Winemaker Notes
Saxum aims to produce a wine that is both compelling and complex. The Heart Stone is a tannic and spicy wine that has great purity and complexity. Their wines are never racked off their lees and are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Blend: 38% Syrah, 36% Grenache, 26% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 38% Syrah, 36% Grenache, and 26% Mourvedre, the 2006 Heart Stone Vineyard offers up scents of flowers, lavender, black cherries, raspberries, blackberries, underbrush, and forest floor. Justin Smith uses a lot of whole clusters in his fermentation, which seems to give his wines structure as well as nuance. This is the most French-like of Saxum’s 2006s, and it comes across like a restrained, northern Rhone-like effort that is only hinting at its ultimate potential. It will benefit from 1-3 years of cellaring, and should evolve for 10-15 years.
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Wine Spectator
Intense and powerful, with ripe, focused plum, blackberry and wild berry fruit that's shaded by pepper and nutmeg flavors. Full-bodied, dense and chewy, with pleasantly earthy tannins. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fabulous aromatics on this blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. About one-third inclusion of the stems during fermentation gives it a spiciness, and also some grippy tannins. Underneath are bright red and black stone fruits and berries. Very exotic and compelling.
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.
YAP119038_2006 Item# 119038