2012 James Berry Proprietary Red

43% Grenache, 29% Mourvèdre, 18% Syrah, 10% Counoise. 30-40% whole cluster pressed. The Grenache was matured in concrete tank and larger puncheons, the Mourvèdre and Syrah matured in French oak. Showing lots of concentration with notes of red fruit, spice and forest accents. Nuanced. Grippy, taut tannin with balancing acidity and a persistent finish. Carries alcohol easily. Tightly wound currently, with a lot of promise. There is a lot of tenacity to this wine and it will need to be kept in the cellar for several years before opening but it shows purity and harmony throughout. (ECB)

There are 1,580 cases of the 2012 James Berry Vineyard and it reminds me of the 2009 Janasse Chaupin (which is one of Justin’s favorite wines). Incorporating more Mourvedre than normal, it’s made from 43% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise that’s aged in a combination of concrete and barrel. Rock star stuff, with fabulous black raspberry, cassis, spring flowers and charred meat aromas and flavors, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness and depth, yet stays lively, incredibly pure and elegant, with lots of fine tannin emerging on the finish. It will benefit from 2-3 years in the cellar and have 15-20 years of ultimate longevity. 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

The 2012 James Berry Vineyard stands out for its textural finesse, sweetness and overall balance. Sweet spices, red berries and flowers all meld together in a decidedly silky James Berry. The 2012 is 42% Grenache, 29% Mourvèdre, 18% Syrah and 10% Counoise. More expressive today on the palate than in its aromatics, the 2012 remains a baby.