Saxum Vineyards, G2 Vineyard Red, Paso Robles, California, 2023

Overview of the Wine
Saxum Vineyards is focused on producing Grenache, Syrah, and Mataro based blends from the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. We let our rocky calcareous soils, steep hillsides, sunny days, and cooling ocean breezes speak through our wines by keeping our yields low, picking the fruit at the peak of ripeness, and using a minimalist approach in the cellar. We respect our land and farm everything sustainably without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. Because our vine’s roots penetrate deep through the fissures in the calcareous soil irrigation is rarely needed. Production is kept around 8000 cases a year divided between ten different cuvees, Broken Stones, James Berry Vineyard, The Hexe, Bone Rock, Rocket Block, G2 Vineyard, Paderewski Vineyard, Heart Stone Vineyard, 4hearts Vineyard, and James Berry Vineyard White.

Winemaker
Justin Smith

Grape / Blend
72% Grenache, 13% Syrah, 6% Mataro, 5% Graciano, and 4% Carignan

Origin
Paso Robles, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
It’s not often Grenache makes up such a large component of G2, but with this vintage it just worked best that way. Juicy, red and black fruits dominate the nose and the palate. It’s sexy and complex at the same time, with some sweet oak tones framing things up quite nicely. I could drink this wine tonight or hold on to it for 20 plus years. It’s a classic.

Such an ideal vintage. Everything lined up perfectly. Great rainfall in the winter and spring, and then a long, gentle growing season with no heat spikes to make us fret. The only challenge with '23 occurred when all the fruit from our vineyards were ripe and ready to go at the same time! That was a bit chaotic. Alas, the wines all shine. They are similar to the 2019 vintage, with the great spice and savory notes you get from a cooler season with a long hang time—along with perfect ripeness, which is what happens when you grow grapes in a perfect place like California’s Central Coast.

When it came time to blend up these 22s we were blown away. They had matured into gorgeous wines. Very aromatic in the red fruit spectrum, not much of that spicy pepper you get in the wet cool years, but real pleasers. If you’ve enjoyed our 2017s, you know exactly what you’re getting with the 2022s. They will open for business early and stay open late. The tannins are soft, but one thing the heat does is concentrate everything, so they are a hedonistic mouthful.

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 72% Grenache, 13% Syrah, 6% Mataro, 5% Graciano, and 4% Carignan, aged 22 months in a mix of amphora and French oak, the 2023 G2 Vineyard boasts a sensational perfume of dark berries, black cherries, scorched earth, graphite, and peppery, floral nuances. It's full-bodied, with a seamless, textured mouthfeel, ripe yet polished tannins, and that rare mix of richness with elegance. This shows the warmer style of the vintage while staying light on its feet and, oh, so drinkable. I love it today, yet it has at least 15 years of prime drinking ahead of it. Drink 2025-2040

96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A delightful and compelling blend of vibrancy and richness, the 2023 G2 Vineyard features a higher proportion of Grenache than usual, along with a significantly lower percentage of stems, which make up just 2% of the finished wine. It begins with a dark-fruited, reserved note, gradually revealing a distinct floral aroma that rises above a lush, chocolate-tinged core and spice-driven accents. The palate enhances the site's typically powerful, cake-like texture with lively energy and overall subtlety, seamlessly moving into a soaring, high-toned and chalky finish grounded by dark, roasted notes that echo the spice-driven qualities of the nose. It's a blend of 72% Grenache, 13% Syrah, 6% Mataro, 5% Graciano and 4% Carignan that underwent a 22-month maturation in 75% new 300-liter barrique and 11% amphora.

96 Points - Vinous
The 2023 G2 Vineyard is impossible to ignore, offering a vibrant blend of crushed blackberries, citrus zest, savory herbs and sage. Cool-toned and collected, it presents crisp wild berry fruits and mineral tones elevated by a zing of zesty acidity. Wonderfully perfumed and long, the 2023 features edgy tannins that frame the finish as blue and purple inner florals fade slowly. A simply stunning interpretation of the G2 Vineyard. (EG) 

93 Points - Wine Spectator
Lush and loaded with fruity personality up front, this offers layers of floral raspberry, spiced Santa Rosa plum and cherry. The back end is more structured and serious, with graphite intensity that swells, adding roasted herb and subtle vanillin notes on the finish around toothsome tannins. Grenache, Syrah, Mataro, Graciano and Carignan. Best from 2026 through 2040. (AR)

Product size: 750ml