Saxum Vineyards

Heart Stone Vineyard Syrah Blend

9.3296 ratings
9.459 pro ratings
Paso Robles, Central Coast, California, USA
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre
Lamb, Chocolate & Caramel, Herbs, Soft Cheese, Salami & Prosciutto, Turkey, Pasta, Mushrooms, Veal, Tomato-Based, Chicken, Exotic Spices, Potato, White Rice, Duck, Nuts & Seeds, Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Asian Cuisine, Salads & Greens, Quinoa, Farro, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Beef, Chili & Hot Spicy, Hard Cheese, Pork, Pungent Cheese, Venison
Top Notes For
Lee Lightfoot

Best on day 3, but boy o boy it was great every time I checked in.

Best on day 3, but boy o boy it was great every time I checked in.

Dec 23rd, 2021
Lee Lightfoot

Fruit basket let, overwrought unbalanced with a touch of VA upon opening, developed into an effusive fruit basket of an ideal cocktail wine, paired with boolgogi and it was fantastic

Fruit basket let, overwrought unbalanced with a touch of VA upon opening, developed into an effusive fruit basket of an ideal cocktail wine, paired with boolgogi and it was fantastic

Mar 22nd, 2021
Jonathan Wall

Earthy, brambly, boysenberry, cocoa, blue stone, ... basically what I imagine a whole vineyard jammed in a blender would taste like.... awesome! 14 years mature and in good shape. Saxum elevated the Thanksgiving turkey!

Earthy, brambly, boysenberry, cocoa, blue stone, ... basically what I imagine a whole vineyard jammed in a blender would taste like.... awesome! 14 years mature and in good shape. Saxum elevated the Thanksgiving turkey!

Nov 30th, 2019
Shay A
9.4

Just a few pics of the wines from last night’s monthly 4th Friday. Too many bottles to try!

Awesome bottle from
@Bryan Kesting . I’m falling hard for Saxum. After having the ‘12 and ‘13 James Berry bottles over the last month, this has less perfumed, sweet and crunchy red fruit but a decidedly darker, smoked bacon fat, black cherry compote and baking spice note. Evolved each time I revisited. Chewy. Espresso, bayleaf, and dark flowers on the palate. Delicious.

Just a few pics of the wines from last night’s monthly 4th Friday. Too many bottles to try!

Awesome bottle from
@Bryan Kesting . I’m falling hard for Saxum. After having the ‘12 and ‘13 James Berry bottles over the last month, this has less perfumed, sweet and crunchy red fruit but a decidedly darker, smoked bacon fat, black cherry compote and baking spice note. Evolved each time I revisited. Chewy. Espresso, bayleaf, and dark flowers on the palate. Delicious.

Oct 26th, 2019
Matt Austin

Owner/Winemaker, Grosgrain Vineyards, Walla Walla, WA

8.9

High alcohol, high acid and high tannin. Saxum can normally make the big elements work in harmony, but not here in this difficult vintage.

High alcohol, high acid and high tannin. Saxum can normally make the big elements work in harmony, but not here in this difficult vintage.

Aug 3rd, 2018
Tim Edwards

Big and bold blend with nice earth overtones. smooth sharp tannins and a complex finish. @Tim Wolff

Big and bold blend with nice earth overtones. smooth sharp tannins and a complex finish. @Tim Wolff

1 person found it helpfulDec 23rd, 2014
Craig Haserot

Founder and Proprietor Sojourn Cellars

9.5

Ok it's wreckage night

Ok it's wreckage night

1 person found it helpfulNov 8th, 2014
V M
9.1

Nice cold weather wine. Big and bold. I can chew this wine. Lots of raspberry notes.

Nice cold weather wine. Big and bold. I can chew this wine. Lots of raspberry notes.

1 person found it helpfulNov 2nd, 2014
Marc Simon

Marc had this 10 years ago

Marc had this 10 years ago

1 person found it helpfulJun 11th, 2014
David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

On the the nose, grilled meats, soy, mint, menthol, black currants, dry blackberries, blue fruits, black plum, dark spice and decayed dark florals. The mouthfeel is full, rich, ripe that starts juicy and slowly dries across the palate. Fruits are the much like the nose. There's a good presence of tarriness, deep-dark Asian-Indian spices, dry stems, leather, pepper, wood shavings, menthol, mint & herbaceousness. Then, the fruits start to differentiate themselves on the longer plate set; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, mocha powder, caramel, crushed dry rocks, graphite, soy, grilled meats, dry decayed floral bouquet, violets & black cherry cola. The earth still outshines the fruits. The structure is still big. The elegant stingy finish swirls of everything above quite simultaneously on a long rich high acid finish. Still needs 5+ years. Photos of the the heart stone, vines of the "Heart Stone Vinyard" and those beautiful Paso Syrah grapes at harvest. The Heart Stone Vineyard is in the Paso Robles Adelaide AVA with a 30 acre oak forest on a hill and 8 acres planted to Rhone varietals. It was planted by John and Mary Swanson in 2000. They hired Justin Smith (Winemaker/Owner Saxum Winery) to select the property and plant the vineyard. He agreed on the condition he could take all the grapes. 2003 was the first vintage of Saxum Heart Stone. The high density blocks are planted on gentle South slopes of limestone and shale. It has 8 different clones of Syrah, 5 of Grenache and 2 Mourvedre.

On the the nose, grilled meats, soy, mint, menthol, black currants, dry blackberries, blue fruits, black plum, dark spice and decayed dark florals. The mouthfeel is full, rich, ripe that starts juicy and slowly dries across the palate. Fruits are the much like the nose. There's a good presence of tarriness, deep-dark Asian-Indian spices, dry stems, leather, pepper, wood shavings, menthol, mint & herbaceousness. Then, the fruits start to differentiate themselves on the longer plate set; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, mocha powder, caramel, crushed dry rocks, graphite, soy, grilled meats, dry decayed floral bouquet, violets & black cherry cola. The earth still outshines the fruits. The structure is still big. The elegant stingy finish swirls of everything above quite simultaneously on a long rich high acid finish. Still needs 5+ years. Photos of the the heart stone, vines of the "Heart Stone Vinyard" and those beautiful Paso Syrah grapes at harvest. The Heart Stone Vineyard is in the Paso Robles Adelaide AVA with a 30 acre oak forest on a hill and 8 acres planted to Rhone varietals. It was planted by John and Mary Swanson in 2000. They hired Justin Smith (Winemaker/Owner Saxum Winery) to select the property and plant the vineyard. He agreed on the condition he could take all the grapes. 2003 was the first vintage of Saxum Heart Stone. The high density blocks are planted on gentle South slopes of limestone and shale. It has 8 different clones of Syrah, 5 of Grenache and 2 Mourvedre.

Apr 29th, 2017