2008 | Saxum Vineyards | James Berry Vineyard

Beautiful aromas of violets and sandalwood. Bright fruit too, with citrus, zest and mineral notes. Full, yet compacted and dense. Long and spicy yet minerally and fruity. Warm finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2008 James Berry Vineyard (52% Grenache, 31% Mourvèdre, 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.

• Jeb Dunnuck: I had previously reviewed the 2008 Saxum James Berry Vineyard from a tasting at the winery, so it was enlightening to get to sit down, and drink through a full bottle. A blend of 52% Grenache, 31% Mourvèdre, and 17% Syrah, aged for 19 months in puncheons and smaller barrels, it presents an unabashedly Californian profile that oozes sweet fruit and flesh, but balances it with a seamless, weightless texture and perfect balance. Notes of sweet crème de cassis, raspberry, smoked meats, and flowers all soar from the glass and are followed by a powerful, yet polished wine that carries loads of perfectly ripe, sweet fruit, good acidity, gorgeous depth, and a blockbuster finish. Profound, and a joy to drink, this should easily evolve for 4-6 years, and perform brilliantly for 2 decades.

Producer Information

Saxum Vineyards is a Californian wine producer in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. It is known for its portfolio of red blends produced from the key Rhône varieties: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The estate was planted at the end of the 1980s with a majority of vines now over 40 years of age. Located a mere 10 miles (16km) from the coast, unearthed fossilized whale bones have been discovered here requiring a jack hammer to plant the vines. Planted throughout an undulating landscape the vineyards are located on slopes at an altitude of approximately 1200 feet (365 meters). Saxum's portfolio now features a collection of proprietary cuvées. The Rhône varieties reign supreme, but there are small plantings of other grapes like Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, which are used in small amounts. Strict yields inform the limited production of roughly 5500 cases annually. The flagship wine is the James Berry vineyard red blend, made from Grenache with Mourvèdre, Syrah and Counoise. The Syrah is co-fermented with small amounts of Roussanne instead of Viognier, the white variety commonly blended with Syrah in northern Rhône appellations.

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