried this at the end of last year; think I need to wait at least a year+ before trying another.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Have to admit I don't typically give out 96 points but this wine held up its own against some incredible wines tonight. The flight consisted of a Sine Qua Non, Aquilon, Ch. Du Pape and many more. All wonderful wines with winning appeal but the Saxum carried the day with a combination muscularity and finesse that left the rest of the flight with gaps albeit slight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of blackberry, raspberry, cherry, smoked meat, spice and minerals. A wild black and red berry fruit core with mocha, spice and fine tannins on the palate is balanced by a rich, jammy texture that leads to a persistent finish. Still youthful and benefited from the decant, but I'd recommend at least three hours. Alcohol heat was very noticeable after initially decanting, but dissipated with air time. Paired well with lamb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Like it, but 95 points? Come on people. This was good, very good. But exceptional? I dont know - maybe I needed to decant it longer. More or less popped and poured. Big flavors, no question. Deep, dark and brooding. Huge wine and I loved it - how could you not....Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre? Perfect combo. Just missing that extra umpf that you get from SQN and Alban. Very good. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1.5 hours before service; could probably have used twice that. In the glass, deep saturated dark red, fading quickly to black at the center. On the nose, strong aromatics of crushed fruit with a slight floral note. On the palate, very fruit-driven, but the grenache made its presence known over a couple of hours. The big question for this wine, at least for me, is whether the 15.8% ABV will ever be able to hide behind the fruit. While I wouldn't say this wine is an alcoholic mess, the alcohol is noticeable, and it detracts from the purity of the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautifully rich, delicious blackberry/raspberry fruit with smoke and earthy flavors, excellent structure, slightly hot but well supported by fruit, long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: medium deep ruby -> medium ruby rim. Forward bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, a little iodine, animal fur and iron. Palate struck me as a little overly sweet; really full, ripe, almost jammy fruit that was held back from going over the cliff by some nice minerals and acidity. It does come across as a little hot to my palate keeping my score from going higher but there's still a lot to like here. Great length and certainly intense. I look forward to seeing how these will age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 1hr. It rocked right out the gates! Awesome nose, some bacon fat and pepper, tastes of vanilla and butter. No sign of any heat, so incredibly smooooooooth!! I am sure it will only get better with time but I enjoy them at this stage!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bravo! Saxum keeps moving from clarity to clarity. This is a wonderful wine with the clean "trademark" nose of Saxum including wonderful minerals and white lilac, mocha and some dark chocolate. Profound is the best word to describe the nose. The palate provides a slightly sweet impression, but also integration and a rather nice maturity. There is absolutely no heat and the tannins are soft, but clearly visible. A lovely effort. (Tasted in a flight with 2007 - 2010 Saxum James Berry)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wines at Chris and Renee's home. (Chris and Renee's): From Magnum. This is big and fruity. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper some bacon fat and a slight bit of prunes. Sweet and juicy to drink. No sign of alcohol. The pruney notes are not on the palate. This goes down smooth and easy. Has a ripe sweetness that is a bit reminiscent of a "dry port". Not for everyone for sure, but I loved it. There was also a bottle of this in 750 format. It was quite similar. Perhaps a bit tighter on the nose but more expressive on the palate. Not a big distinction either way.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Crazy bold aromas leap from the glass ... blackberry, blueberry, herbs, vanilla, spice. Palate is large-scaled with velvety fruit and juicy underlying acidity. Big, robust and flavorful. Well framed and balanced. For the size and scale, there is excellent precision on fruit and flavor. Long finish. Delicious. I'm drinking less of these big boys, but there's no denying the quality and no denying that I'll always have a spot in my cellar for some Saxum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bold and fresh, flavors are thick and so jucy your tempted to dribble it out your mouth trying to give every taste bud its reward. Bold dark fruity nose, taste rich spicy fruit, just love this shit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious, but still a coarse young beast. Powerful aroma and flavors of smoke and cherries. This saw a four hour decant and still was tough to get through the wall of tannin. Nonetheless, this was a powerhouse of persistant flavor as it ever so slowly unwound. Hard to believe this is dominated by Grenache as the tarry Syrah aromas and the Mourved structure are the stars of the show. If I had more, I'd hold three more years, but this has a lot to offer today if you don't mind them a little rough around the edges.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Memorial Day 2013 events: Saxum, on the other hand, typically has not grabbed the attention of my guests like Carlisle has. Like other Saxums, this one was a tad too hot for me, but the quality was undeniable as the finish was persistent and the dense flavors of blackberry and spice were delineated and pleasing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Domestic Rhones (David's House - Washington, DC): Obviously, this is a massive wine. That said, what a beauty. A medley of wild berries, figs, charcoal and iron on the nose. Full on the palate with firm tannins and loads of pureed berry and plum fruit. The acid somehow keeps this wine juicy, almost velvety. Packed with secondary flavors of grilled herbs, charcoal, anise, chocolate. A gorgeous beast of a wine that will reward the extremely patient. 52% Grenache, 31% Syrah and 17% Mourvedre.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This really opened up and smoothed out after about an hour of air time. I highly recommend decanting it for an hour or two. Lovely fruit and herbs with a soft finish. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opaque purple color. Notes of blackberry, blueberry, smoke, meat and a touch of pepper. Big wine but not heavy at all. Very elegant and nuanced, with amazing balance. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very approachable at this time. Decanted for an hour ,, enjoyed over the next 2. Plethora of classic Saxum fruit along with some spice elements. Full bodied with quite a long finish. In a very good place right now. Alcohol not noticeable but the JB packs a wallop.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another realiable James Berry. The Grenache fruit really stands out. Ripe plums and a hint of kumquats, a little thyme and sage, and no detectable heat. One of my favorite blends from Saxum. 52% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, 17% Syrah, 15.8% Alc.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped open and let sit for an hour before serving. This is a big wine, no doubt about it, but it carries its size and weight quite well. Dark color; nose of spice, black cherries and stone. Sweet fruit in the mouth but with a good line of acidity to make it intriguing. Notes lf licorice, black fruits, and pepper. Hint of cloves. Long finish. Some commented that they thought there was residual sugar in the wine. I think it was just the sweetness of ripe fruit. Even for a 15+% abv level, it did not show any sign of heat. Well done.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing nose of red ripe berries and blackberries. Some incense in there as well. The palate is big, sweet, chewy, and mouth coating. Great feel and taste. Great notes of black pepper on day two. I love this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
