2016 Saxum 4hearts Vineyard

This is the first vintage of the 4hearts vineyard from Saxum. "We threw in some American oak on this one," says owner-winemaker Justin Smith. The 2016 4hearts Vineyard is made up of 66% Petite Sirah and 34% Tempranillo aged 33 months in 75% new oak. Medium to deep ruby-purple, it opens with tar and roses over notes of turned earth, toasted coconut, leather, Jamón Ibérico, scorched earth and loads of ripe black and red cherry and berry fruit at the core. Medium to full-bodied, slick and intense, it has a firm, chalky frame and good freshness, finishing long with rustic flavors. This could still use plenty of time in bottle. 267 cases were made.

Lots of crème de cassis, vanilla bean, smoke, and meaty notes emerge from the 2016 Four Hearts Vineyard, a California beauty offering powerful, full-bodied, sexy aromas and flavors, gorgeous tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. Based on 66% Petite Sirah and 34% Tempranillo that’s sourced from dry-farmed, old head-trained vines, if this doesn’t put a smile on your face, you might be dead. Drink bottles over the coming 15 years or more. Saxum’s Justin Smith has hit a home run with these recent vintages, and his 2015s, 2016s, 2017s, and 2018s all have singular styles, with the quality remaining sky-high. The 2018s show the slightly more pure, fresh, yet concentrated style of the vintage nicely. While not yet bottled, these will offer pleasure in their youth as well as benefit from short term cellaring. The 2017s are more pretty, perfumed wines that don’t quite have the density of the 2016s yet certainly don’t lack for fruit. Most are already drinking nicely today, yet as with all great wines, they’re going to evolve gracefully. Lastly, the 2016s are some of the greatest wines I’ve tasted from this estate, and they offer massive, layered, yet impeccably balanced profiles that are a joy to drink today; they’ll also be a joy to drink in 10-15 years as well. As I’ve written more than once, there are few mailing lists worth being one, but without a doubt, this is one of them.