Lot 139
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2012 (1) WA 96
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2013 (1) WA 95
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2014 (1) WA 97
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2015 (1) WA 96+
Lot 139 Details
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2012 (1)
Paso Robles.
The 2012 Heart Stone Vineyard is 43% Syrah, 41% Grenache and 16% Mourvedre that was aged mostly in concrete (the ’11 was aged 100% in concrete) yet also saw some new and neutral puncheons. Fermented with 40% whole clusters, it’s a big, burly effort that has beautiful creme de cassis, black raspberry, crushed violets, vanilla bean and exotic flower-like qualities all emerging from the glass. It too has a structured feel, with high, yet ripe tannin, so short-term cellaring is also advised here. August 2014 WA 96
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2013 (1)
Paso Robles.
Checking in as a final blend of 54% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 11% Mourvedre, the 2013 Heart Stone Vineyard shows the class and purity of the vintage in its complex, floral-laced aromas of dark fruits, spice and minerality. Full-bodied, seamless and silky, with no hard edges and terrific purity, it's another 2013 from Smith that will open up with another year in bottle. August 2016 WA 95
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2014 (1)
Paso Robles.
A classic Paso Robles Syrah (57% Syrah, 24% Grenache and the rest Mourvedre) that delivers on all accounts, the 2014 Heart Stone Vineyard is a big, rich, decadently styled beauty that offers tons of upfront spice, dark fruits, licorice and smoked earth aromatics, with more floral, violets and sappy underbrush notes coming through with air that keep it far for simple or straightforward. Utterly seamless on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a big, rich mid-palate and the chalky tannin that's the hallmark of these limestone hills on the west side of Paso Robles, this riveting, powerful, yet weightless beauty just begs to be drunk today, yet it will evolve easily for a decade or more. September 2016 WA 97
SAXUM HEART STONE VINEYARD 2015 (1)
Paso Robles.
Composed of 38% Syrah, 38% Grenache and 24% Mourvèdre, the 2015 Heart Stone Vineyard has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and beautiful scents of roses and kirsch plus nuances of salami, spice cake, tar, new leather and earth. Full-bodied, concentrated and full-on seductive, it has lovely rich fruit and spice layers, framed by rounded tannins and finishing with a lovely herbal lift. September 2017 WA 96+