2016 Saxum, Terry Hoage Vineyard, Paso Robles, Bottle (750ml)

JD97 "The 2016 Terry Hoage Vineyard comes from Jennifer and Terry Hoage's Vineyard (of TH Estate) and is 43% each of Grenache and Syrah, with the balance Mourvèdre. This purple-hued beauty boasts a rocking bouquet of crème de cassis, smoked plums, charcoal, and damp earth, with more violets and floral notes developing with time in the glass. While a big wine, it just glides across the palate and is straight up seamless, silky, and elegant, with a weightless texture, full body, sweet tannins, and a great finish. Like the 2016s from Smith, it has ample underlying structure and density, yet the wine is so perfectly balanced it's hard to even notice. Drink this brilliant wine any time over the coming 10-15 years. This report looks mostly at the 2016s from undeniable superstar winemaker, Justin Smith. Smith is one of the pioneers of the Paso Robles wine scene yet remains as humble and accessible as ever. Speaking about the 2016s, these are the strongest set of releases since the 2007s, and I suspect at maturity these wines will be even better. They have a rare sense of depth and richness paired with purity and precision, as well as singular characters, and these truly are special wines. The 2016 James Berry is quite possibly the greatest wine ever produced from the region and is a legendary wine in the making. Do whatever you can to latch onto a few bottles of this magical elixir. The majority of the 2016s will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age, but good luck keeping your hands off of them. The 2017s are similarly styled, yet they have slightly more elegance and approachability compared to the denser, richer 2016s. I suspect these will continue to put on weight as well with additional time in barrel. As I’ve said in the past, there are few mailing lists worth staying on in today wine world; this is one of them." JD Nov 2018

VM96 "Deep lurid ruby. Powerful, mineral-accented blackberry and cherry aromas are complemented by suggestions of incense, licorice and pungent flowers. Supple, sweet and impressively concentrated, offering intense dark berry, cherry liqueur and lavender pastille flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity and sharpened by a jolt of spicy white pepper. Plush yet surprisingly lively. Finishes on a suave floral note, showing outstanding clarity and velvety tannins that come on slowly." JR for VM Sep 2018