2015 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Bone Rock

There are a scant four barrels of the 2015 Bone Rock (97% Syrah and 3% Roussanne), and my money is on this meriting a triple-digit rating in 3-4 years. Incredible notes of crème de cassis, caramelized cherries, cedarwood, salted meat, and loads of flowery incense flow to a full-bodied, powerful, yet seamless red that does everything right. It’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and cruise for 15 years or more. Saxum’s Justin Smith has hit a home run with these recent vintages, and his 2015s, 2016s, 2017s, and 2018s all have singular styles, with the quality remaining sky-high. The 2018s show the slightly more pure, fresh, yet concentrated style of the vintage nicely. While not yet bottled, these will offer pleasure in their youth as well as benefit from short term cellaring. The 2017s are more pretty, perfumed wines that don’t quite have the density of the 2016s yet certainly don’t lack for fruit. Most are already drinking nicely today, yet as with all great wines, they’re going to evolve gracefully. Lastly, the 2016s are some of the greatest wines I’ve tasted from this estate, and they offer massive, layered, yet impeccably balanced profiles that are a joy to drink today; they’ll also be a joy to drink in 10-15 years as well. As I’ve written more than once, there are few mailing lists worth being one, but without a doubt, this is one of them.

Youthful purple. Intensely perfumed dark berry liqueur, Moroccan spice, licorice and floral pastille aromas are complemented by hints of musky herbs and pipe tobacco. Palate-coating, youthfully primary black and blue fruit, mocha and spicecake flavors show impressive power as well as vivacity thanks to a spine of bracing acidity. The floral and spice qualities repeat emphatically on an extremely long, penetrating finish shaped by solid, mounting tannins.

The soon-to-be-bottled 2015 Syrah James Berry Vineyard Bone Rock (which was co-fermented with 3% Roussanne) was also showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with notes of creamy cassis, blackberries, bay leaf, rich soil and dried flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with immense concentration, ripe balancing acids and a fine-grained, stony chassis of tannin. In 2015, yields were less than one ton per acre, so there are a mere four barrels this year. Like the Rocket Block, it should enjoy two decades of longevity.