2018 Booker Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Booker Vineyard, a blend of 74% Syrah and 26% Mataro, has gregarious aromas of baked blackberries, coffee, dark earth and licorice with loads of spicy accents. The full-bodied palate bursts with concentrated, nuanced fruits, pure notes of chocolate and floral perfume lingering in the mouth. The sheer concentration of flavor is expertly foiled by its fine, silt-like tannins and seamless freshness, and it finishes with tremendous length and detail. I appreciate how drinkable this is straight from the bottle, though it will have more to show with time in the cellar.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Opaque purple. Expansive aromas of dark fruit liqueur, incense, black pepper, violet and spice-cake, along with hints of olive and cola that build steadily in the background. Fleshy and broad on the palate, offering impressively concentrated black/blue fruit, spice-cake and violet pastille flavors supported by a core of smoky minerality. Pliant and appealingly sweet on the strikingly long, floral-driven, penetrating finish, which is framed by suave, harmonious tannins.
Another powerhouse, the 2018 Booker Vineyard is based on 74% Syrah and 26% Mourvèdre that sees some stem inclusion and a full 20 to 26 months in 350-liter French oak barrels before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It's a youthful, primary 2018 offering incredibly pure black and blue fruits as well as notes of charcoal, graphite, roasted herbs, and charred meat. These carry to a full-bodied Syrah with a beautiful core of sweet fruit, ripe, polished, yet certainly present tannins, and flawless balance. Despite its overall richness and size, it still has a vibrant spine of acidity and freshness and a gorgeous finish. Give bottles plenty of air if drinking any time soon, and my money is on it benefiting from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruising in cold cellars through 2032.
About the producer
Founded in 2002 by Justin and Heather Smith, Saxum Vineyards is a leading Paso Robles producer of Rhône-inspired wines. Limited to around 8,000 cases annually, the range includes Broken Stones, James Berry Vineyard, Bone Rock and Rocket Block.