2001 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard- USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (3/1/2018)
Cellared since release, open in bottle for an hour…92% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 3% Grenache 15.6 abv. How great is THIS wine at age 17! Still massive rich fruit that has polished and finessed with age…still oozing with goodness! Dark and saturated liqueured berries…creme de cassis, licorice, molten chocolate lava cake, white pepper, cedar spice…still quite youthful with some dusty exotic wood tannin, cherry skin acidity, mineral crunch…yet a seamless balance and added finesse for such a big wine. Love the graphite dryness, violet/white flower florals, and more of a red berry finish. Plenty more left in the tank! (95 pts.)
i wasn’t sure there were any more bottles left. I had my last 2001 last year, and thought it was amazing - and it confirmed my belief that Saxum wines age quite well. I have one 2002 left, and will try to hold it until age 20. Until then, I will have to get by with some from the late 2000s.
My old Saxums are long gone, as are my old Linne Calodos.
This photo is of the James Berry bottling rather than the Bone Rock, but I loved those original Linne Calodo labels from when Justin and Matt were working together.