With the Saxum 2010 order just placed, i thought it was a good occasion to pop a James Berry Vineyard... With the cellar being a bit messy for the moment, i just grabbed the first Saxum i got hold of. This, i did not regret. The wine really shined. The nose was dominated by sweet cherries, spices, a hint of virginia tobacco, blood and some smoke. The palate was so well balanced with wonderful ripe red and dark black fruit, licorice, very nice fine grained tannins and good acidity to balance all the aforementioned. This wine is definitely young and will benefit from many more years, but it is also VERY good at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour and followed over three hours. Great nose of black fruits (berries and cherries). In the mouth, thick. Coats the tongue like a Port. I looked at the bottle and thought the 17% was the abv. It is actually the syrah component. 15.8% abv. You can tell it is high octane in the alcohol by the plush richness but there is no heat showing. The wine holds it all well together. Rich, concentrated and powerful but in a full and balanced package. Not for the faint of heart. Well done in a rich and ripe style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2 hour decant. Stunningly balanced, filled with blackberry, dark fruit, subtle strawberry and a herbal/forest note mixed in. Good use of oak, with subtle spice and cream notes. Perfectly balanced, killer flavors and will improve with another couple years. Delicious, another extraordinary effort from Justin and co.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful nose... kirsch, smoke, pepper and some CdP like garrigue. The palate is swwet and voluptuous with loads of fruit, chocolate and a lovely meatiness, but without any heavyness. The tannins are round and mature. Good now, but i think with some years in the bottle, the wine will be even better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Charlie's 65th - Lots of wines! (Charlie's Home): From Magnum. This was somewhat shut down at first. Revisiting later on, it showed a lot more, but I think it will improve from here as well. Black raspberry, blueberries, black cherries, black pepper and grilled meats on the nose. Big and lush on the palate. Most black raspberry fruit at this point. Some pepper as well. Delicious and big without being heavy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
--- COLOR: Deep purple-ruby with light purple rim NOTE: Nose is lovely Grenache with bright red raspberry, raspberry liqueur, garrigue, crushed black pepper, burnt marshmallow and hints of camphor that turn to a bit of heat. The high Mourvedre content gives it a little animal grip. Mouth is nicely rich/ripe and opulent, with a hard candy effect interlaced with the red/black fruit preserves that just smack your tonsils (there you go Ruthie, right up your alley). The finish is surprisingly long, full of blackberry preserves, and the garrigue appears again, some pine sap notes, then a little dark cocoa and a last flicker of heat. This is really quite nice and could go up a point in the future. Not sure how this will work with food, but who cares?
DECANT: 2 hr GLASS USED: Pinot Noir TASTE: 9.4+ OTHER: COST: 80 VALUE: 8.8 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: 2012 PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
15.8% ABV. Popped and poured and consumed over several hours. Spicy nose with sweet kirsch and balsa nuances. Ripe sweet red cherry fruit with a long finish. This feels light on its feet for a big, hedonistic wine. Little changed after 2+ hours and still delicious. This may not make sense, but this is "serious" for such a forward wine. Drinking surprisingly well now. Outstanding. 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pulled the cork, splash decant, poured back in the bottle, took a little pour out, and re-corked. Then served some 9 hours later. This was put in a brown bag along with a 2005 Amarone and a 2009 Carlisle Montafi ranch Zin. The Saxum was labelled as "The Godfather." Dark purple color and a nose of black fruits, some sweet cherry and spice. Very robust and leaning towards the sweet side. Well balanced but on high. Lots of fruit, sweet tannins and some acidity. 15.8% but barely showing it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a BIG wine. Totally amazing even though I normally would not like th A wine this alcoholic (15,8). However the wine has got gorgeous clean blueberry tones which I love. Not a Rhone wine. No green tones even if it is 52 % Grenache. A knockout wine!!! I would buy it any time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ready to go on pop and pour. Not a tannic beast at the start, if a little monolithic, but rounded nicely over the next couple of hours in the glass(es).
Dark, earthy, a bit brooding, fruit is very pure. Not over done, but definitely a big bruiser of a wine. Will let a couple of these sleep and try another this summer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great nose, sweet blackberry and cherry with a subtle meet nose on the end. Really nice balance on this wine with little hit noticeable for such a big wine. Great upfront attack of fruit on the palate flowed by some noticeable oak on the finish that should fade a bit with time. Finish is a little shorter than I would have expected, but wow this is a good wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color. Aromas of blueberry and toasted oak. Flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, leather, earth, menthol, garrigue, and raspberry. Extremely full bodied. Nice freshness and acidity. Enormous structure with a very powerful finish that exhibits good complexity and depth. A blend of 52% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, and 17% Syrah. Not particularly heavy or alcoholic despite it's lofty 15.8% alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
9/30/2023 - jfkwines wrote: 98 Points
Wow wow wow. Opened at 4 , Audoulized (sp?) until 8 or so. Paired with a pork porterhouse. So smooth, so delicious. I agree with previous comments that while 07 was WOTY this might surpass. Just amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2023 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 97 Points
My last note on this wine is more than five years ago. What's that Beatles song? "Getting Better All the Time." I am half way through my stash of these and any wine that pokes its nose above 95 points is exceptional. Outstanding. Whatever roughness there ever was is gone. Tannins are sweetened. Berries and more berries. Velvety mouth feel. Wonderful nose. Someone wrote that the 2008 is better than the 2007 that was the WS WOTY and they may be right. This was a pop and pour and might have been even better with some air. It is definitely driven by the Grenache. I'm hoping that the syrah will resolve into a bit of smooth pepper in the next few years, at which point the wine will move into the stratosphere and perhaps the best Rhone Ranger wine this side of Avignon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2022 - MillerRoad Likes this wine:
Still has a lot of fruit. Very smooth. Delightful wine. However, I would not wait any longer to drink, and when you do, this bottle threw A LOT of sediment.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2021 - Acohen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Raspberry, blueberry and kir with great balance and finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2021 - Geoff Likes this wine: 98 Points
Replacement bottle from Saxum for previous corked bottle. Slo ox for 1.5 hours, then full decant for about 3.5 hours. This wine was in a really great place and firing on all cylinders. Deep dark color with no bricking. Beautiful soft but firm blue/dark fruit, smooth mouthfeel, but firm grip on the mid palate. Sweet tannins resolving but still present. Multiple secondary notes. Begs you to return for another sip. Long finish. Dare I say this wine appeared civilized and even sophisticated, while remaining firmly in control. Truly an enjoyable treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2021 - peterk Likes this wine:
Lovely fruit, with soft tannins. Drinking beautifully, but unlikely to improve. I'm going to consume the rest over the summer!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2021 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Only 90 minute decant, but that was plenty. Smooth, very nice red fruits (classic Grenache) but layered with lovely black fruits that hang on the palate. Some flashes of minerals and Oak that added complexity without creating a distraction. The alcohol was reasonably well resolved for this bottle. Finish was shorter than expected - 20 seconds, but still a very strong wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2021 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour. Aromas of black raspberry, gamey meat, licorice, vanilla and spice. Ripe black and red fruit, gamey meat, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish with good depth. Full bodied. Served with smoked baby back ribs.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2021 - PSUSteve wrote: 95 Points
PnP. Full bodied and intense but with perfect balance that hides the high alcohol level. Great length on the finish. Wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2021 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
It seems that either our prior two bottles were flawed, or this just needed a lot of time. This bottle: pop and pour. In the glass, still looks just like it did years ago, no visual signs of aging. On the nose, grenache liqueur, crushed raspberries, and a hint of blueberry pie. On the palate, tannic structure still remains, but this has settled down to offer the non-fruit-bomb fruit that Saxum does so well. Leads with the grenache, but this shifts over to floral and saline notes on the mid-palate, finishing with equal parts ground pepper and strawberry. If I had one more bottle, I'd consider hiding it for five more years just to see what happens.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2021 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Powerful, pungent aromas. Rich layers of dark berries, trailed by earth, smoked meats and copious spices, including cinnamon. The mourvedre component seemed ascendant, with all the dark and solid elements. Still tannic and burly, despite the age. There was enough flesh from the fruit to stand up to the structure... and enough structure to stand up to the fruit. There is just a lot going on. No shrinking violet here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2020 - canan wrote:
Wonderfyl balance and just a wine that is drinking at its peak right now!
