The 2005 “44" James Berry Vineyard is a blend of 81% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and 9% Grenache that was aged 44 months in a combination of small barrels and larger demi-muids. There are fewer than 100 cases of this inky/purple-tinged 2005, which represents the concentrated essence of blackberry, charcoal, and floral notes intermixed with smoke, grilled herbs, and meat. With superb concentration and a multi-textured mouthfeel, this splendid wine demonstrates how concentrated these wine can be with prolonged barrel aging, and how they tend to be less oaky with extended time in wood compared to those taken out of oak at 16-18 months. (Not yet released) One of California’s super-star producers, Saxum owns one of the state’s most remarkable vineyard sites, the James Berry Vineyard, which has been broken into a number of different blocks, all planted on rocky limestone hillsides. This estate’s approach to winemaking is decidedly artisinal, with extraordinarily small yields as well as a minimalistic winemaking philosophy. Proprietors Justin and Heather Smith, who seem much too young to be producing such prodigious wines, fashion separate blends from the different blocks of the James Berry Vineyard. They also produce a cuvee from the 7-acre Heart Stone Vineyard (also planted on limestone soils) and one from the Booker Vineyard. Saxum’s 2006s are all home runs, but the utterly prodigious 2007s should resonate for decades, and showcase the brilliant potential of these limestone hillside sites west of Highway 101. Kudos to everyone at Saxum. My visit began with two of Smith’s experimental cuvees, which are only available to mailing list customers. As remarkable as the 2006s are, the 2007s are even more prodigious, showcasing just how brilliant certain Paso Robles terroirs can be. Even the most cynical observers of the Rhone Ranger scene will have to take notice of these wines. Even though some of the 2007s had just undergone bottling, I was blown away by how well they performed just a week after being bottled (often one of the worst times to taste a wine). In short, Saxum’s prodigious 2007s are even more nuanced, complex, and concentrated than their brilliant 2006s. Tel. (805) 610-0363; Fax (805) 238-2267