2019, 2020, 2021 Saxum Paso Robles Rhone Blend Tasting Lot

“The 2019 Heart Stone Vineyard is mostly Graciano, Grenache, and Syrah but has a small amount of Mataro, Petite Sirah, Viognier and Touriga Nacional. Rocking levels of red and blue fruits, white pepper, and sandalwood all emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, with a pure, polished mouthfeel, silky tannins, and one heck of a great finish.” (09/2021)

“Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Vibrant raspberry, cherry, blueberry and floral scents are complicated by suggestions of botanical herbs and exotic spices. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering intense, finely detailed red and blue fruit liqueur and spicecake flavors and a subtle lavender nuance. Fine-grained tannins lend gentle grip to a wonderfully long, focused finish that leaves suave floral pastille, vanilla and Moroccan spice notes behind. (JR)” (07/2022)

“Wonderfully complex with subtle mushrooms, blackberries, citrus and crushed black grapes. It’s full-bodied, yet so fresh and energetic, with vivid acidity running through the wine. Spices at the finish, from cloves to white pepper. 32% graciano, 30% grenache, 24% syrah, 8% mataro, 4% petite sirah, 1% viognier and 1% touriga nacional. Drink or hold.” (03/2022)

“The 2019 Heart Stone Vineyard, a blend of 32% Graciano, 30% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 8% Mataro, 4% Petite Sirah, 1% Touriga Nacional and 1% Viognier, has a toned-down but perfumed expression this vintage. Its aromas—blue and black berries accented by tones of mint, earth, coffee beans and purple flowers—evolve as the wine spends time in the glass. Medium-bodied, with a silty texture and fresh acidity, the palate offers floral fruits and a long, uplifted finish. (EB)” (03/2022)

“A gutsy blend, broad-shouldered in structure and jammed with personality, offering black raspberry, smoked pepper, fruitcake spices and crushed stone accents that build toward firm tannins. (TF)” (04/2022)

“Aged 20 months in a combination of used 300-liter barrels and foudre, the 2020 Heart Stone Vineyard is a clear highlight within the 2020 Saxum roster. It opens with a fragrant nose of muddled berries, Angostura bitters, lifted citrus peel notes and an underlying savory character. The palate is ripe, plush and decadent yet bound with admirable energy, leading to a broad, meaty and powerful finish of massively staining dark fruits, drying, fine tannins and bracing structural acidity. It's a blend of 33% Graciano, 31% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 9% Mataro, 5% Touriga Nacional and 3% Petite Sirah. (ML)” (06/2024)

“The 2020 Heart Stone Vineyard is seductive in the glass, with a blend of crushed raspberries, dried citrus peels, sweet spice and lavender. This is elegant and graceful on the palate, with a wonderful lift to its depths of tart wild berry fruit. Sour citrus and balsamic tones add further tension toward the close. The 2020 finishes structured and long with a resonance of violette candies that linger. This blend of 33% Graciano, 31% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 9% Mataro, 5% Touriga Nacional and 3% Petite Sirah is built for the cellar. (EG)” (05/2023)

“Densely structured and brooding, with deep blackberry and currant flavors laced with bitter chocolate, crushed stone and savory herbs as this builds tension toward full-bodied tannins. (TF)” (07/2023)

“A lush, sexy, forward beauty, the 2021 Heart Stone Vineyard is based on 31% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 21% Graciano, and the rest Mataro and Petite Sirah, with the blend shifting slightly due to replanting in the vineyard. As with all the ’21s here, it has a vivid purple hue as well as a great perfume of sweet red and blue fruits, spring flowers, ground pepper, and underbrush, but it’s on the palate where this beauty really shines. Layered, silky, and opulent, it’s not yet bottled, but my money is on this drinking nicely right out of the gate.” (08/2023)

“The 2021 Heart Stone Vineyard is an understated beauty, lifting from the glass with a burst of crushed rocks, wilted violets and citrus-laced blackberries. Cool-toned and racy in style, it sweeps across the palate with zesty wild berry fruits, complicated by a twist of tangerine and an air of sage. It leaves the palate drenched in primary concentration and crisp tannins, while a bump of residual acidity leaves the mouth watering for more. There’s gorgeous harmony here, which should promote a long and steady evolution. (EG)” (06/2024)

“This Syrah-dominant blend gives a dark and stormy nose with blackberries, black pepper and black liquorice. The palate is dark, rich and complex, with firm tannins and a long finish. Rich fruits and figs dominate, with sweet vanilla and cinnamon spices and a lengthy, dark chocolate finish. (BC)” (08/2023)

“The 2021 Heart Stone Vineyard underwent a 22-month élevage in a mixture of new 300-l barrels, used foudre and concrete amphora. It opens with the most savory nose in the Saxum roster, showing aromas of black pepper, exotic spices, new leather and burning incense. The palate is suave and forward but also restrained, framed with mouth-watering acidity and concluding with powdery, grippy and persistent tannins. A beautiful, understated showing within a lineup of fairly massive wines, this should be a pleasure to drink over the coming decade and then some. It's a blend of 31% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 21% Graciano, 17% Mataro and 3% Petite Sirah. (ML)” (06/2024)

“Powerfully structured and rather brooding for the moment, this red offers deep flavors of blackberry and raspberry accented by smoked meat, cracked pepper and crushed stone tones that build richness and tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. Grenache, Syrah, Graciano, Mataro and Petite Sirah. (TF)” (10/2024)