Bob Rodgers

9.5

A beautiful wine by a brilliant producer. Deep purple color. Bacon fat hints with earthy and truffles on the nose that evolve into dark fruits. Soft tannins on the mouthfeel linger to a grapey finish. Excellent — 12 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Saxum — James Berry Vineyard White 2023
Paso Robles – Willow Creek District AVA, California 🇺🇸

Overview
A powerful, Rhône-inspired white blend composed of 46% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, 20% Chenin Blanc, and 4% Chardonnay, sourced entirely from the iconic James Berry Vineyard, delivering intensity, texture, and serious structural presence.

Aromas & Flavors
Dense stone fruit, baked pear, preserved citrus peel, and subtle tropical tones lead the aromatics. Layers of honeysuckle and warm orchard fruit intertwine with gentle herbal nuance and faint almond creaminess. On the palate, ripe yellow peach, quince, lemon oil, and savory mineral notes unfold with depth and clarity.

Mouthfeel
Rich, broad, and commanding with impressive mid-palate weight. The wine carries a firm line of tension through the back palate, preventing any sense of heaviness despite the elevated alcohol. Texture is polished, energetic, and confidently structured, warm yet controlled.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs and lemon. Grilled halibut or monkfish with beurre blanc. Moroccan spiced tagine. Aged Comté or Alpine cheeses. Cream-based seafood pasta.

Verdict
Serious, layered, and unapologetically bold, this is a thinking person’s white wine. Intensity meets balance, delivering both immediate impact and clear aging potential. A standout expression of Paso Robles whites pushing into Grand Cru mindset territory.

Did You Know?
James Berry Vineyard is one of Paso Robles’ most celebrated sites, better known for producing legendary Rhône-style reds. Seeing this level of complexity and structural precision translated into a white blend highlights just how versatile and elite this terroir truly is.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is not a casual patio white, it’s a layered, expressive, high-octane wine (15.2% ABV) built for contemplation, food, and cellar evolution. Definitely a white wine for red wine lovers. — 3 months ago

Steve Somermeyer

9.0

Great nose & a clean finish. Not out of TJ wines, not in a negative way, but just different. — a month ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Tons of floral, wild dark berries and spice on the nose. Mid season cherry. Palate is so good. Rich, elegant, deep, gritty and nimble. Some nice amplitude in the mid palate and great tension and red fruits on the finish. Needs mega air so I can only assume score goes higher tomorrow. — 3 months ago

Stephen Mathews

9.3

17% alc is pushing it; even for me lol — 4 months ago

JKT

9.1

Very nice balanced well aged complex blend. — 5 months ago

Joseph Barsky

9.8

2010 James Berry rough by our buddy Rob went up after the 2013 Alban Patrina. Wow, a Syrah blend with plenary of Grenache, it was more elegant and very smooth with velvet mouthfeel and red fruits. Long finish. Lovely evening. — 2 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.1

1/2026. Good fruit. Bold and sits nice on the palate. Full bodied. Paired well with the crab cakes at Mr. Friendly’s. — 4 months ago

Ed Ryder

9.0

Classic Boll sweetie — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁 🍷 ❄️ ⛄️

As I have said, Charles Hendricks is my favorite new world winemaker for Malbec. This 12 is perfect with chocolate truffles.

Many would not get this blind. They would call Napa Cabernet or Napa Bordeaux blend.

It is around its precipice. Ripe, juicy, lush fruits; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, strawberries, blueberries, mocha powder, dark chocolate to chocolate mousse, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, dry top soil, moist to dry clays, tumbleweed, some light dry herbs, chard barrel shavings, dark spices, black tea, black licorice, dark cola, dry, crushed limestone/rocks, leather, dry tobacco, dark, withering flowers, liquid violets-lavender, grand, round, acidity, well; balanced, structured, tensioned with a polished/elegant finish that lasts minutes and long sets on spice & dry earthiness. — 4 months ago