Lots of lush fruit without being overdone but a solid acidity keeps it in balance. The alcohol is slightly too much in this vintage which is why I recommend to drink this now :-) But currently it is very nice!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2020 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with my prior notes. Best on days 1 and 2 out of the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2020 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Like the previous reviewer, I couldn’t rate this any higher due to the alcohol. Such a fantastic, complex and interesting wine. I found my own opinion shifting in a polarized way from hour to hour. I guess that should be one attribute of a great wine—keeping things interesting and forcing you to think about it.
On opening, amazing aromas of plums and spice and other savory things that I couldn’t describe. On first tasting I could pick up some of the cough medicine others had mentioned, but interspersed with rich dark fruits and chocolate.
Four hours later the main focus was the layers of fruit, primarily dark and plummy, and also licorice and chocolate. Round and full in they mouth with a long finish. It felt like you could ‘eat’ this wine.
Later in the evening, I could not drink any more as the hot alcohol sensation was back, perhaps as it warmed from cellar temp, or perhaps after the food. But it literally was straight up alcohol, we could have used it to do shots and needed a chaser...
Saved a glass for night two and again, started out really interesting, but eventually the alcohol dominated.
This was made worse both nights by food—both casual dinners, night one was bison burgers and night two was pizza. But trying to drink with food turned it into rubbing alcohol. I have never had that experience before.
So, this was a strange and tricky wine for me. It had moments of brilliance where it could have been rated in the high 90’s (rare for me) but then some moments of undrinkability.
I’m glad we opened it (daughters bday and birth year) and I am a Saxum fan, but I won’t be seeking bottles of this particular wine in this vintage again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/7/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
The alcohol took this down a point for me out of the gate. The nose screams Grenache - in a good way. There are some other nice elements to this wine that seem to be lurking beneath but can't fully break free of the alcohol @15.8% (and I would have guessed 16.5%). Would like to see if the alcohol can become integrated in time and the secondary elements can show better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2020 - Geoff Does not like this wine:
Badly corked. Only bottle of Saxum ever to have any defect. I have been buying since inception, and have enjoyed many many very good wines. ---- happens.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2020 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 95 Points
After the 2012 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones last night, I had to have my other bottle of this Saxum James Berry just to compare. I gave this bottle a full 4 hours in the decanter and was rewarded for my patience. The experience was very similar, and as pleasurable, as our previous bottle -- and slightly more pleasurable than last night's 2012 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones.
The nose was bursting with light red, dark red, and some blue fruits, along with a touch of earthiness. The medium plus bodied palate was smooth and presented the same assortment of light red, dark red and blue fruits, earth, and a good dose of spice and some pepper. The acidity was balancing, the tannins were completely integrated, and the finish was medium to plus... and smooth. This wine is certainly ready to deliver considerable pleasure right now (with enough air), and probably for several years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2020 - VlgJeff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Based on previous TNs, especially TEDERF's (3/6/20) and PERLASTEVE's (11/25/19), I decided to open this wine several hours before dinner. Upon decanting, there was quite a bit of sediment, much of it stuck to the underside of the bottle. Here's how the wine progressed:
Initial = very tight; low fruit; high acid.
At 1.5 hours = the wine began to flesh out. The nose presented some ripe red berries. The palate yielded red fruits, earth and a touch of drying tannins, but still high acidity.
At 3 hours the wine appeared to be stabilizing so we began to drink it as an accompaniment to a glorious rack of dry rubbed pork ribs (hey - it's July 4th!). As a note - the wine continued to open a bit more throughout the meal, so give it lots of air to reach its full potential.
The nose was bursting with red fruits, some darker fruits, and a touch of earthiness. The medium plus bodied palate was smooth and presented the same red fruits, darker fruits, and earth, along with a good dose of spice and some pepper. The acidity was balancing, the tannins were completely integrated, and the finish was medium to plus... and smooth. This wine is certainly ready to deliver considerable pleasure right now (with enough air), and probably for several years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2020 - Kevnzworld wrote: 97 Points
1 hour decant
Great. Dark fruit, charcoal, and some banana and chocolate ( I’ve never tasted that. )
Good balance, complexity and structure with fabulous secondary flavors with a ripe mango finish
I like that his better than the 2007.
Borders on an after dinner dessert wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2020 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 96 Points
15.8% abv. Medium ruby, very aromatic. Ripe plum, mint, baking spice and a touch of lavender on the finish. Great intensity and length. This 12-year old Saxum is aging beautifully. No real urgency to drink this, but probably best over the next 3-4 years. Certainly delicious and very distinctive now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2020 - rpenn77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich dark fruit with a long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2020 - tederf wrote: 95 Points
Took to dinner at Forsythia with Amanda and Robert. Opened about 5 hours prior to dinner and decanted entire time. This bottle was beautiful. Robert requested a "big and bold" wine -- this one filled the bill. Dark, dark fruit. Well integrated tannins. Some spice and pepper. Paired very well with the foie and the pork. Everyone enjoyed this one. Very happy to have one more bottle in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 95 Points
Delicious! Big nose of boysenberries and olive tapinade. Wears its high alcohol very well. Gorgeous structure, both round and fine tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
52% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre. My last of three bottles.
