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.
Paderewski Vineyard is owned by Bill and Liz Armstrong of Epoch Estate. Paderewski is know for Zinfandel and Petite Sirah and Justin Smith combined them with the Rhone varieties he has mastered.
Opaque purple in color. 15.7% ABV. 34% Zinfandel, 31% Mourvedre, 16% Tempranillo, 10% Syrah and 9% Petite Sirah. Killer nose of red and black fruits, molten licorice, scorched earth and flowers. Full bodied with ample acidity. Notably well balanced. Incredibly plush and silky. Packed with concentrated fruit. Raspberry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, coffee and smoke on the palate. Exceptional length on a long, smooth finish. A truly unique blend that is absolutely stunning. Best over the next 2-3 years.
My rating: 95 points.
Current wines from Saxum are available via the mailing list at $98 per bottle. There is at least a 5 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.