Aaahhhh, sigh … just now coming off my cloud of bliss following the 2010 Earth Day Food & Wine Festival on April 17. Great weather, great food, great wine, great venue, great attendees … okay, okay you get the point.
One of the big highlights this year was the chance to taste “The Wine” – the wine that recently snagged 100 Parker points, Saxum Vineyard’s 2007 James Berry Vineyard Proprietary Red. Produced by Justin and Heather Smith, this label is near and dear to Central Coast Vineyard Team since Justin’s dad, Pebble Smith, was a CCVT founding member.
Justin not only graciously hosted a private tasting for a lucky few at the winery on Saturday morning, but also poured at the Earth Day main event that afternoon. Since allotments of the ’07 James Berry all but vanished from the general market soon after the Parker blessing, I can only say, “THANK YOU FOR SHARING, JUSTIN!!”
Justin Smith offers some barrel samples of one of the '09 James Berry components.
Robert Parker called the ’07 James Berry “Utter perfection,” and who are we to argue. A blend of 41% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, and 28% Syrah, all three varietals brought their strengths to the table. This wine had the most perfect pitch I’ve ever tasted in a wine, with bright notes and fabulous depth, sturdy but not overwhelming tannins, and stunning balance.
At the private tasting, Justin also offered another treat – barrel tastings of the three main wines slated to go into the 2009 James Berry Red. Tasting each of these wines individually really gave a sense of how Justin was orchestrating the ’09 fruit and how each really does bring a specific theme to the finished wine. First was a bright Grenache with a joyful sense of pure fruit, being aged in concrete tanks; second was a 50/30/20 MSG with big earthy Mourvèdre on the nose but not a lot of tannins, co-fermented in new oak; and third was a Syrah with some great tannins and rich but subtle mid-palate notes. Given how all these wines are showing now, the ’09 James Berry should be one to watch for!
The lucky folks who joined Justin Smith for a private tasting at Saxum Vineyards before the Earth Day Food & Wine Festival main event.