2021 Broken Stones

What’s better than tasting a new vintage at Saxum? How about tasting four vintages? Due to release schedules since my previous visit, Justin Smith lined up wines from 2019 through 2022. It was a fantastic way to track the recent seasons from Saxum’s perspective. This is one of the most polarizing portfolios in the United States today. The wines are intense and rich, yet with complexity and energy to burn. This magical mix makes them very exciting to taste when young and capable of maturing over decades. A recent experience with a 2008 Broken Stones left me wondering if the wine may be immortal. I’ve already sung the praises of 2019 and 2021 and mentioned how well Smith avoided any smoke issues during 2020. While 2022 is another vintage to be picky across the board, Saxum did a fantastic job. A combination of spring frost and a ten-day heat wave during harvest resulted in lower quantities. Saxum fans will find an elevated level of Mataro in the Grenache blends to balance things out. The winery also reduced the amount of whole cluster fermentation. Smith commented, “The whites were harvested before the heat wave. But there were three harvests: before, during, and after the heat, where we had to do a lot of triage.” In the end, selection was the secret to success.