Had as a PnP. As full bodied and concentrated as past bottles. Mildly chewy tannins and mild acidity. If you're not a fan of ripe wines, stay away. Wow. Aromatic, with sweet, sweet cherry notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2019 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 93 Points
1.5 liter at June Baby, Seattle (incredible southern food). Nose initially closed but palate of mostly ripe fruit, ganache dominant. Lighter body than most notes said. Most noticeable aspect was the alcohol, 15.8%. Usually pasa robles high alcohol is noticeable but not bothersome. Bottle opened for 4-5 hours, then decanted at restaurant over a 2 hour meal. With food the heat was mostly well integrated and/or dissipated. Was a delicious, moderately complex and medium body. Decent finish. Given other’s comments, i wished i would have decanted for 5 hours rather than just had bottle open. Elements definitely started building during the meal/ decant. My rating would have been 95+ if decanted earlier. So bottom line, decant for good period, especially larger format bottles stored well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2019 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 94 Points
from a magnum that was decanted for over 4 hours. Seems to be at it's prime now however no rush to drink my last 2 bottles. Not sure that I love over 1/2 of the wine being grenache however it was quite tasty for sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2019 - mats13 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular in every sense. Big, bold, dark, balanced, complex. Nearing perfection for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2019 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, huckleberry, plum, smoked meat, cocoa and spice. Black and blue fruit, dark chocolate, spice and fine tannins on the palate. Long, layered finish with good depth. Silky smooth mouth feel. Rich and full bodied. Served with smoked pulled pork.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2019 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Saxum Tasting (Zurich): Comprehensive vertical tasting of several Saxum vineyards and a total of 24 wines. Most wines on a good to very good level in the 93 to 95 points range, just one on an exceptional (97+ points) level (James Berry Bone Rock 08). The consistency of the wine-making at Saxum is impressive but the tasting proofed to be rather a bit boring with less difference between the vineyards and vintages showing than expected and wished for. Heart Stone stood out a bit (bigger vats used, little new oak) thanks to more terroir expression. James Berry (mostly Grenache) and James Berry Bone Rock (elevated complexity and sexiness) were great. Best vintage (we tried wines from 2003 to 2011) is clearly the 2007 which produced the wines with the most depth.
TN: I'm a big fan of Central Californian Grenache based wines as the combination of the warm climate with the elegance and light-footedness of grape seem a match made in heaven. Hence it is no wonder that the highest scores in this mini-vertical (6 vintages) went to the wines with the highest share of Grenache in the blend (perfect correlation!). The 2008 consists of 52% Grenache (rest Syrah, Mourvedre). This is the older sibling of the 2011, also dominated by herbal notes, green notes, stems adding additional complexity and freshness to the wine. Along that lots of dark fruit which is quite ripe - a tad too ripe for my taste buds. Hence, the slightly lower rating vs the 2011 (94 points). Nevertheless, a very good wine, dense but fresh and light with a good balance and length. No extensive decant needed here, still a few more years on the hip might add one or the other pleasant aromatic layer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Grand Saxum Tasting (Gustav in Zurich): Grand Saxum tasting over several vineyeards and vintages. 23 wines in total. What was remarkable is the consistancy in aromatics across vintages and partly also across vineyards. Big and powerful wines but not without elegance. As a vintage 2007 stood out as exceptional across all vineyards. Booker stood out as the most consistent on a high level while James Berry vineyards had the highest range, but was oustanding in some vintages. The top wines for me were 2008 Bone Rock and Booker 2007.
Tasting note:
Ripe fruit, spices, some pepper. A bit of heat but not in a bad way. Smooth and well balanced palate with layered fruit and spice providing for a long finish with lots of pleasure. Palate really the driver of the score here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2019 - hanasowner wrote: 92 Points
Took a full hour to open up...some bricking...muted nose vs. a bottle two years ago...needs a decant for sure IMO.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
This records a Dec 2018 tasting. 52% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre. As I've previously noted, that's a lot of grenache, but this is outstanding. Similar to my Jan 2019 notes, full-bodied and concentrated. Aromatic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
This records a January 2019 tasting. 52% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre. That's a lot of grenache, but this is outstanding. Full-bodied and concentrated. Aromatic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2019 - Justin B Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking wonderfully, with minimal air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2019 - G SQUARED Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still a baby. Needed at least an hour to open up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2019 - Tylerk wrote: 94 Points
This is just a terrific G (52%)/S (17%)/M (31%) blend that is absolutely peaking and perfect now. Close to 16% ABV- but fully integrated. Everything saxum does is great but anything from James berry vineyard seems stellar
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2019 - Immigrator wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2018 - Tylerk wrote: 95 Points
An amazing Syrah (70%)/mourvedre (30%) blend that is absolutely perfect now- no rush but peak over next ~2yrs- we had with lamb and then a glass each the next day with a rosemary spatchcocked chicken- perfect!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2018 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first Saxum, and I see what the fuss is all about. A GSM blend with the Grenache predominant, so it’s a California version of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But since it’s American, the style is more fruit forward with minimal funk. In fact, very clean bright plum and black cherry blend to an exceptionally tasty fruit punch backed up by careful oak. It would benefit from firmer tannins since the structure is a bit weak, but it’s delicious anyway. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2018 - Tonester wrote: flawed
Sadly this bottle was corked. First ever corked bottle of Saxum. Very disappointing
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2018 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 96 Points
Quick decant at dinner. This may be in the perfect drinking window right now. Seemed to be mellowing out a bit, yet firing on all cylinders. I hear that the 08 Saxums are drinking well - this certainly is. Balance, harmony and power. Another great bottle of Saxum...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2018 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 96 Points
In the zone. No hurry to drink these up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2018 - bobwire Likes this wine: 98 Points
Pretty awesome!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2018 - canan wrote: 95 Points
Saxum Vertical Tasting (Mathias@Michael): Boiled and compact fruit with an edge of alcohol dominating it.
Lots of cherry fruit but also a huge acidity, liquor and chocolate.
Clearly not the best JB but still a very solid wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2018 - rdluu wrote: 99 Points
Decanted but began drinking immediately and over the next 90 minutes at dinner in Chicago at Gibsons Italia. Saxum was drinking great. Velvety, smooth, and balanced. No rough edges, just the right amount of alcohol, fruit, tannins and several layers emerged as the night went on.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2018 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP
Dark dark purple
Showing a little age towards the rim.
Carmel, sugar plum, blackberry jam, tough leather, wood, black currant, brown sugar all nose, also quite a bit of heat.
