Named for the site’s Chinese stone walls, which date back to the mid-1800’s, our Stonewall Block boasts fertile, rocky soils and a slightly cooler climate; perfect for our style of restrained, and age-worthy Zinfandel.
Vineyard
The fruit for this wine comes from two vineyard blocks located in the western slopes of Sonoma Valley, within the appellation’s overlap with the Sonoma Coast AVA. The site’s coastal influences and rocky, well-drained soils produce moderate yields of very concentrated Zinfandel.
Winemaking
To maximize the site’s jammy concentration, we harvested at 25 Brix, de-stemmed into open-top fermenters, “cold-soaked” for 36 hours and inoculated with a low rate of yeast to allow the “wild yeast” to have an effect before the cultured yeast takes over. The must was pressed to a mix of new and one-year-old French barrels for 11 months aging.
Specs
Vintage: 2014
Appellation: Sonoma Valley, California
Alcohol: 15.0%
Total Acidity: 6.5
pH: 3.6
Clone: DuPratt
Harvest Date: September 20, 2014
Bottled Date: August 24, 2015
Case Production: 297 cases
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
3x 2014 Saxon Brown Zinfandel Stonewall Block, Sonoma Valley
Case:
12x 2014 Saxon Brown Zinfandel Stonewall Block, Sonoma Valley
Price Comparison
$480 a Case/$40 MSRP/Not for sale on website
About The Winery
Winery: Saxon Brown Wines
Owners: Jeff Gaffner
Founded: 1997
Location: Sonoma, California
Saxon Brown is a small Sonoma Valley winery, specializing in single-vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Semillon from special sites discovered as a consulting winemaker for top Napa and Sonoma wine labels. For us, winemaking is storytelling. A restrained and respectful hand in the cellar results in a more interesting, character-driven narrative in the bottle. Named for the willful heroine of Jack London’s Valley of the Moon (Sonoma Valley), Saxon Brown wines tell the stories of our favorite vineyard sites.
Owner/Winemaker: Jeff Gaffner, a 40 year veteran of the wine industry
Jeff’s career as a winemaker was launched in 1981 at Chateau St. Jean under the tutelage of renowned vintner Richard Arrowood. Most notably, Jeff was part of the winemaking team responsible for Chateau St. Jean’s 1996 Cinq Cepages, which was named the 1999 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine.
In the years since, Jeff has become one of the most sought after winemakers for artisan labels, having gained critical acclaim and a loyal following for his site-specific focus and restrained winemaking style. The Wall Street Journal has said that they “love his vineyard voice”, while the Wine Spectator has lauded his winemaking as “deft”.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Saxon Brown Zinfandel Stonewall Block
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
@losthighwayz i also hope we get some rats. The online review are so varied on this one. Everything from low 80s to low 90s. Must have flavor profile that doesnt fit everyones expectations. Also, wonder what it will be in 5 years. If its jammy now, maybe it will mellow and get more complex. Would like to hear from a rat that tastes over a few days…
@losthighwayz I am sure there are many on here that read CT notes when considering a wine purchase. Moreover, like me, it is NOT the only source but rather one of multiple sources of data used to make an informed decision. I never said CT is the end all but coupled with labrats, vivino, WE, WS et al it becomes useful.
Tonight’s Rattage: 2014 Zinfandel (Stonewall Block) by Saxon Brown, Sonoma Valley.
Out of the bottle, big jammy nose full of dark berries, hint of black cherry and vanilla. This is a massive Zin among Zins. The raisin is hardly noticeable though. I like that. It presents itself as more mature and sophisticated. In the back I pick up faint hints of mint and cedar. I typically don’t expect this kind of layered display from any Zin. Interesting, intriguing if not impressive.
