2010 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard

One of the more open, seductive wines in the range, the 2010 Heart Stone Vineyard comes across perfumed and juicy today, with less of the structure I saw when the wine was in barrel. Heart Stone is 51% Syrah and 49% Grenache, and it is the Grenache that seems to front and center in this tasting. It will be interesting to see how the 2010 develops over the coming years. Will it continue to be Grenache-dominated, or is the wine simply in a phase where the Syrah elements are a bit subdued? Time will tell.

(51% syrah and 49% grenache; 15.7% alcohol): Inky ruby. Powerful aromas of cherry-cola, blackberry, smoky minerals and violet, with a sexy oak spice nuance in the background. Lush and creamy on the palate, offering sweet, deeply concentrated dark berry flavors and a refreshing jolt of smoky minerals. Finishes bright and delineated, with lingering notes of cinnamon and candied flowers.

The 2010 Heart Stone Vineyard opens with a dark, brooding nose redolent of smoke, tar, incense and licorice. Elements of dark, inward fruit continue to build in the glass. There is an exotic element in the Heart Stone that is undeniably appealing. Layers of fruit crescendo to the huge, towering finish. The 2010 is 51% Syrah and 49% Grenache aged in small new French oak barrels, an approach that works extremely well here. Justin Smith seems to know exactly what each of his wines needs.