Really nice flavors, sugar plums, vanilla. Soft flavors, but heat. Very pleasurable wine, but the alcohol is high. Delicious, but lots of booze, also not as smooth and rounded as I would like. A bit obtuse. Very good wine with buddies for steak. A whole bottle by yourself is too much in my opinion. Very much an over the top GSM blend.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2018 - tomlee wrote: 98 Points
Crimson in color. 15.8% ABV. Blockbuster nose of black fruits, scorched earth, molten licorice and flowers. Full bodied with nice acidity. Exceptional balance. Rich and powerful with great concentration. Black cherry liqueur, creme de cassis and grilled meats on the palate. The finish is extraordinarily long, silky and seamless. This wine takes your breath away. Stunning effort. Drink over the next 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Purple. Lots of balanced complex dark fruits, smoke, meat, with blueberries, ripe cherries, and great finish. Always love this stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2018 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Coffee, chocolate, lavender. Raspberry, raisin, fig, touch of bacon and meat. Flirting with perfection. Now-2025+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2018 - ckinv368 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Red fruit on the nose. Huge red fruit and leather and spicebox notes. White pepper. Black cherry, stewed prune. Still so young. But drinking well now. Drink over 10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2018 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop and pour from Magnum for the Superbowl with family and friends. Seven people altogether. Despite other bottles, there was nothing left in this one well before the Hail Mary fell short and the game was history.
This wine developed in the glass as it took on air. The longer I toyed with it, the more background fruit came out. At the beginning, it was a well-balanced, spice and roasted meet driven wine. The longer I waited, the more fruit arose. Red fruit. Cherry and plum. A tiny bit of berry. This wine probably had at least another decade in it, probably two or three. Another great effort by Justin Smith.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2018 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2018 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Previous notes apply, wine more integrated and showing bottle age, slightly raisony fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 94 Points
93-94 showing beautifully, rich dark fruit nose, a little warmth on the palate but expected of the region.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2017 - hoservin wrote: 94 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Aromatic nose of blackberry, smoked meat, plum, dried herbs and vanilla. Black and red berries, coffee, spice and vanilla flavors. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied, dense and layered. Served with a Swedish buffet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2017 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another great one. Great balance and smoothness. Could this be better than the 2007 at this stage?Fruit has melded together and the edge is off. Meaty wine with raspberry, cherry, a garrigue thing with herbs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2017 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 95 Points
Reddish purple in color. Nose of spice, vanilla and black pepper. Velvety mouthfeel deep and complex to the taste — blackberry jam, pepper, vanilla, and warmth that fills the palate. A certain style for sure — big and bold. Long finish. I loved it, my wife not as much for the style and lack of bite.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2017 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Electric hedonism. A "wow" wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Rhys, Saxum, Lillian with the Orchestra (Blossom Music Center): This took quite some time to settle down. It really could use more time, but if you open it, give it an hour or two of air. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, iodine, black pepper, roasted meats and herbs. On the palate, this is good, but for my tastes signaled a shift in style for Saxum. The wines used to have this lightness to them (yes, for a monster wine). Starting in 07, but really 08, they seem to have more structure and a depth that really takes time to work thru. On the palate, this results in fruit that is still big, but now a bit like a murky pool that you can't see the bottom of until air or cellaring resolves. This is not a bad thing, but in this case, the wine really blossomed after about an hour of opening. Juicy black raspberries, medium tannins, some spice, some earthiness and a bit peppery. Lush texture. A bit plums/raisins at first but that seemed to integrate and lessen as the wine opened. Long finish. A truly profound wine. I have very few 08's left as I drank most of the too young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2017 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Killer juice with a long life ahead of it. Drinking so well now it will be hard to keep my hands off these until they reach their peak in the next 5+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2017 - J-Sho Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely rocking right now. drink it if you got it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2017 - jshufelt wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour before service. The appearance and aromatics haven't changed much from our 2014 note, but I would say that the alcohol has faded into the background, so the palate is improved in that respect. On the other hand, the wine seems to have entered a bit of an awkward phase with respect to the fruit - it currently comes across a somewhat one-dimensional blackberry liqueur, even with a couple more hours of air. Still unsure where this is headed...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior note
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2017 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 96 Points
PNP
Great wine. Very smooth. Velvety mouth feel.
Raspberry, cherry cola, strawberry all nose. This wine is drinking great right now. Velvety mouthfeel. Cherry cola and strawberry on the pallet. Great wine. Weight heavy, acid medium.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2017 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Held its own against the 08 SQN's. A bit more juicy and open (maybe because of the Grenache in it?) Great texture and structure.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2016 - rmalloy wrote: 87 Points
I hate to be contemptuous, and I hate to overgeneralize, but my opinion is that California winemaking sucks compared to European winemaking. And this wine sucks compared to Chateauneuf du Pape. Like most highly rated California wines, this wine offers jam (let's be real). And vague hints of Syrah spices, lavender, and vanilla. Tannins are soft. It's not bad; jam is tasty. But it lacks anything of interest to my tastes. Drink now.
The only California winemaker I like is Rhys. Really, I just poured this out. It's a waste of my time to drink jam.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/20/2016 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful, big, ripe fruit driven wine, with some tertiary notes just starting to develop. Excellent concentration of flavors, very fine and nicely integrated tannins, but while there is a good degree of complexity, it was missing a bit of a wow factor that I usually get from Saxum. As this warmed up, the alcohol started to become much more apparent (we chilled it a bit before diving in for seconds), which was the closest thing to a flaw. This is entering a nice drinking window of early maturity. My somewhat tame response to this is due in large part to it being totally outclassed by the 2000 Pierre Usseglio Mon Aieul that it was served with, which was spectacular. Objectively, this is an outstanding wine, but it has a big reputation to live up to and it ran into a near perfect bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2016 - Mr T wrote:
Big ripe wine....excellent for what it is but not favorite personal style
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2016 - jvest Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark purple and inviting, aromas of violets, honeysuckle, and damp forest yield to soft cassis, mint chocolate and blackberry to which bittersweet chocolate, white pepper and minerals fuse in a protracted finish. An outstanding full-bodied wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich black berry and roasted meat on the nose and palate with spice notes and juicy acidity on the long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2016 - hanasowner wrote: 96 Points
Splash decant...fantastic nose of spice and meats...long finish with integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior note; better on day 2. Great wine that again makes me think of a great 07 CDP
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2016 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromatic nose of black raspberry, chocolate covered cherries, smoked meat, anise, vanilla and spice. Cherry, black raspberry, grilled meat, chocolate, vanilla and spice on the palate. Full bodied with a rich, mouth coating texture. Leads to a very long finish. Served with grilled pork chops.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2016 - JohnnyShiraz Likes this wine: 95 Points
15.8% ABV, 52% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, and 17% Syrah
I would pour into a decanter to let it uncoil. In 20 minutes the tannins are smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2016 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
This continues to be an excellent wine, as per prior notes. Lots of wild berry fruit, solid but smooth tannins. The high alcohol concentration is barely noticeable. Paired very nicely as a pop and pour with our son's (the CIA trained chef) prepared meal of Chinese food leftovers and fried rice!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for a couple of hrs then returned to the bottle & so'd for a couple of more, dark crimson, explosive blue/blackberries, mod. tannins, long finish; still seems a little young to me but wonderful to drink now!