Body is unexpectedly restrained. A real head scratcher. I think it has had time to mellow out. Judging from the nose you expect this Zin to club you over the head. You are instantly greeted by laid back fruit. Lots of it. The residual sugar is reminiscent of a late harvest Zin but not quite there. Oak, sweet cherry and a little plum dominate. Finish is surprisingly smooth. Characterized by subtle tannic grip, and enduring spice. This is a well made and appropriately aged Zin.
If you enjoy Zinfandel in general, I think this would be a worth while treat for you. If you’ve never quite gravitated towards Zin, this would be a worthy addition to your cellar no less. It has had time to mature and find its stride. It is a big bold yet gentle fruit forward wine that is sure to please. For such a limited production it no doubt comes with a level of craftsmanship that even the most discerning palate can stop and appreciate. One you would be hard pressed to match at this price point.
@KitMarlot haha yes it’s called bokeh. Shallow depth of field caused by ultra wide aperture lens. My cameras don’t do much these days so I take them wine tasting now
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2014 Saxon Brown Zinfandel Stonewall Block - $20 = 8.32%
The huge, hefty bottle projects a gravitas that belies his rootless existence; in a mere 24 hours the California sun was replaced with the gray Ohio skies. The Spring of March interrupted by autumnal April chill. It was a 54F as the bottle toured the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers, optimal temperature for a bold red wine. The 2014 Saxon Brown Stonewall Block Zinfandel arrived just in time for dinner; I popped, poured, photographed, sniffed then served the Andouille & sweet potato soup.
It is an opaque ruby in the glass, less transparent than most wines I can remember. Thickly coating the glass, the dense legs are slow to develop.
The high-quality cork has minimal dark penetration. Voluptuous nose: sweet raspberry, cranberry, something brambly, like raspberry canes or tree bark. There is a faint hint of brown sugar in the back but no other obvious oak notes. It is very sweet up front, unexpectedly syrupy. Hefty. The alcoholic heat keeps it from being cloying and there is lots of dark fruit: plums, dried Bing cherry. Very long finish but seems rather low in acidity; it lacks the Amador brightness. My wife says it was “A lot sweeter than I expected, like a dessert wine. Round in the middle but light on the finish, with ripe currants and raisin”.
It went well with the soup, which brought out an earthiness in the wine and tamed the spice of the soup. I tried it with a couple of other cheese and some olives. It was a nice complement to Cabot Extra Sharp cheddar, it brought out a bright cherry note. The Manzanilla olives masked the sweet and brought out brambly earthiness. I was having a hard time placing this wine so I decided to open a bottle of the 2015 Scott Harvey InZinerator, which I think of as a youthful, exuberant Zinfandel. It is austere in comparison to the Saxon Brown. While it is slightly more transparent and a bit redder and ‘fresher’ in color than the slightly brick-colored Saxon Brown, the InZinerator has a much more restrained, subtly fruity nose and is leaner, tarter and has a shorter finish. The InZinerator smells like dusty dried cherries and while I usually think of it as a pleasant sipping wine, it becomes a Trattoria spaghetti wine in comparison to the more elegant and enigmatic Saxon Brown.
Hours later, after a lot of swirling I get a bit more ‘wildness’ in the nose, like herbs and sawdust and freshly dug up shrubs. And the nose is huge. It is the most aromatic red wine I’ve ever had. Even though it is so sweet up front, to the point where if I read this commentary, I probably wouldn’t buy it, the rest of the wine is so interesting I can’t stop thinking about it. It tastes like a ‘Napa Valley Zin’, as if it was made to score points. I know that sounds like wine snob foppery, but I like it. It is balanced but brawny. Many thanks to Alice and WCC for drawing my name out of the hat, to the boys in Brown for efficiently whisking this wine across the continent, and to Saxon Brown for transporting me with such a fantastic wine. Salut!
