2020 Saxum - Paso Robles Heart Stone (750ml)

Saxum was founded by Justin Smith, one of the first Paso Robles vintners to grow up literally among the vines, and is now run alongside his wife, Heather. Since its start, the winery has become one of the region's most celebrated names for Rhône-style reds, drawing on seven distinct vineyard sites across the Willow Creek District. Production stays intentionally small, with each site bottled separately to show its own character.

Heart Stone Vineyard sits within the Templeton Gap, where rocky calcareous soils, steep terrain, and cooling Pacific breezes push the vines to work hard for modest yields. The 2020 bottling leans on Graciano for the first time as the leading grape, joined by Grenache, Syrah, Mataro, Touriga Nacional, and a splash of Petite Sirah. The blend was fermented and aged separately by lot before being brought together to capture the site's layered, spice-driven personality.

Bright red fruit sits at the core, lifted by exotic, almost Moroccan spice from the Graciano, with smoked herb and graphite in the background. Full-bodied and mouth-filling, it carries dusty, chewy tannins through a long, focused finish. Pour it with braised short ribs, spiced lamb kebabs, or a dark chocolate torte.