Nose
The nose is cedar and earth with blackberry and violets in the background and plenty
of black pepper (that pepper is coming from the 27% stem inclusion). Beautiful black and
blue fruits, ground pepper, chalky minerality, and hints of chocolate.
Palate
The mouth is round and polished with no hard edges
and excellent fruit purity (thanks to the 34% concrete amphora I
suspect). It is round and full, with a dense, tannic spine that
needs some time to relax and strut its stuff. The finish is where
the extended aging really shines through. It’s very concentrated,
yet flows on and on, without feeling heavy or burdensome.
That’s what makes Saxum Saxum. Weight and texture without
heaviness. With a focus of purity. I know, that sounds like an
oxymoron, but that’s really the key. The cornerstone.
Balanced acidity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This cuvée saw
a lot of stems in the ferments, yet they’re incredibly wellintegrated.
Growing Conditions
The Bone Rock blend comes from the Bone Rock block of James Berry Vineyard. It is a steep terrace of old head trained Syrah vines on a south facing slope. We unearthed fossilized whale bones when we terraced it and then needed to use jack hammers to plant the vines.
Winemaking
Like I mentioned in my previous letter, 2016 is quite possibly the
best vintage we have made. The stars aligned, and everything is
just right. The perfect amount of fruit richness, the right amount
of ripe tannins, the perfect amount of acidity, and incredible
balance, all wrapped up with some nice freshness and aromatic
intensity. We knew we had some great material right from the get go, o, and used a little less new oak than normal to let the explosive fruit and earthiness show itself properly.
Our wines are never racked off their lees and are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
- Released: January 2020
Aging
Wow. I definitely like giving this wine the extra year in barrel it deserves. 33 months
to be exact, and it is still really fresh and focused!
Appearance
A saturated purple color.