@losthighwayz how can you tell? Do you just have to have an advanced palate or does it specify on the bottle? Mine says nothing on the label and I really like port, so if there was some in there I’d have liked it more! Sorry I can’t be more helpful…
@losthighwayz@rjquillin well aren’t I the rube; I figured Forte was a wine grape that just didn’t make DeLong’s wine periodic table! Yessir, the 2015 has 2% according to the trusty casemates sale site…
88 Points. Dusty and briary, this block-designate tastes of root beer and Christmas cake—the spiciness leading to a seeming-sweetness of chocolate and licorice. VB 6/1/19
@Winedavid49@KitMarlot@winesnob
Impressed not only by the reviews, but by the photography here as well!
Saxon-Brown, by my notes last seen on woot January of '12. Welcome back.
What’s the back story on this one WD?
@KitMarlot@rjquillin@winesnob Gaffner has said no to me (respectfully) about 30 times over the years. he had a couple of restaurants where this was the marquee zin. so… some cases sprang up at the price we needed to justify a casemates slot.
Please remind people that we ALL need to make an effort to support our local restaurants. These people are our friend, neighbors and heart and soul of so many communities.
@SippinSantiagos Has there ever been a more endearing auxiliary character than Poe? I can assume the writers took the Hotel in John Wick as inspiration, but that guy was a blast.
I left the bottle on the counter, uncorked, overnight to see if there is any evolution. I just had a couple of sips and found that there were more herbs in the nose and the impression of sweetness isn’t as jarring. I think this will benefit from some cellar time and I think it has improved.
What I found surprising was what Saxon Brown did to the InZinerator. It didn’t overshadow, belittle, make it tart in the shadow of her magnificence, and the InZinerator didn’t make Saxon Brown taste overly sweet or cloying. Instead, Saxon Brown was complementary; you could tell that they were made from the same stuff and had a similar purpose, but while the InZinerator is flawless, Saxon Brown is transcendent. She decomposed the InZinerator into its constituent parts and made me realize that everything was in its right place, and I finally understood. Each fruit was separated out, each earthy note and flavor nuance was revealed, like a complex mystery solved. But despite this education, Saxon Brown demurred. She wouldn’t reveal her secrets. She will illuminate in others what she will not say about herself.
We’ve got lasagna coming from a local Italian restaurant for dinner, so if you’re waiting for my impression* of how it pairs with the Italian classic, you won’t have to wait much longer.
@KitMarlot@winesnob
Great rat reports, but I’m left so confused! Is this a wine with detectable residual sugar, or is it simply a sweeter-seeming wine from the fruit forward aspect?
The comparison to InZinerator is also interesting. I find that wine way too sweet and fruity for my tastes, so the idea that this is even more fruity makes me think I won’t enjoy it.
But the comments about its complexity and earthy notes make me think I’d enjoy it.
Maybe I should just snag a bottle from somebody in SoCal to try it. I know Saxon Brown was an old woot favourite.
@klezman judging from your thoughts, I’d say you would definitely find this sweet if not a touch too sweet. There’s probably a bit of the oak at play there too. It’s had some time for the sugars to break down a bit but still noticeably sweet. Mind you this is a Zin, so a sweet Zin pretty much means you’re getting more sugar than you would already expect. The high ABV is a telltale sign. The nose is surprisingly complex. I don’t think you should commit to a case but if you snag a bottle or two, it will come in handy for the right guest. I’m sitting this one out just because I don’t know what I’d do with so much sweeter wine. BUT I realize some folks do enjoy a sweeter wine, so I strive to taste objectively. It is also a smaller batch artisan wine and it shows in its overall quality. Hope that helps. Cheers!
So.
The alc is really 15% and the wine is not sweet but 0.4% rs. Cooler sites Zin have a low pH and high TA this along with being aged in French Burgundy barrels can give the wine that slightly sweet notes.
@jeffgaffner@WkdPanda@winesnob
0.4% RS is at the barely perceptible level for some, I suppose, but hardly in the range to yield a wine that should be called “sweet”. That seems to be a common issue with tasting - flavours/aromas that conflate sweetness vs fruitiness.
