2006 Booker Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The denser purple-hued 2006 Booker Vineyard offers up aromas of acacia flowers, blackberry liqueur, charcoal, and graphite. Although not as complex as its 2006 siblings, it is a dense, full-bodied, mouth-filling wine that saturates the palate, and finishes stunningly long and pure. One of California’s super-star producers, Saxum owns one of the state’s most remarkable vineyard sites, the James Berry Vineyard, which has been broken into a number of different blocks, all planted on rocky limestone hillsides. This estate’s approach to winemaking is decidedly artisinal, with extraordinarily small yields as well as a minimalistic winemaking philosophy. Proprietors Justin and Heather Smith, who seem much too young to be producing such prodigious wines, fashion separate blends from the different blocks of the James Berry Vineyard. They also produce a cuvee from the 7-acre Heart Stone Vineyard (also planted on limestone soils) and one from the Booker Vineyard. Saxum’s 2006s are all home runs, but the utterly prodigious 2007s should resonate for decades, and showcase the brilliant potential of these limestone hillside sites west of Highway 101. Kudos to everyone at Saxum. My visit began with two of Smith’s experimental cuvees, which are only available to mailing list customers. As remarkable as the 2006s are, the 2007s are even more prodigious, showcasing just how brilliant certain Paso Robles terroirs can be. Even the most cynical observers of the Rhone Ranger scene will have to take notice of these wines. Even though some of the 2007s had just undergone bottling, I was blown away by how well they performed just a week after being bottled (often one of the worst times to taste a wine). In short, Saxum’s prodigious 2007s are even more nuanced, complex, and concentrated than their brilliant 2006s. Tel. (805) 610-0363; Fax (805) 238-2267
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
(100% syrah) Vivid ruby. Highly aromatic nose offers cherry, blueberry, violet and smoky Indian spices. Sappy and finely focused, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors, tangy minerals and a late note of candied flowers. Tannins slowly gain strength on the finish but are more than balanced by fruit. "Next year this will start getting mourvedre," Smith offered.
Atypically composed of 100% Syrah, the opulent, soft, flamboyant 2006 Booker Vineyard possesses a dense purple color in addition to notes of smoky black currant and blackberry fruit as well as a hint of incense. This lush, fruit-forward offering will be ready to drink immediately after bottling, and should last for 7-10 years. One of the superstar, artisinal winemaking operations in Paso Robles is Heather and Justin Smith’s Saxum Vineyard. The Smiths are also the proprietors of the James Berry Vineyard, an exceptional hillside site planted in pure white limestone, a site that provides extraordinary richness, minerality, precision, and individuality. Like his colleague to the south, Manfred Krankl, Justin Smith has been moving from strength to strength, building more elegance and nuances into his wines without sacrificing their intrinsic intensity, purity, and richness. As for the 2006s, these wines are scheduled to be bottled slightly later than usual as Justin Smith is another producer who is instituting longer cask and pungeon agings. The 2007s tasted suggest this may be one of the finest vintages Saxum has yet produced. The wines are already spectacular, and will no doubt gain in weight, texture, and nuances over the next year. Tel. (805) 610-0363; Fax (805) 238-2267
The 2006 Booker Vineyard boasts terrific fruit intensity and, like most of these wines, has a deep ruby/purple color to the rim and beautiful purity, with floral notes intermixed with smoke, black currant, cherry, and camphor. A fruit-forward palate with supple tannins and a beautiful, multi-layered mouthfeel, this is a beauty that offers further evidence of what a top-notch site this Booker Vineyard looks to be. (Not yet released) Tel. (805) 610-0363; fax (805) 238-2267
About the producer
Founded in 2002 by Justin and Heather Smith, Saxum Vineyards is a leading Paso Robles producer of Rhône-inspired wines. Limited to around 8,000 cases annually, the range includes Broken Stones, James Berry Vineyard, Bone Rock and Rocket Block.