Best Buys
Showing 1279–1287 of 1522 results
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Saxum 2007 Heart Stone Vineyard
$129.99Adelaida District Paso Robles
Wine Advocate 98 Rating
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The late-released 2007 Heart Stone, which spent 28 months in a combination of barrels, demi-muids, and pungeons, turned out to be a final blend of 65% Syrah, 21% Grenache, and 14% Mourvedre. Like all of Justin Smith’s 2007s, it is a riveting, sensational wine that carries its heavy weight, profound richness, and intensity very gracefully. That is no doubt an effect of the limestone soils of this region. Blackberry and smoked meats as well as some garrigue and floral notes are followed by a dense, rich, pure, multi-layered wine that just screams for grilled poultry or meats! Bottled unfined and unfiltered (and as I recall, 25-35% stems/whole clusters were used during fermentation), this is a fabulous wine that combines power and elegance. It should drink well for at least a decade or more. -
Saxum 2008 Bone Rock
$119.99James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles
Wine Advocate 96 Rating
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The 2008 Bone Rock comes across as quite delicate and perfumed in its expressive bouquet. Hints of smoke, mint and tar add complexity to the dark, black fruit in this beautifully balanced wine. I find a bit more complexity and nuance in the 2008 than in the 2009. I especially like the aromatic lift and freshness here. The 2008 Bone Rock is 83% Syrah (75% whole clusters), 13% Mourvedre and 4% Grenache. The wine spent 30 months in French oak and was bottled in January 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2020. SG -
Saxum 2008 Booker Vineyard
$149.99Paso Robles California
Wine Advocate 98 Rating
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The 2008 Booker Vineyard (92% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre, which had also been bottled immediately before my visit) has an opaque purple color and a wonderfully sweet nose of black cherry, black currant, licorice, incense, and some Asian spices. The wine has seamless lushness, a voluptuous texture, stunning purity, and a very long, 40-second-plus finish. Booker is another top site that I believe was planted with Justin Smith’s help. It is a 40-acre vineyard sitting on similar limestone soils. This incredible wine would probably benefit from a couple of years of cellaring, as the structure is more present, no doubt due to the high level of Syrah in the wine. It should evolve for 10-15 more years. -
Saxum 2008 Broken Stones
$89.99Paso Robles California
Wine Advocate 94 Rating
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The 2008 Broken Stones (79% Syrah, 13% Grenache, and the rest Mourvedre) has a bluish purple color to the rim, with the classic nose of camphor, charcoal, black currant, and blackberry with hints of licorice and smoke. This intense wine displays great fruit, some structure, and a beautifully seamless texture. It is more evolved and open than the 2007 was at the same time, and just slightly less profound. It should drink nicely for at least a decade. SG -
Saxum 2008 James Berry Vineyard
$144.99Paso Robles California
Wine Advocate 98 Rating
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The 2008 James Berry Vineyard (52% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, and 17% Syrah) saw some of its Grenache aged in the concrete eggs that are now catching on among some of the top producers on California’s Central Coast. With strong minerality from the limestone soil, this exuberant, fleshy, full-bodied wine is already drinking well. (I believe it was actually bottled just a day or two before my visit, which makes its performance that much more remarkable.) Dense purple, with sweet notes of barbecue smoke and meats as well as roasted herbs, extravagant black cherry, black currant, and blackberry fruit are all present in this wine, but there is plenty of underlying structure that comes from both the minerality and the Mourvedre component. Pure, full-bodied, but again, impressively elegant and nuanced, this is a tour de force and another prodigious example of this extraordinary vineyard site. -
Saxum 2012 Paderewski (1.5lt)
$299.99Paso Robles California
Wine Advocate 96 Rating
Surprisingly tannic and structured for a wine that’s normally the most approachable and sexy, the 2012 Paderewski Vineyard checks in as a blend of 45% Zinfandel, 36% Mourvedre, 12% Tempranillo and 7% Petite Sirah. It possesses the classic chalky minerality of the vineyard to go with exotic perfumed notes of black raspberry, plums, brambly underbrush and assorted background meatiness. This all flows to a full-bodied, elegant and polished wine that has solid mid-palate depth and chewy, firm tannin on the finish. Give this a year or more in the cellar and enjoy bottles through 2024. R13-1 -
Saxum 2014 Paderewski
$169.99Paso Robles California
Wine Advocate 94 Rating
A 30% Mourvèdre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 13% Tempranillo and 12% Grenache blend, the 2014 Paderewski Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of warm mulberries, blueberry compote and preserved plums with touches of Chinese five spice, licorice, black pepper and underbrush. The full-bodied palate has a solid frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness supporting the earthy, tightly knit flavors, finishing on a peppery note. R13-3 -
Saxum 2015 James Berry Vineyard (1.5 lt)
$299.99Paso Robles California
Wine Advocate 97 Rating
Made from 33% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre, 24% Syrah and 11% Counoise, the 2015 James Berry Vineyard Proprietary Red reveals a deep garnet-purple color and expressive nose of black currants, black cherries and mulberries with hints of baking spices, chocolate box, violets and Sichuan pepper. The palate is surprisingly elegant, with great intensity of flavors framed by soft, sensuous tannins and a lively line carrying the fruit and spices to a long, long finish. R19-1 -
Saxum 2016 G2 Vineyard
$128.99Willow Creek Paso Robles California
Jeb Dunnuck 99 Rating
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Checking in as a blend of 42% Grenache, 35% Mourvèdre, 20% Tannat, and the balance Zinfandel, the 2016 G2 is one of the standouts in this truly stacked lineup. It sports a vivid ruby/purple color as well as a rocking bouquet of black raspberries, new saddle leather, sweet garrigue, white pepper, and blood orange. Deep, rich, and layered, yet also light on its feet, incredibly complex, and perfectly balanced, it's an incredible wine from this up and coming vineyard that readers should snatch up. It will be even better with 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise in cold cellars for 10-15 years. Drink: 2020-2035. R9-1
