Saxum James Berry Vineyard Rocket Block, Paso Robles, USA

薩克斯姆漿果園火箭干紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：5899

There should be a 2012 Rocket Block James Berry Vineyard (this cuvee hasn’t been made since 2005). A blend of 100% Grenache that saw 30% stem inclusion and is still aging in a new foudre, it has fabulous kirsch, licorice, ground pepper and wild herb nuances all showing in its full-bodied, rich, yet savory and almost Provincial style. As with the rest of Justin’s ‘12s, this has big structure and tannin at this stage. Justin commented that it wouldn’t be bottled for another year or so, but count me a fan and I can’t wait to see how this shows from bottle. 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