medium golden yellow, prominent tearing; quince, white peach, pear, white flowers, buttered brioche; stone fruits, mineral notes, waxy mouthfeel; full bodied, good acidity, 14.8% ABV; made from predominantly Roussanne with a touch of Viognier and small amounts of Chardonnay, Clairette Blanche, Genache Blanc, and Marsanne fermented and aged in a combination of concrete tank and new and used French oak barrels, the only white Booker makes, winemakers Eric and Lisa Jensen worked with Justin Smith at Saxum and Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure before starting their own label in 2005; $50 — 2 years ago
My second bottle of Saxum Broken Stones to open, the other (2015) about 6-8 months ago. I wanted to open a Broken Stones as I made the Saxum list after about a 5yr wait, and Broken Stones is one of the wines I’m allocated. Thankfully I’ve been able to buy Saxum the last 5yrs or so from a friend’s allocation, so I can test out my taste preference before buying direct.
Compared to the 2015, this was so much more perfumed and ready to go. Wow! Brambly dark fruit, dark chocolate, potpourri, and a hint of smoked jerky. Deceptively nimble on the palate with great lift…blackberries, blueberries, violets, savory herbs, and sweet smoke. Texture here is hedonistic. Youthful, but less tannic than the 2015. Aromatics filled the room! Enjoy now with a short decant.
As an aside, I got to try this next to a 2017 Heart Stone and a 2017 Hexe (both included in this upcoming release), as well as a 2019 James Berry. I found the Broken Stones to be more purple fruit forward and supremely fragrant, the Heart Stone a touch more savory and red fruited, and the Hexe a total monster in regards to fruit and structure. — 15 days ago
This producer never fails. Not a wine that shows a lot of ‘syrah’ character but Jeeze is it silky, well made and hedonistic. Lots of mocha and coffee on the nose with dark black fruits of the palate. Such a suave wine. Very young at present. Almost reminds me of saxum or sqn. If you are looking for a terroir wine, look elsewhere but if you’re looking for one damn good sexy, deep wine, look no further. — 2 years ago
My contribution for a massive Grenache theme wine tasting (being as socially distanced as possible). This was alongside Cayuse God Only Knows, a 2011 No Girls Grenache, SQN Female, Saxum Terry Hogue, Lillian Grenache, 06 and 07 Beaucastel, and others.
Broken record, I know, but these wines are insanely delicious and so well crafted. Very much in the “love it or hate it” style, as typical with Cayuse wines. Much more spice and herbal lift here compared to the 2011. Stemmy, black peppercorn dusted rhubarb, olive, and smoked cherry jerky aromatics. Vibrant, almost nervy, on the palate with beautiful acidity. On the palate, it’s a back and forth between saline, iron driven savory notes and underripe fleshy red fruits. Compared to their Syrah, this is always a bit lighter and more bright. Seems to be drinking at peak. — 2 years ago
Girls group January 2020 — 2 years ago
Shay A

Thought I posted this 6-7 months ago but evidently it didn’t go through.
While I’m still on the waitlist, I’m able to buy a few bottles a year from a friend. This is the first bottle I purchased back in 2017. I know it’s young, but I couldn’t resist any longer. I double decanted this for about an hour then consumed from bottle over the next three.
I’ve had most of the Saxum offerings, but I don’t think I’ve had Broken Stones before, yet it’s just absolutely killer like every other Saxum I’ve had. Deeply purple/black in the glass with aromatics of roasted blueberries and blackberries that are then dipped in dark chocolate, alongside smoked meat. I never know how else to describe it, but certain high quality Paso Rhône style blends have this airy/weightless-jammy flair to them, which I love…definitely present here. Coiled up at first but as the evening moved on, the layers kept unfolding with notes of charcoal, spiced dark fruits, cherry jerky. Perfect balance of acidity & tannin.
Best in 2-3yrs, but quite enjoyable with 3-4hrs of air now. — 17 days ago