I’m still interested in snagging a bottle from somebody in SoCal, and I’ll have to see how it hits my palate.
@jeffgaffner@klezman@winesnob don’t know if it came across in my report, but I found this wine confusing. Probably the most intriguing wine I’ve had in my life (which doesn’t say that much mind you, I only started drinking wine seriously in 2006.) It is just so sweet up front that you expect it to be fruity, which it is not. It seems to have residual sugar but finishes dry. It seems like it should be okay but there is no vanilla or “oaky wood chip” tannin. It doesn’t taste zippy (like Scott Harvey’s zins) but it is still razor sharp. I’m not trying to persuade, just inform. I prefer acidic wines but do like port, and I bought a case, for what it’s worth:
/giphy manageable-coherent-motion
@klezman Yep. The InZin comparison was the nail in my purchase coffin. The white label stuff is bonkers good, but InZin is way too “sweet” for me. If that is an apt comparison, i’m out.
@jeffgaffner@KitMarlot@klezman@winesnob thanks for jumping on board Jeff! How does this compare stylistically to say Wilson, Dutcher Crossing, Carol Shelton, or Wine Guerilla from Sonoma? The specs and labrats make me think of these producers
@KitMarlot@klezman@losthighwayz@winesnob
The fruit comes from southern Sonoma Valley in Carneros which has more natural acid and lower pH. The wine is almost claret like.
I think my 2nd (woot) ever was the Saxon '08 offer and I held onto those bottles for a while and found them extremely good. In for a case here to share!
@losthighwayz I think you should be fine with a 3 pack. It might even grow on you. As you can tell from the vintner’s comments, it’s not so much a residual sugars thing. Probably just more of a manifestation of the milder climate and oak process conspiring. It certainly has a beautiful nose and nice finish. Cheers!
@jeffgaffner
You made me look at CT.
Seems I have a few of your '07 Sarahs still hanging around from an old woot purchase.
Camp Block, Owl Box and Flora.
Any thoughts?
For the record, I don’t know what the rats were drinking. This was prettily bottled sweet swill, and my worst purchase from Casemates or its predecessor by far. And I say that as someone who’s enjoyed Saxon Brown in the past. Just bad.
@michaepf I intend to inform, not persuade, but sometimes my enthusiasm gets the better of me. Some people like Moscato.
For what it’s worth I put my case in a dark corner of my basement for the next few years, hoping the sweet sensation (which @jeffgaffner says isn’t from excess residual sugar) integrates with the rest of the package. I know I wrote a lot of words in my report, so perhaps these got lost in the jumble:
It is very sweet up front, unexpectedly syrupy.
My wife says it was “A lot sweeter than I expected, like a dessert wine."
Even though it is so sweet up front, to the point where if I read this commentary, I probably wouldn’t buy it…
Also, Winesnob said this:
The residual sugar is reminiscent of a late harvest Zin
@jeffgaffner@KitMarlot Thanks for writing! That’s fair feedback. In part I think I read what I wanted to see given my positive past experiences with cm/ww and with Saxon Brown. Some reviewers can interpret fruit- forward as sweet, and the winemaker was adamant that the wine was not that. I saw a lot of words too about how balanced, elegant, etc. it was, which was in line with my recollection of SB.
But I wanted to be clear for future folks, in case there was another offer, that this wine sits awkwardly between zin and dessert wine, and doesn’t succeed at either.
@jeffgaffner@KitMarlot@michaepf i had some again the other night. i agree with the zin - dessert meld. i ended up reconciling and liking it by the last glass (day later).
Oh god. The only disappointing purchase I’ve made from Casemates so far. “syrupy” is the an apt description. Through an entire bottle over 12 hours I’ve tried so hard to like this zin in any way possible - agree that it’s unique and unexpected - but it’s been nothing but a struggle to get through it that got worse and worse with time. Not sure what to do with the remaining two but definitely glad I didn’t spring for the case.