Got better with more time; BB group guessed a great 07 CDP (close); upped a point, great wine & no rush to drink!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 97 Points
A saxum tasting at Cooking School (ICASI): Inky purple in color. This was pop and pour and needed more air/time. The nose has black raspberries, spice, and grilled meats. On the palate, this is very tight. As it unwinds in the glass with some vigorous swirling it shows its power. Tons of black raspberry fruit with some smoked meat notes and pepper. Just delicious. Formidable tannins still. Nice acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2015 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took several coravin hits from this over the past several months. It is a great wine, but it has this underlying green streak, like stems or wet seaweed, that detract from it. That wasn't there early on in its life, but it is becoming more pronounced and does not disappear with hours of decanting. Sad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2015 - BVal wrote: 92 Points
Last tasted 7/14.
Color: light to medium-deep ruby core -> medium ruby rim. Forward bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, a little iodine, animal fur and iron. Nose really hasn't changed from over a year ago and neither has the palate which still strikes me as a little overly sweet; really full, ripe, almost jammy fruit that was held back from going over the cliff by some nice minerals, roasted meat elements and acidity. Still a little hot to my palate keeping my score from going higher. Great length and certainly UFC intense. Interesting to me that the tannins seem more noticeable than last year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2015 - thalver wrote:
very good aromatics on opening. tannins came into better balance after a couple/few hours in the decanter. Lingering finish. For my tastes, could use a bit more time. Very good wine, with that certain inner energy that bodes well
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2015 - Javachip wrote: 93 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 11/7/2015 (Grande Colonial Hotel (Nine Ten Restaurant), La Jolla, California): From magnum. Clear inky garnet color. Extravagant, hedonistic bouquet of blueberry-blackberry pie, cloves, cocoa, melted licorice, creosote, camphor. Seaquam noted some Band-Aid. The fruit was ultra-ripe with a baked quality. Rich and generous on the palate, full body, low acidity, voluptuous. No surprise this wine and producer have such a devoted following.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2015 - Knicksfan wrote: 95 Points
Wonderfully integrated and delicious
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2015 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Previous tasting notes apply. This wine is especially smooth and well integrated. Ready to drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2015 - cookie7 wrote:
Four hour decant. Awesome juice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/24/2015 - BrianMc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wonderful, starting with a fragrant alluring nose and moving to a slight sweetness that quickly transitions to a fruit forward, viscous long finish. Truly a wine worth every penny.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2015 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 97 Points
Medium garnet, almost completely opaque. Extremely viscous and slow-moving "legs". Moderately pronounced aroma of blackberries, black cherries, smoke, tar, oak. Full-bodied and rich, plenty of black fruit flavors with tar and smoke, but very balanced. Very concentrated fruit that dominates the tannin. The aftertaste keeps going on, building some licorice on the finish. Despite having a high alcohol, it does not come across as a "hot" wine. This is outstanding, but was actually the lightest of the six GSM vineyards we tasted. It was our 3rd favorite of six, after '07 Bone Rock and '07 Booker. It was still fabulous five hours later. Opened seven hours before pouring. Give this time to air and open...can be enjoyed now but will easily last for years.
Ric
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2015 - Dnathanson wrote: 92 Points
Drank from a magnum. Hot at first, but after the wine sat in the glass for a few minutes it opened up beautifully. I'd hold on to it for another few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2015 - larrybbaldwin wrote:
My least favorite Saxum yet-thick, dense, cumbersome and cloying in the mouth. Initial impression was favorable with an amazingly complex nose of dried figs, berries and tarry notes that led into a wine that seemed short on acid to support its meaty texture. Good but not great imho
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2014 - Fid wrote: 91 Points
Nice nose of blackberry jam and flowers. Good fruit on the palate but very noticeable alcohol and a bit of astringency. Have a feeling that a long decant would have improved it. But still good. 91+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2014 - Reno-Rhone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine with lots of fruit. We opened and poured without a decant or aeration. Dark colors and nice finish - loved by all.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/20/2014 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 97 Points
Best Paso Blend in the Game
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2014 - ELH wrote: 95 Points
Lovely blend of Grenache 52%, Mourvedre 31%, and Syrah 17%. Opened a hour but not decanted. At first, the cheery fruit of the Grenache dominated, but gradually the darker, more structural varietals came into view. 15.8% alcohol, but not hot. A complicated, which is to say interesting, wine that evolved over the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2014 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Big Reds; 8/1/2014-8/2/2014 (my house): Thank you for the recommendations for a 3 hour decant, that was about right. Had a 3 ounce pour and then revisited with a small pour a few hours later. There is a lot going on in this wine. It drinks like a high-end top cuvee Chateauneuf in a more modern style. Initially it has a blackberry brandy quality and is slightly hot. After some time in glass, the layers start to unwind and you have fruit that is all over the map, red, black, a little blue. Cured meat, damp earth, minerals, and a thick rich mouthfeel. I noticed creme brulee at the very end. This is plush, full-bodied and the finish is quite long. I was liking this more and more as I drank it, and it showed best at the very end. I really hope these Saxums will improve with age and make great old bones. 94 with likely improvement in the next few years, hopefully longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
4th of July Weekend Wines - Lots of 'em; 7/3/2014-7/7/2014 (Northeast Ohio): Pop and pour, this needs time and air. Purple in color. On opening it was a bit port-like and alcoholic. With some air, it settles down, eventually developing a rich lush texture. Lots of black raspberries, cherries, macerated cherries, some floral notes and camphor. On the palate, this is delicious and easy to drink. While the alcohol is not noticeable on the palate, one glass and I was buzzed. I had a bit more and then decided to open something else and leave the remains for others. A little bit of this goes a long way. That's not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. I think a few more years of cellaring will be well rewarded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2014 - BVal wrote: 93 Points
Color: medium deep ruby core -> medium ruby rim. Forward bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, a little iodine, animal fur and iron. Palate struck me as a little overly sweet; really full, ripe, almost jammy fruit that was held back from going over the cliff by some nice minerals, roasted meat elements and acidity. It does come across as a little hot to my palate keeping my score from going higher but there's still a lot to like here. Great length and certainly UFC intense. See that I tried this at the end of last year; think I need to wait at least a year+ before trying another.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2014 - BrianMc wrote: 96 Points
Have to admit I don't typically give out 96 points but this wine held up its own against some incredible wines tonight. The flight consisted of a Sine Qua Non, Aquilon, Ch. Du Pape and many more. All wonderful wines with winning appeal but the Saxum carried the day with a combination muscularity and finesse that left the rest of the flight with gaps albeit slight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2014 - hoservin wrote: 94 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of blackberry, raspberry, cherry, smoked meat, spice and minerals. A wild black and red berry fruit core with mocha, spice and fine tannins on the palate is balanced by a rich, jammy texture that leads to a persistent finish. Still youthful and benefited from the decant, but I'd recommend at least three hours. Alcohol heat was very noticeable after initially decanting, but dissipated with air time. Paired well with lamb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2014 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 93 Points
