Today, we toast one of our favorite Paso Winemakers, Justin Smith of @saxumvineyards
Saxum Vineyard’s founder, Justin Smith, is Paso Robles’ first vintner to be raised in the vines and has developed a deep respect for each of his seven vineyard sites and the Rhone style wines he produces. The high quality, low yielding winery is credited for revolutionizing Paso Robles winemaking.
Their Templeton Gap/Willow Creek location is characterized by rocky calcareous soils, steep hillsides, perfectly sunny days, and cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean. This Central Coast rock star focuses on producing Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre blends; crafting some of the most sought after and expensive wines in Paso Robles history.
The production is up to 4,000 cases with 38 of his wines scoring over 95 points by the Wine Advocate and Saxum’s 2007 James Berry Vineyard earning Wine Spectator’s 2010 Wine of the Year. Smith eagerly shares his experiences and knowledge with his neighbor winemakers and utilizes the help from his childhood friends in the cellar. Uniqueness and creativity is found on the bottle as their labels are crafted by a local artist, making it as highly expressive as their wines.
#winemakerwednesday #breakawaywinetours #pasorobles #sharepaso #fortheloveofwine #travelpaso #cheers #wine
