Saxum Paderewski Vineyard Paso Robles 2014

98 points Jeb Dunnuck: "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. (8/10/17)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "Distinctive and loaded with personality, offering blackberry, smoky beef, licorice and pepper flavors that take on richness and polish toward the long finish. Mourvèdre, Zinfandel, Syrah and Tempranillo. Drink now through 2028. 600 cases made. (4/30/18)"

95 points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "Glass-staining ruby. Displays sexy, highly expressive aromas of cassis, blueberry, Indian spices and candied flowers, along with notes of incense and mocha. Sweet, pliant and expansive in the mouth, offering intense red and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors that become spicier and more energetic with air. Dense but nervy and light on its feet, finishing with outstanding clarity, smooth tannins and solid, mineral-driven punch. Drink: 2022-2032. (Nov 2017)"

94 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "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. Drink: 2017-2030. (Sep 2017)"

Producer notes: "30% Mourvèdre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 13% Tempranillo, 12% Grenache, 10% Petite Sirah. The growing season of 2014 was so dry that it is the defining feature of these wines. You can tell the vines struggled to squeeze every last drop of available moisture out of their bed of rocks that we like to call our soil. The wines are tightly wound and concentrated, but in a different way than the 2013s, more stoney is how I perceive them. Wet stones and chalk, minerality, spices, and then the core of fruit. The tannins are more refined, or transparent, than the monster tannins of ’13 or ’12. These wines remind me of the 2010s, which never had huge tannins, but have evolved very slowly, taking their damn sweet time to really strut their stuff. They should be ready to enjoy in a year or two but I think they will show best in a decade. Alcohol 15.9%. Drink: 2019-2026. 500 cases produced."