This was a difficult vintage in most of California, but Saxum seemed to handle it just fine. The wines, do, however, seem to be drinking a little earlier than most vintages. The 2011 Saxum's are ready to drink but no hurry on any of them. This one has at least another decade but it probably won't get better. That is fine because it is outstanding. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, smoke, black cherries, red currants and slight bacon fat. On the palate, there is nice black raspberry fruit with some black cherries over some pepper and charred earth. A nice backbone of acidity (more noticeable than most vintages). Nice finish. This is still a big ripe wine but it drinks well on its own and worked fine with some cheeses and nuts.
