Saxum Booker Vineyard Red Blend Paso Robles 2019

Saxum Vineyards is focused on producing Grenache, Syrah, and Mataro based blends from the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. There you will find rocky, calcareous soils, steep hillsides, sunny days, and cooling ocean breezes that result in distinct Saxum wines with low yields, fruit picked at the peak of ripeness, and a minimalist approach in the cellar. Proprietor, Justin Smith, respects the land and farms everything sustainably without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. Production is kept at 5,000 – 6,000 cases per year divided between nine different bottlings: Broken Stones, James Berry Vineyard, G2 Vineyard, Bone Rock, Rocket Block, Booker Vineyard, Paderewski Vineyard, Heart Stone Vineyard, and Terry Hoage Vineyard.

The 2019 Booker Vineyard is a Syrah-dominated blend that includes 16% Mataro, 12% Grenache, and 7% Graciano, and this will be the last vintage for this cuvée. Blackberries, peppery stems, roasted meats, and spicy nuances all emerge from this powerful, ripe, concentrated, yet still impeccably balanced red. 97-99pts, Jeb Dunnuck