Saxum James Berry Vineyard Proprietary Red 2018

Showing better from bottle than barrel (always a good sign), the 2018 James Berry Vineyard is another stunning wine in a long line of stunning wines from this estate. Based on 64% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Syrah, and the rest Carignan, incredible notes of blueberries, wild strawberries, licorice, new leather, herbes de Provence, and candied violets all emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with an incredible sense of purity and elegance, flawless balance, and a huge finish. It has some early appeal yet is going to be best with 2-4 years of bottle age and will still be drinking beautifully at age 20.

Saturated purple. A heady, expansive bouquet evokes ripe blueberry, cherry compote, potpourri, candied licorice and exotic spices, and a smoky mineral nuance builds in the glass. Sweet, palate-staining red/blue fruit liqueur, lavender pastille, cola and spice-cake flavors show outstanding depth as well as energy thanks to an undercurrent of juicy acidity. Plays power off finesse with a sure hand and finishes extremely long, sappy and precise, with polished, well-knit tannins emerging slowly.

The 2018 James Berry Vineyard is a blend of 64% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Syrah and 6% Carignan. It has an intense, alluring perfume with loads of layers, its warm tricolored fruits laced with notes of aniseed, coffee, earth and blue flowers. The palate offers explosive flavors with surprising lift and freshness, silky in texture and finishing very long, layered and spiced. It's a lovely rendition of James Berry that presents its layered flavors in an unusually elegant frame.