2014 Terry Hoage Vineyard

Blended of 48% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 22% Mourvèdre, the 2014 Terry Hoage Vineyard has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and slightly reticent nose of red currants and raspberry leaves with suggestions of black pepper, fragrant earth and mossy bark, with a hint of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, tightly wound and with fairly restrained, earthy/savory flavors, it has beautifully ripe tannins and a nice long refreshing finish.

A similar blend to the 2015, the 2014 Terry Hoage Vineyard (48% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 22% Mourvèdre) is a deeper, richer wine that offers sensational notes of blackberries, currants, pepper, crushed violets and hints of graphite. Deep, rich and layered, yet light on its feet as well as elegant and graceful, this sensational 2014 has sweet tannin, good acidity and a big finish. Give bottles a year or two (it’s great today as well) and enjoy through 2028. I’ve raved so much about the wines from Saxum’s Justin Smith, I feel like a broken record every new vintage. Nevertheless, these latest vintages are all stellar, and certainly the move to the new cellar hasn’t affect or changed the quality here. The 2014s show the richer, more fleshy style of the vintage, yet still carry the slightly more streamlined/elegant style that Smith has chosen over the past few years. The 2015s play even more in that realm, which is very much the vintage, and are lively and elegant, with pretty, perfumed characters – and plenty of fruit. The 2015s share a lot of similarities to the 2011s (which shined for their aromatics), yet have more fruit and power. It’s worth noting that the majority had just been recently bottled, which makes these showings even more impressive. A vintage that really excites me is the 2016s, which appear to be a return to a more bombastic style, with beautiful fruit and texture.

Blended of 48% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 22% Mourvedre, the 2014 Terry Hoage Vineyard has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and slightly reticent nose of red currants and raspberry leaves with suggestions of black pepper, fragrant earth and mossy bark, with a hint of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, tightly wound and with fairly restrained, earthy/savory flavors, it has beautifully ripe tannins and a nice long refreshing finish. Sep 2017, www.robertparker.com