2016 Bone Rock

This comes from the Bone Rock block of the James Berry vineyard. The 2016 Bone Rock is a blend of 72% Syrah, 10% Mataro, 9% Graciano, 6% Grenache and 3% Roussanne. It was made with 27% whole cluster and aged 33 months in various vessels, including 59% new oak and 34% amphorae. Medium to deep ruby-purple, it's scented of crème de cassis, baked marionberries, cranberry jelly and raspberry preserves with fragrant earth notes and a floral undercurrent. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is powerful and decadent with dense fruits, a firm frame and just enough freshness on the finish. 700 cases produced.

A blend of 72% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, and the rest Grenache and Roussanne, the 2016 James Berry Vineyard Bone Rock boasts a saturated purple color as well as beautiful black and blue fruits, ground pepper, chalky minerality, and hints of chocolate. These carry to a full-bodied Syrah that has nicely balanced acidity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This cuvée saw a lot of stems in the ferments, yet they’re incredibly well-integrated. I suspect it’s going to merit a triple-digit rating in 3-4 years and it’s another awesome wine from the genius of Justin Smith. Saxum’s Justin Smith has hit a home run with these recent vintages, and his 2015s, 2016s, 2017s, and 2018s all have singular styles, with the quality remaining sky-high. The 2018s show the slightly more pure, fresh, yet concentrated style of the vintage nicely. While not yet bottled, these will offer pleasure in their youth as well as benefit from short term cellaring. The 2017s are more pretty, perfumed wines that don’t quite have the density of the 2016s yet certainly don’t lack for fruit. Most are already drinking nicely today, yet as with all great wines, they’re going to evolve gracefully. Lastly, the 2016s are some of the greatest wines I’ve tasted from this estate, and they offer massive, layered, yet impeccably balanced profiles that are a joy to drink today; they’ll also be a joy to drink in 10-15 years as well. As I’ve written more than once, there are few mailing lists worth being one, but without a doubt, this is one of them.

Inky purple. Explosive, smoke- and spice-accented blueberry, cherry cola, vanilla and smoky mineral aromas show outstanding delineation and pick up an olive nuance with aeration. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated dark berry preserve, fruitcake and violet pastille flavors along with an exotic touch of star anise. The strikingly long, penetrating finish shows vibrant, minerally cut, an echo of juicy blue fruit and pliant tannins that sneak in late and fold smoothly into the deeply concentrated fruit.