2014 Paderewski Vineyard

A 30% Mourvèdre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 13% Tempranillo and 12% Grenache blend, the 2014 Paderewski Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of warm mulberries, blueberry compote and preserved plums with touches of Chinese five spice, licorice, black pepper and underbrush. The full-bodied palate has a solid frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness supporting the earthy, tightly knit flavors, finishing on a peppery note.

Checking in as a final blend of 30% Mourvèdre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 13% Tempranillo and the balance Grenache and Petite Sirah, the 2014 Paderewski Vineyard is as voluptuous and decadent as it gets. Plum sauce, exotic spices, white pepper, candy corn and spring flowers, it hits the palate with a broad, expansive, sexy style, ripe tannin, no weight and a blockbuster finish. It’s so well balanced and seamless, it can come across as a touch easy, yet it has terrific complexity, good mid-palate density and a great, great finish. This is what great wine is all about. Drink it anytime over the coming decade. I’ve raved so much about the wines from Saxum’s Justin Smith, I feel like a broken record every new vintage. Nevertheless, these latest vintages are all stellar, and certainly the move to the new cellar hasn’t affect or changed the quality here. The 2014s show the richer, more fleshy style of the vintage, yet still carry the slightly more streamlined/elegant style that Smith has chosen over the past few years. The 2015s play even more in that realm, which is very much the vintage, and are lively and elegant, with pretty, perfumed characters – and plenty of fruit. The 2015s share a lot of similarities to the 2011s (which shined for their aromatics), yet have more fruit and power. It’s worth noting that the majority had just been recently bottled, which makes these showings even more impressive. A vintage that really excites me is the 2016s, which appear to be a return to a more bombastic style, with beautiful fruit and texture.

A 30% Mourvedre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 13% Tempranillo and 12% Grenache blend, the 2014 Paderewski Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of warm mulberries, blueberry compote and preserved plums with touches of Chinese five spice, licorice, black pepper and underbrush. The full-bodied palate has a solid frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness supporting the earthy, tightly knit flavors, finishing on a peppery note. Sep 2017, www.robertparker.com