Like it, but 95 points? Come on people. This was good, very good. But exceptional? I dont know - maybe I needed to decant it longer. More or less popped and poured. Big flavors, no question. Deep, dark and brooding. Huge wine and I loved it - how could you not....Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre? Perfect combo. Just missing that extra umpf that you get from SQN and Alban. Very good. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2014 - jshufelt wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours before service; could probably have used twice that. In the glass, deep saturated dark red, fading quickly to black at the center. On the nose, strong aromatics of crushed fruit with a slight floral note. On the palate, very fruit-driven, but the grenache made its presence known over a couple of hours. The big question for this wine, at least for me, is whether the 15.8% ABV will ever be able to hide behind the fruit. While I wouldn't say this wine is an alcoholic mess, the alcohol is noticeable, and it detracts from the purity of the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2014 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2014 - leadpencil wrote: 95 Points
Black raspberry, limestone. Delicious!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2013 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully rich, delicious blackberry/raspberry fruit with smoke and earthy flavors, excellent structure, slightly hot but well supported by fruit, long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2013 - BVal wrote: 93 Points
Color: medium deep ruby -> medium ruby rim. Forward bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, a little iodine, animal fur and iron. Palate struck me as a little overly sweet; really full, ripe, almost jammy fruit that was held back from going over the cliff by some nice minerals and acidity. It does come across as a little hot to my palate keeping my score from going higher but there's still a lot to like here. Great length and certainly intense. I look forward to seeing how these will age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2013 - rogerr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good integration and needs a decant. Little degradation after 24 hours. Amazing juice as usual.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2013 - Bull Dog 21 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted 1hr. It rocked right out the gates! Awesome nose, some bacon fat and pepper, tastes of vanilla and butter. No sign of any heat, so incredibly smooooooooth!! I am sure it will only get better with time but I enjoy them at this stage!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bravo! Saxum keeps moving from clarity to clarity. This is a wonderful wine with the clean "trademark" nose of Saxum including wonderful minerals and white lilac, mocha and some dark chocolate. Profound is the best word to describe the nose. The palate provides a slightly sweet impression, but also integration and a rather nice maturity. There is absolutely no heat and the tannins are soft, but clearly visible. A lovely effort. (Tasted in a flight with 2007 - 2010 Saxum James Berry)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Wines at Chris and Renee's home. (Chris and Renee's): From Magnum. This is big and fruity. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper some bacon fat and a slight bit of prunes. Sweet and juicy to drink. No sign of alcohol. The pruney notes are not on the palate. This goes down smooth and easy. Has a ripe sweetness that is a bit reminiscent of a "dry port". Not for everyone for sure, but I loved it. There was also a bottle of this in 750 format. It was quite similar. Perhaps a bit tighter on the nose but more expressive on the palate. Not a big distinction either way.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2013 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my prior note - just rocking. So smooth and balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2013 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Crazy bold aromas leap from the glass ... blackberry, blueberry, herbs, vanilla, spice. Palate is large-scaled with velvety fruit and juicy underlying acidity. Big, robust and flavorful. Well framed and balanced. For the size and scale, there is excellent precision on fruit and flavor. Long finish. Delicious. I'm drinking less of these big boys, but there's no denying the quality and no denying that I'll always have a spot in my cellar for some Saxum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2013 - shadow wrote: 98 Points
Bold and fresh, flavors are thick and so jucy your tempted to dribble it out your mouth trying to give every taste bud its reward.
Bold dark fruity nose, taste rich spicy fruit, just love this shit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2013 - RMundell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2013 - bonedocnine wrote: 95 Points
Lovely ripe fruit. Classic Paso with a very big nose and palate. In a word, stunning!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2013 - Jody Smith wrote:
Delicious, but still a coarse young beast. Powerful aroma and flavors of smoke and cherries. This saw a four hour decant and still was tough to get through the wall of tannin. Nonetheless, this was a powerhouse of persistant flavor as it ever so slowly unwound. Hard to believe this is dominated by Grenache as the tarry Syrah aromas and the Mourved structure are the stars of the show. If I had more, I'd hold three more years, but this has a lot to offer today if you don't mind them a little rough around the edges.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2013 - pgb67 wrote: 89 Points
Memorial Day 2013 events: Saxum, on the other hand, typically has not grabbed the attention of my guests like Carlisle has. Like other Saxums, this one was a tad too hot for me, but the quality was undeniable as the finish was persistent and the dense flavors of blackberry and spice were delineated and pleasing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2013 - jhieb Likes this wine: 96 Points
Huge and smooth. Definitely lived up to my expectations.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2013 - Acohen wrote: 96 Points
Huge but balanced with blueberry, raspberry, kir and great intensity of flavor. Tremendous mouthfeel and lingering finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2013 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
Domestic Rhones (David's House - Washington, DC): Obviously, this is a massive wine. That said, what a beauty. A medley of wild berries, figs, charcoal and iron on the nose. Full on the palate with firm tannins and loads of pureed berry and plum fruit. The acid somehow keeps this wine juicy, almost velvety. Packed with secondary flavors of grilled herbs, charcoal, anise, chocolate. A gorgeous beast of a wine that will reward the extremely patient. 52% Grenache, 31% Syrah and 17% Mourvedre.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2013 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 96 Points
Near perfect structure, an absolute pleasure to drink. Cheers!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2013 - bambam wrote: 95 Points
This really opened up and smoothed out after about an hour of air time. I highly recommend decanting it for an hour or two. Lovely fruit and herbs with a soft finish. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2013 - Gestalted wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Saxum flavor profile. Great balance, cinnamon, dark cherry, fennel and a hint of meat. Much more of a Grenache profile.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2013 - wdb001 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opaque purple color. Notes of blackberry, blueberry, smoke, meat and a touch of pepper. Big wine but not heavy at all. Very elegant and nuanced, with amazing balance. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2013 - vinocerus wrote:
Very approachable at this time. Decanted for an hour ,, enjoyed over the next 2. Plethora of classic Saxum fruit along with some spice elements. Full bodied with quite a long finish. In a very good place right now. Alcohol not noticeable but the JB packs a wallop.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2012 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Same as previous notes. Very smooth, rich, fruit and floral scents and taste. Silky finish. Continues to be superb!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2012 - bambam Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another realiable James Berry. The Grenache fruit really stands out. Ripe plums and a hint of kumquats, a little thyme and sage, and no detectable heat. One of my favorite blends from Saxum. 52% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, 17% Syrah, 15.8% Alc.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2012 - t_moderne wrote: 94 Points
