The 2010 Syrah Booker Vineyard – a blend of 81% Syrah and 19% Mourvedre – is about as textbook a representation of a Paso Robles Syrah as I can think of. Locked and loaded with notions of ripe black and blue fruits, smoke, bouquet garni, espresso, and licorice, it is unabashedly full-bodied, rich, and yet elegant on the palate. Showing real class, as well as first-rate freshness, superb depth and concentration, and masses of tannin, this blockbuster Syrah needs a solid 3-4 years of bottle age to flesh out, and will keep for 15-20 years or more. A benchmark estate for California, Saxum, under the helm of superstar winemaker Justin Smith, continues to produce some of the most compelling, profound wines on the planet. While Smith’s wines are always full-flavored and intense, there has been a stylistic change over recent vintages, with the wines showing more obvious tannin and structure, as well as additional minerality and savory qualities. These 2010s exemplify this change and are all serious, structured efforts that will need bottle age to blossom. Tel. (805) 610-0363; Fax (805) 238-2267; www.saxumvineyards.com