@blacklotus90 I ended up opening a bottle Thursday and left half on the counter, uncorked, overnight. I found the sweetness less jarring and found the wine to be significantly better. You didn’t ask my opinion, but I would recommend saving the other bottles for a couple of years. If you can’t wait, you could try pouring hard into a decanter and swirling a lot. Couldn’t make it worse, right?
@blacklotus90@KitMarlot
I didn’t expect much from this wine, considering the price, I’m sad to say that it met my expectations. It was far too sweet for my tastes, closer to an “inexpensive” dessert wine than anything. I have acquaintances that are younger than I, and have less discerning tastes, and decided that it was best to just give it away, rather than trying to cook with it, or save it to see if it got better with age.
@blacklotus90@KitMarlot@Shrdlu
I think the UPS crew may get my remaining two bottles. Now, to sort out what to do with the remaining 573ml in the one I opened.
@blacklotus90@KitMarlot@rjquillin@Shrdlu I still want to know how a wine with only 0.4% RS (i.e. right around the detectable limit for most) comes off as “syrupy” and “sweet”. Something just doesn’t add up here.
@blacklotus90@KitMarlot@klezman@rjquillin@Shrdlu
This reminds me of many lifetimes ago on woot Kyle bought one of the Saxum Brown offers and traded me a bottle for something? We both said the same things that are being said about this one.
@blacklotus90@KitMarlot@klezman@Shrdlu
I’d agree on the description, but isn’t the detectable level somewhat lower, with recognition higher, iirc.
I did enjoy the 2007 Saxon-Brown Syrah Flora Ranch
@Twich22 In general, $20 is a good price point for me. When something is a bit below, I usually do research elsewhere before buying it. On the other hand, it was a Zinfandel, which I’m usually pretty tolerant of.
I’m certain that everyone I gifted a bottle to is happy with it. My last bottle heads out tomorrow (I’d bought six). It wasn’t horrible, but life is short, and it was clearly not to my taste. Most wines here on Casemates that I like are above 20, and usually in the 30 and above range.
When looking for the Mon-Tue offering, I saw this thread in the list, and thought I’d take a look. I was very surprised to see all the negative comments about the Saxon Brown Zinfandel. I’d opened one of my three bottles shortly after receiving it, and my notes indicate that I liked it then, and I had given it three stars in my own rating system (corresponding roughly to 90-91 in the usual 81-100 scale in the magazines). I noted that it was full-bodied, juicy, had an old wood nose (something I associate with aging in barrels that have been used a few times). I thought then that it had a good mid-palate and a long finish.
So I opened another one tonight, and I still have the same impressions. I can understand how some think it has a sweet affect. But I attribute that to the considerable fruitiness that balances the high alcohol pretty well. My impression of high alcohol (15% and higher) natural wines is that winemakers have a big challenge to balance all that alcohol to produce a palatable wine. In this case I think they got the job done. This was the first Saxon Brown wine that I’ve had, and I’d certainly be open to trying some more from them.
@DickL Its not a terrible wine. I drank some of it and could tell it was made with care. If you can get over the sweetness its a nice wine. But it is quite sweet compared to what I would like or expect. To me, as others have commented, it does fall somewhere halfway along to becoming a port. So its in this odd area where its not sweet enough to be a dessert wine but its sweet enough where it makes you think about dessert wines. As always, everyone has different tastes and different pleasures. Its not a terrible wine, but also not what I would expect to get from a “good” zin, which I suppose is my real gripe.
@Twich22 Perhaps my opinion is related to the fact that I like ports and Porto. So a wine being a somewhat port-like table wine is not a problem for me.
