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Saxum

Like his colleagues up and down the Central Coast, Justin Smith says that 2011 "is ultimately about brightness and lower alcohols," adding that he also finds "chalky, fine tannins and, especially, spiciness in the wines." The '11s follow on the heels of similarly styled wines from 2010, a for-the-moment regional trend that he personally applauds. He pointed out the same fact that I've lately been hearing more and more in California, and not just in the Central Coast: getting ripeness shouldn't be the concern. "Getting that ripe fruit in balance with natural acidity is the goal. We can take flavor pretty much for granted." Smith is extremely pleased with the results he's getting from his concrete fermenters and he is increasing his reliance on them as the vintages go by. The same goes for large-format wooden casks, "which let us age the wine more slowly and get finer tannins, plus the obvious bump in complexity." Mourvedre always gets a lot of attention at Saxum (as at most of the other top producers here) as it "helps to soften the acidity and lower the alcohol of grenache-heavy wines, which can get high in both cases around here." When I visited in October, a new cave, with tunnels, was being dug out at the base of the Smith family's hilltop property: it should be ready for the 2014 harvest.

From Focus on California's Central Coast (Nov 2013) by Josh Raynolds

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2011 Syrah James Berry Vineyard Bone Rock Paso Robles

Release Price: $89

Color: Red

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