2015 Rocket Block James Berry Vineyard

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According to Justin Smith, in 2016 “just about everything that could go right, did.” A relatively rainy winter helped boost groundwater supplies, and a warm spring set the stage for normal budbreak and fruit set, with no weather events to spoil the party. The summer was warm but not hot, and sugar levels rose steadily while acid levels held firm. The resulting wines are rich and fruit-driven, for sure, but they are remarkably fresh as well. The new Saxum cellar is spacious enough that Smith is able to keep his barrels, when he wishes, on a single level, which he said makes working far more efficient than back in the days of his original, cramped, vertically stacked winery up the hill. He said that he’s also now able to extend the aging of his wines because there’s no rush to make space for incoming vintages, as was sometimes the case in the past.

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Justin Smith, whose wines have probably brought more attention to Paso Robles than any others, is also one of the most respected growers in the region. The vineyards he farms, both his own and those of a handful of selected clients, are well worth visiting if one can finagle an appointment. The key to success in a hot dry year like 2015, and in every vintage in the area, he says, “is to be willing to drop fruit that’s raisined and suck up the loss, even when it’s a short year.” Smith’s 2015s were standouts in my tastings during my July visit and also back in the office in October, when I had the chance to re-visit those wines which were still awaiting bottling in the summer. They’re going to be long-lived wines based on their sheer concentration, I’m sure, and if you can’t resist trying them now by all means give them a lot of air!

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