@DickL@Twich22 my bad for assuming you knew Opolo. Yes, Mountain Zin used to be my go to many moons ago then I tried it around 2 years ago and could not finish it. It wasnt the alcohol (I enjoy many high alcohol Aussie wines, Herman Story, Stillman Brown) but more so the syrupiness and sugar (percieved or not). Many people like it so I suppose it boils down to preference
I agree with rquillin on the 2007 Saxon-Brown Syrah Flora Ranch. I really enjoyed it And its one of the wines I consider memorable. Still know where I was and where I sat as it opened over a few hours - I was fairly new into wine at the time and it opened my mind to what wine can be. But I am struggling with this one - I think all the reviews are fair if that makes sense. It does have a syrupy aspect to it that is tough to deny, but also has a port likeless which is usually in my wheelhouse. I think the first bottle was just not what I was expecting. The next will either be on a cold night by a fire or a hot day in a sangria.
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Winemaking
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$480 a Case/$40 MSRP/Not for sale on website
About The Winery
Winery: Saxon Brown Wines
Owners: Jeff Gaffner
Founded: 1997
Location: Sonoma, California
Owner/Winemaker: Jeff Gaffner, a 40 year veteran of the wine industry
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, May 21st - Tuesday, May 26th
Saxon Brown Zinfandel Stonewall Block
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2014 Saxon Brown Zinfandel Stonewall Block
/giphy offensive-resounding-mockingbird
90+ pointer to boot. Jeff Gaffner is a brilliant winemaker.
@Winedavid49 the Saxon Casa Santinamaria was one of my first purchases on that other site. Good time for some nostalgia.
CT notes (2) worrisome. Hopefully we have rats
@losthighwayz both by a single user.
ymmv, it’s CT.
@losthighwayz i also hope we get some rats. The online review are so varied on this one. Everything from low 80s to low 90s. Must have flavor profile that doesnt fit everyones expectations. Also, wonder what it will be in 5 years. If its jammy now, maybe it will mellow and get more complex. Would like to hear from a rat that tastes over a few days…
@losthighwayz CT reviews are useless.
@michaelvella in your opinion
@losthighwayz @michaelvella Maybe not useless… but pretty much useless
@losthighwayz 290 cases is in your range, no?
@KitMarlot most definitely! On the fence but more likely in on 3. My preference has shifted to leaner, cool climate zins over the years!
@rjquillin good point. Didn’t notice last night
@losthighwayz I am sure there are many on here that read CT notes when considering a wine purchase. Moreover, like me, it is NOT the only source but rather one of multiple sources of data used to make an informed decision. I never said CT is the end all but coupled with labrats, vivino, WE, WS et al it becomes useful.
/giphy wishful-substantial-cinnamon
/giphy gallant-venomous-taste
Tonight’s Rattage: 2014 Zinfandel (Stonewall Block) by Saxon Brown, Sonoma Valley.
Out of the bottle, big jammy nose full of dark berries, hint of black cherry and vanilla. This is a massive Zin among Zins. The raisin is hardly noticeable though. I like that. It presents itself as more mature and sophisticated. In the back I pick up faint hints of mint and cedar. I typically don’t expect this kind of layered display from any Zin. Interesting, intriguing if not impressive.
Body is unexpectedly restrained. A real head scratcher. I think it has had time to mellow out. Judging from the nose you expect this Zin to club you over the head. You are instantly greeted by laid back fruit. Lots of it. The residual sugar is reminiscent of a late harvest Zin but not quite there. Oak, sweet cherry and a little plum dominate. Finish is surprisingly smooth. Characterized by subtle tannic grip, and enduring spice. This is a well made and appropriately aged Zin.
If you enjoy Zinfandel in general, I think this would be a worth while treat for you. If you’ve never quite gravitated towards Zin, this would be a worthy addition to your cellar no less. It has had time to mature and find its stride. It is a big bold yet gentle fruit forward wine that is sure to please. For such a limited production it no doubt comes with a level of craftsmanship that even the most discerning palate can stop and appreciate. One you would be hard pressed to match at this price point.
@winesnob
Nice labrat!
