2019 The Hexe

The deeper plum-hued 2019 Hexe is a more diverse blend composed of 49% Grenache, 18% Petite Sirah, 16% Mataro, 9% Graciano, and 8% Syrah. The élevage here is similar to the Rocket Block, and it spent 32 months in 55% new French oak 300-liter barrels. Pure gold in Rhône blends from California, it has a massive bouquet of ripe black fruit, chocolate, smoked earth, graphite, ground pepper, and assorted meaty nuances, among other things. All of these carry over to the palate, where the wine is massively rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, with a layered, multi-dimensional texture. I was able to taste this on two separate occasions and thought it was a perfect wine both times. It shows the tighter, focused style of the 2019 vintage and deserves 2-4 years of bottle age. It will unquestionably keep for two decades. The 2020s from Saxum are solid wines, although there are subtle signs of smoke in a few of the wines, and in general, the wines are narrower and more focused than normal, yet still nicely concentrated. At a high level, I think these are good to outstanding wines that will offer pleasure. Clearly the 2021s are a step up, and this is another brilliant vintage for winemaker Justin Smith.