One of the stars of Washington wines.  Purple, ruby at the rim.  The nose is really interesting.  It had a spiciness which seems quite unique.  Also some black cherries, kirsch, and toast.  On the palate, this is still tannic.  Plenty of black cherry fruit though, so this should continue to develop.  Medium bodied.  Plenty of ripeness here but not over the top.  Some heat on the finish.  It drinks well now, but seems like further improvement is likely.  Needs bigger foods to pair with.  

This is young but wonderful.  It should improve a bit over the next couple of years.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  Great nose of black cherries, cloves, black olives and black pepper.  Lovely juicy full (glycerin) texture.  On the palate, black cherries and in a really good way, light cherry cough syrup.  Some vanilla.  Long finish.  This has plenty of depth but its hard to find layers at this young stage.  Still, it is delicious and would work with hearty foods.  Better yet, wait 3 to 5 years and drink over the next ten or so.  

2011 is a very interesting vintage for Saxum.  They made great wines, some of the best from Paso Robles as always.  But, it seems to be accessible earlier than most and they are drinking very well today.  This one is no exception.  Seems to be at peak right now and drinking great.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, spice, slight floral quality and plums.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Deep and tightly layered, it unwinds in the glass.  Medium tannins that increase with air.  Good finish.  This will need big or spicy foods.  It is a big wine, but not

Stunning wine that still may yet improve amazingly enough.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, slight clove, and slight roasted meats.  It seems that with age, the Syrah and Mourvedre components are taking precedence over the Grenache.  What a great texture.  Full bodied, yet plush, yet light on its feet.  Layers of black raspberry and cherry fruit with minerals and char.  Still some tannins left.  Some warmth (not heat) on the finish is about the only indication of the 15.8% alcohol.  No harm opening now, but a few more years of cellaring is not a bad thin

Gorgeous wine.  This was controversial on release for being too big and bold, but I think it would be less so today.  Maybe not.  It is still a ripe wine but not overblown or raisiny, etc.  Just a gorgeous expression of Merlot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is initially tight but opens quickly showing dusty cherries, slight mocha ad roasted herbs.  On the palate, black cherries layered with dry earth and just a hint of cocoa powder.  Great plush yet juicy texture.  This is deep with tight layering that unwind in the glass.  Long finish.  It probably won't get better but will

Nice wine.  From an easy to drink vintage that may have been the last reasonably priced vintage across the board in Bordeaux.  Even the best ones should be drunk sooner than later and while this is in that category, at age 16, it offered up a very nice wine.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is clean with some cassis and slight herbal note.  On the palate, nice one dimensional cassis fruit.  A bit shallow but still fresh.  Not a lot of development here and no funk, tobacco, or other tertiary qualities but what is here is quality.  

Great wine and in a great place.  Still has plenty of life left but fantastic right now.  Purple in color, although a bit dull at the ruby rim.  The nose is fantastic; cassis, cigar box, cherries and dust.  With air it brings some funk in a beautiful way.  On the palate, cassis, dry earth and slight spice.  Complex and tightly layered it unwinds quickly in the glass.  Long finish.  This would be ideal with heavier or meat based dishes.  Truly a contemplative wine and everything you could hope for back when this wine was released.  

This was pop and gently poured around the table.  Ruby/brown in color.  The nose is dusty at first.  With air some cassis and celery come out.  With more air, the cassis takes over along with some cigar box, but after a bit, it starts to fade albeit slowly.  On the palate, it starts out slightly bitter but with air gets a bit riper.  Not the deepest or most complex wine but still drinking nicely.  Certainly past prime at this point but with something to offer.  A nice contrast to slightly more youthful wines.  At 35 years from birth, pretty impressive.  

Light golden in color, slight green hue.  The nose is tight and not giving up much.  Revisiting it later doesn't add much; some minerality.  On the palate, there is more going on at this point.  Slightly oily texture which is nice.  Burnt lemon peel notes.  Ok finish.  Hard to tell where this is going.  It seems fresh and clean but in a shell right now.  Probably should hold or give it a lot of air.  Seem like it would work well with sea food and lighter dishes.  Hopefully, this has some upside with proper cellaring.  

Yellow/gold in color.  The nose has sulfur/smoke and lumber.  Someone mentioned marshmallow, and yes, that was on there too.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Very plush and creamy.  Lots of oak and charred oak.  A bit of lemon on the finish but also a bit of heat.  This is a stylistic thing and some will love it and for others, it is just not the type of Chardonnay the want.  If you are in the former, add a few points to the score.  If you are in the later, lay it down for 3 to 5 years and let the oak integrate a bit and hope the fruit can emerge.