Winemaker Notes
Blend: 56% Grenache, 44% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 G2 Vineyard had just been bottled and is one of the lighter colored releases in the lineup. A blend of 56% Grenache and 44% Mourvèdre, it has an ethereal perfume of kirsch, blueberries, seaweed wrappers, herbes de Provence and hints of dried pepper. This flows to an elegant, silky, sweetly fruited red beauty that stays beautifully light and elegant on the palate, with fine, savory tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The newest vineyard in the Saxum lineup, the 2015 G2 Vineyard contains 56% Grenache and 44% Mourvèdre. Sporting a medium to deep garnet-purple color, it leaps from the glass with an exuberant red currant and Bing cherry nose, complemented by notes of dried Provence herbs, lavender, orange peel and black pepper. Full-bodied with a firm, grainy texture and tons of freshness, it has lovely spice and herbal layers on the very long finish.
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Wine Spectator
This has torque to spare, but there’s also richness and polish, plus black licorice, smoky pepper beef, currant and crushed stone accents that build power and depth toward bold tannins. Grenache and Mourvèdre. Best from 2019 through 2027.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.