Popped open and let sit for an hour before serving. This is a big wine, no doubt about it, but it carries its size and weight quite well. Dark color; nose of spice, black cherries and stone. Sweet fruit in the mouth but with a good line of acidity to make it intriguing. Notes lf licorice, black fruits, and pepper. Hint of cloves. Long finish. Some commented that they thought there was residual sugar in the wine. I think it was just the sweetness of ripe fruit. Even for a 15+% abv level, it did not show any sign of heat. Well done.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Amazing nose of red ripe berries and blackberries. Some incense in there as well. The palate is big, sweet, chewy, and mouth coating. Great feel and taste. Great notes of black pepper on day two. I love this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2012 - yui wrote: 95 Points
Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2012 - MayValley wrote: 95 Points
With the Saxum 2010 order just placed, i thought it was a good occasion to pop a James Berry Vineyard... With the cellar being a bit messy for the moment, i just grabbed the first Saxum i got hold of. This, i did not regret. The wine really shined. The nose was dominated by sweet cherries, spices, a hint of virginia tobacco, blood and some smoke. The palate was so well balanced with wonderful ripe red and dark black fruit, licorice, very nice fine grained tannins and good acidity to balance all the aforementioned. This wine is definitely young and will benefit from many more years, but it is also VERY good at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2012 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Dark fruit, big and bold. Mouth coating. Big in many ways, but stops short of being overdone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2012 - sonodoc wrote: 94 Points
Superb - just like before.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2012 - dionysis wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful layers of complex fruit and spice. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 94 Points
Super nice rich and spicy granache. Amazingly rich but also balanced. Great upside as well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2012 - t_moderne wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour and followed over three hours. Great nose of black fruits (berries and cherries). In the mouth, thick. Coats the tongue like a Port. I looked at the bottle and thought the 17% was the abv. It is actually the syrah component. 15.8% abv. You can tell it is high octane in the alcohol by the plush richness but there is no heat showing. The wine holds it all well together. Rich, concentrated and powerful but in a full and balanced package. Not for the faint of heart. Well done in a rich and ripe style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2012 - Grape Stuff wrote: 96 Points
2 hour decant. Stunningly balanced, filled with blackberry, dark fruit, subtle strawberry and a herbal/forest note mixed in. Good use of oak, with subtle spice and cream notes. Perfectly balanced, killer flavors and will improve with another couple years. Delicious, another extraordinary effort from Justin and co.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2011 - bonedocnine wrote: 95 Points
yummmmmy! yummmy! the grenache is lovely. Big but not extracted. great effort!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2011 - sonodoc wrote: 94 Points
Great nose, lots of fruit. Very smooth, well balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2011 - MayValley wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful nose... kirsch, smoke, pepper and some CdP like garrigue.
The palate is swwet and voluptuous with loads of fruit, chocolate and a lovely meatiness, but without any heavyness. The tannins are round and mature. Good now, but i think with some years in the bottle, the wine will be even better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2011 - sbeeks wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Deep dark fruit. Lots of raspberry. Long finish. Should be even more amazing in a few years as it matures.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Charlie's 65th - Lots of wines! (Charlie's Home): From Magnum. This was somewhat shut down at first. Revisiting later on, it showed a lot more, but I think it will improve from here as well. Black raspberry, blueberries, black cherries, black pepper and grilled meats on the nose. Big and lush on the palate. Most black raspberry fruit at this point. Some pepper as well. Delicious and big without being heavy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 94 Points
---
COLOR: Deep purple-ruby with light purple rim
NOTE: Nose is lovely Grenache with bright red raspberry, raspberry liqueur, garrigue, crushed black pepper, burnt marshmallow and hints of camphor that turn to a bit of heat. The high Mourvedre content gives it a little animal grip. Mouth is nicely rich/ripe and opulent, with a hard candy effect interlaced with the red/black fruit preserves that just smack your tonsils (there you go Ruthie, right up your alley). The finish is surprisingly long, full of blackberry preserves, and the garrigue appears again, some pine sap notes, then a little dark cocoa and a last flicker of heat. This is really quite nice and could go up a point in the future. Not sure how this will work with food, but who cares?
DECANT: 2 hr
GLASS USED: Pinot Noir
TASTE: 9.4+
OTHER:
COST: 80
VALUE: 8.8
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: 2012
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2011 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 4th Annual; 6/17/2011-6/18/2011 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): really nice. lots of dark fruit. elegant and long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 94 Points
15.8% ABV. Popped and poured and consumed over several hours. Spicy nose with sweet kirsch and balsa nuances. Ripe sweet red cherry fruit with a long finish. This feels light on its feet for a big, hedonistic wine. Little changed after 2+ hours and still delicious. This may not make sense, but this is "serious" for such a forward wine. Drinking surprisingly well now. Outstanding. 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2011 - Justin B wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic! Amazed that it didn't require a super long decant... was singing within minutes. Agree with the previous TN's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2011 - t_moderne wrote: 94 Points
Pulled the cork, splash decant, poured back in the bottle, took a little pour out, and re-corked. Then served some 9 hours later. This was put in a brown bag along with a 2005 Amarone and a 2009 Carlisle Montafi ranch Zin. The Saxum was labelled as "The Godfather."
Dark purple color and a nose of black fruits, some sweet cherry and spice. Very robust and leaning towards the sweet side. Well balanced but on high. Lots of fruit, sweet tannins and some acidity. 15.8% but barely showing it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2011 - St Paul wrote: 97 Points
This is a BIG wine. Totally amazing even though I normally would not like th
A wine this alcoholic (15,8). However the wine has got gorgeous clean blueberry tones which I love. Not a Rhone wine. No green tones even if it is 52 % Grenache. A knockout wine!!! I would buy it any time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2011 - ruddy wrote: 93 Points
Ready to go on pop and pour. Not a tannic beast at the start, if a little monolithic, but rounded nicely over the next couple of hours in the glass(es).
Dark, earthy, a bit brooding, fruit is very pure. Not over done, but definitely a big bruiser of a wine. Will let a couple of these sleep and try another this summer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2011 - pakabear wrote: 95 Points
Great nose, sweet blackberry and cherry with a subtle meet nose on the end. Really nice balance on this wine with little hit noticeable for such a big wine. Great upfront attack of fruit on the palate flowed by some noticeable oak on the finish that should fade a bit with time. Finish is a little shorter than I would have expected, but wow this is a good wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark purple color. Aromas of blueberry and toasted oak. Flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, leather, earth, menthol, garrigue, and raspberry. Extremely full bodied. Nice freshness and acidity. Enormous structure with a very powerful finish that exhibits good complexity and depth. A blend of 52% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, and 17% Syrah. Not particularly heavy or alcoholic despite it's lofty 15.8% alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment