2011 Saxum, James Berry Bone Rock, Paso Robles, Bottle (750ml) [Slightly Wrinkled Label]

RP97+ The 2011 Syrah James Berry Vineyard Bone Rock opens in the glass with complex aromas of ripe black fruits, rich spice, cracked pepper, licorice and savory notions of grilled meats. On the palate, it's full-bodied, fine-grained and intensely concentrated, with a firm, tight-knit core and unusual energy. The finish is long, precise and penetrating. While the 2011 vintage tends to be tainted by association with the challenges producers faced on California's North Coast, conditions were not so adverse in Paso Robles: at Saxum, the year seems to have produced some of the most tight-knit wines of Justin Smith's career, and the wines have the potential to be unusually long-lived.

AG97 The 2011 Bone Rock is the wine where all of the Saxum signatures intersect with the personality of the year to the fullest. A healthy dollop of Roussanne gives the Bone Rock extraordinary aromatic lift and nuance to balance the intense varietal fruit. Layers of dark plums, sage, rose petal, tobacco, new leather and spice blossom in an extraordinary wine of precision, power and depth. Expressive floral notes are woven throughout, adding to the wine's beguiling, complex personality. This is a fabulous showing from Saxum made all the more notable by the challenges of the year.