2012 Saxum Paderewski Vineyard 1×1.5L

Robert Parker 96

Surprisingly tannic and structured for a wine that’s normally the most approachable and sexy, the 2012 Paderewski Vineyard checks in as a blend of 45% Zinfandel, 36% Mourvedre, 12% Tempranillo and 7% Petite Sirah. It possesses the classic chalky minerality of the vineyard to go with exotic perfumed notes of black raspberry, plums, brambly underbrush and assorted background meatiness. This all flows to a full-bodied, elegant and polished wine that has solid mid-palate depth and chewy, firm tannin on the finish. Give this a year or more in the cellar and enjoy bottles through 2024. This was another great visit with Justin Smith, and he continues to tweak and experiment with varying degrees of whole cluster and concrete, puncheon and barrel aging regimes. Looking at his 2011s, I was able to taste all of these from bottles in Colorado, and they’ve closed down substantially since I reviewed them from barrel. In most cases, these took a day or more to fully unwind, and the style here is much more Rhone-like, with spice, pepper and meaty aromatics paired with focused, firm palate profiles. These are gorgeous wine that won’t start to show their full potential for another 3-4 years. The 2012s are just as good, if not better, yet are surprisingly tannic and structured. Given the up-front nature of the vintage, I was surprised by the tannin profile and more reserved style in most of the wines. Nevertheless, the concentration level here is on par with, if not slightly greater than, the 2011s, and they show the fabulous purity and focus of the vintage. Both of these vintages will need short-term cellaring. My favorite of the three vintages reviewed here, the 2013s offer thrilling density of fruit, massive concentration, and sound underlying structure that keeps the wines focused and balanced. I think short-term cellaring will be helpful here as well, but I wouldn’t be afraid to crack a bottle or two on release either. Despite these vintage differences, as I hope the reviews and scores show, these are incredible wines that make the most of this special terroir. Truthfully, there are few mailing lists out there worth being on, but without a doubt, this is one of them. Tel. (805) 610-0363; www.saxumvineyards.com [Jeb Dunnuck, 28/08/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2024

Vinous 92+

Zinfandel is especially prominent in the 2012 Paderewski Vineyard. Dark red cherries, kirsch, sweet spices and wild flowers are all laced together in a silky, gracious wine. The Paderewski is quite pretty, but also a bit subdued, perhaps because of its recent bottling. It will be interesting to see if the 2012 fleshes out in bottle. The blend is 45% Zinfandel, 36% Mourvedre, 12% Tempranillo and 7% Syrah. [Antonio Galloni, 07/01/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2024