Saxum Vineyards James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, USA 2021

Saxum Vineyards is focused on producing Grenache, Syrah, and Mataro based blends from the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. We let our rocky calcareous soils, steep hillsides, sunny days, and cooling ocean breezes speak through our wines by keeping our yields low, picking the fruit at the peak of ripeness, and using a minimalist approach in the cellar. We respect our land and farm everything sustainably without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. Because our vine’s roots penetrate deep through the fissures in the calcareous soil irrigation is rarely needed. Production is kept around 8000 cases a year divided between ten different cuvees, Broken Stones, James Berry Vineyard, The Hexe, Bone Rock, Rocket Block, G2 Vineyard, Paderewski Vineyard, Heart Stone Vineyard, 4hearts Vineyard, and James Berry Vineyard White.

If a wine can show the best possible expression of where it came from and what season it was grown in, as well as please the senses, you have a great bottle.    — Justin Smith

NOTES FROM JUSTIN:
When we tasted the wines side by side to write these notes (I know, hard life!), Heather and I were struck by how elevated this wine was. Yes, it’s the only Grenache led wine in this Syrah dominated release, but it was just singing! These ‘21s have really snuck up on me. I have to admit that early in their lives I found them a little boring for lack of a better term. I now realize they were just late bloomers and their hidden charms are just now blossoming into something quite magical. They carry a weightlessness while simultaneously jam packed with so much substance. Does that even make sense? Anyways, I love them. I could throw some tasting notes out to you about this wine, but really you just have to taste it to understand what I’m trying to convey. It’s good.

53% Grenache, 31% Mataro, 6% Syrah, 6% Counoise, 4% Carignan

Wine Advocate 96