Lot 402
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2009 (1) WA 96+
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2011 (1) WA 96+
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2013 (1) WA 98
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2014 (1) WA 97
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2016 (1) WA 95
SAXUM SYRAH BOOKER VINEYARD 2008 (1) WA 98
SAXUM SYRAH BOOKER VINEYARD 2010 (1) WA 98
Lot 402 Details
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2009 (1)
Paso Robles.
u. bn.
The 2009 Booker Vineyard is 70% Syrah and 30% Mourvedre from one of the rockiest, steepest hillsides in Paso Robles. Layers of dark fruit, spices, tar and licorice emerge from the glass in this deep, sensual wine. Booker usually sees the highest percentage of new oak, and elements of spiciness come through on the finish, although some of the oakiness blows off with time in the glass. Booker is another site Smith planted and continues to pull fruit from, in this case three blocks of Syrah and one of Mourvedre. In 2009 there were two lots; the first 100% Syrah vinified with 20-25% stems, the second a Syrah/Mourvedre co-ferment. Both lots were blended for the finished wine. August 2011 WA 96+
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2011 (1)
Paso Robles.
Beautifully done, and probably the most elegant, seamless version of this cuvee I’ve tasted, the 2011 Booker Vineyard offers terrific aromas and flavors of liquid violets, sappy underbrush, smoked , exotic spices and plenty of crushed rock-like minerality that are all carried by layers of sweet cassis and black raspberry. There’s a northern Rhone-like character here, but it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, fantastic mid-palate concentration, and a seamless, layered and multi-dimensional mouthfeel that’s hard to resist. Made from 67% Syrah and 33% Mourvedre and aged in 300- and 350-liter hogsheads (and fermented with varying degrees of whole cluster), this beautifully pure, polished and complex effort will benefit from short-term cellaring and have over 15 years of overall longevity. August 2014 Drink:2015-20320 WA 96+
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2013 (1)
Paso Robles.
u. bn.
Leading off the wines tasted from bottle, the 2013 Booker Vineyard is one of the prettier, more elegant and pure examples of this cuvee I can recall. A blend of 67% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre, fermented with 30% whole cluster, this total thrill ride offers sensational notes of creme de cassis, black raspberries, ground herbs and crushed flowers to go with a full-bodied, ultra-pure, silky and seamless style on the palate. This tannin quality is off the charts, but it needs short term cellaring to really show at its best. August 2016 WA 98
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2014 (1)
Paso Robles.
u. bn.
The 2014 Booker Vineyard is a blend of 68% Syrah and 32% Mourvèdre and has a deep garnet-purple color, displaying aromas of cassis, espresso, violets and dried herbs with suggestions of bacon fat, lavender and Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, rich and with beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins, it has a generous mid-palate of ripe, rich fruit and great length, giving up loads of spice notes. (Note that no 2015 Booker Vineyard was produced.) September 2017 WA 97
SAXUM BOOKER VINEYARD 2016 (1)
Paso Robles.
u. bn.
The 2016 Booker Vineyard is made up of 73% Syrah and 27% Mataro. It was made with 13% whole cluster and aged 22 months in 60% new oak and 40% amphorae. Medium to deep ruby, it has inviting aromas of cassis, marionberry jam, baked blackberries and red cherry preserves with notions of dusty earth, Earl Grey tea leaves, earth and amaro. Medium to full-bodied, intense, layered and very pretty in the mouth, it has a firm, very finely grained frame and seamlessly woven freshness, finishing long and flavorful. 356 cases produced. February 2020 WA 95
SAXUM SYRAH BOOKER VINEYARD 2008 (1)
Paso Robles.
u. bn.
The 2008 Booker Vineyard (92% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre, which had also been bottled immediately before my visit) has an opaque purple color and a wonderfully sweet nose of black cherry, black currant, licorice, incense, and some Asian spices. The wine has seamless lushness, a voluptuous texture, stunning purity, and a very long, 40-second-plus finish. Booker is another top site that I believe was planted with Justin Smith’s help. It is a 40-acre vineyard sitting on similar limestone soils. This incredible wine would probably benefit from a couple of years of cellaring, as the structure is more present, no doubt due to the high level of Syrah in the wine. August 2010 WA 98
SAXUM SYRAH BOOKER VINEYARD 2010 (1)
Paso Robles.
scraped label.
The 2010 Syrah Booker Vineyard – a blend of 81% Syrah and 19% Mourvedre – is about as textbook a representation of a Paso Robles Syrah as I can think of. Locked and loaded with notions of ripe black and blue fruits, smoke, bouquet garni, espresso, and licorice, it is unabashedly full-bodied, rich, and yet elegant on the palate. Showing real class, as well as first-rate freshness, superb depth and concentration, and masses of tannin, this blockbuster Syrah needs a solid 3-4 years of bottle age to flesh out, and will keep for 15-20 years or more. June 2014 WA 98
