Saxum Vineyards is located in the Paso Robles AVA of Central California. Founded in the early 2000’s by Justin Smith, a young winemaker who had previously been part-owner of Linne Calodo, Saxum leapt into the limelight in late 2010 when its 2007 James Berry Vineyards wine was named the #1 Wine of 2010 by Wine Spectator. Smith owns the winery with his wife Heather, and produces up to 2,800 cases of wine a year.
Owned by Eric and Lisa Jensen, the Booker Vineyard is extremely steep and rocky with a mix of calcareous and siliceous soils. Saxum leases 2 acres of East facing Syrah that produces extremely concentrated fruit with great acidity.
Opaque purple in color. 15.8% ABV. 70% Syrah and 30% Mourvedre. Sublime nose of red and blue fruits, charred meats, creme de cassis and flowers. Full bodied with exquisite acidity. There is a touch of heat but it does not distract from the wine whatsoever. Boysenberry, blueberry, cassis liqueur and licorice on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long and silky. One of those wines where it is hard to put the glass down. In a perfect spot right now but I suppose it could age longer. I can’t imagine it will get better though. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 97 points.
Current wines from Saxum are available via the mailing list at $98 per bottle. There is a several year wait before you can expect to receive an offer.
I’ve written about Saxum previously in Winery Mailing Lists: The Fab 5 and The 2018 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.