@winesnob Great report, loved the blurriness in your second pic (is that called ‘bokeh’? I’m not the photographer in the family…)
@winesnob Great report and I love the pics. Thank you.
@MarkDaSpark Cheers!
@KitMarlot haha yes it’s called bokeh. Shallow depth of field caused by ultra wide aperture lens. My cameras don’t do much these days so I take them wine tasting now
@WCCWineGirl cheers!
/giphy bashful-obliging-owner
Hoping for some winery participation. Specifically, would love to get rs info.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2014 Saxon Brown Zinfandel Stonewall Block - $20 = 8.32%
The huge, hefty bottle projects a gravitas that belies his rootless existence; in a mere 24 hours the California sun was replaced with the gray Ohio skies. The Spring of March interrupted by autumnal April chill. It was a 54F as the bottle toured the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers, optimal temperature for a bold red wine. The 2014 Saxon Brown Stonewall Block Zinfandel arrived just in time for dinner; I popped, poured, photographed, sniffed then served the Andouille & sweet potato soup.
It is an opaque ruby in the glass, less transparent than most wines I can remember. Thickly coating the glass, the dense legs are slow to develop.
The high-quality cork has minimal dark penetration. Voluptuous nose: sweet raspberry, cranberry, something brambly, like raspberry canes or tree bark. There is a faint hint of brown sugar in the back but no other obvious oak notes. It is very sweet up front, unexpectedly syrupy. Hefty. The alcoholic heat keeps it from being cloying and there is lots of dark fruit: plums, dried Bing cherry. Very long finish but seems rather low in acidity; it lacks the Amador brightness. My wife says it was “A lot sweeter than I expected, like a dessert wine. Round in the middle but light on the finish, with ripe currants and raisin”.
It went well with the soup, which brought out an earthiness in the wine and tamed the spice of the soup. I tried it with a couple of other cheese and some olives. It was a nice complement to Cabot Extra Sharp cheddar, it brought out a bright cherry note. The Manzanilla olives masked the sweet and brought out brambly earthiness. I was having a hard time placing this wine so I decided to open a bottle of the 2015 Scott Harvey InZinerator, which I think of as a youthful, exuberant Zinfandel. It is austere in comparison to the Saxon Brown. While it is slightly more transparent and a bit redder and ‘fresher’ in color than the slightly brick-colored Saxon Brown, the InZinerator has a much more restrained, subtly fruity nose and is leaner, tarter and has a shorter finish. The InZinerator smells like dusty dried cherries and while I usually think of it as a pleasant sipping wine, it becomes a Trattoria spaghetti wine in comparison to the more elegant and enigmatic Saxon Brown.
Hours later, after a lot of swirling I get a bit more ‘wildness’ in the nose, like herbs and sawdust and freshly dug up shrubs. And the nose is huge. It is the most aromatic red wine I’ve ever had. Even though it is so sweet up front, to the point where if I read this commentary, I probably wouldn’t buy it, the rest of the wine is so interesting I can’t stop thinking about it. It tastes like a ‘Napa Valley Zin’, as if it was made to score points. I know that sounds like wine snob foppery, but I like it. It is balanced but brawny. Many thanks to Alice and WCC for drawing my name out of the hat, to the boys in Brown for efficiently whisking this wine across the continent, and to Saxon Brown for transporting me with such a fantastic wine. Salut!
@KitMarlot
Very nice labrat report
@KitMarlot Fantastic, appreciate the Zin comparisons. Great excuse to open another bottle. The weekend is underway after all.
@KitMarlot does the Inzinerator have Port? The 2016s I have do and I can’t drink them anymore!
@losthighwayz how can you tell? Do you just have to have an advanced palate or does it specify on the bottle? Mine says nothing on the label and I really like port, so if there was some in there I’d have liked it more! Sorry I can’t be more helpful…
@KitMarlot @losthighwayz
It has, at least in the past, had some of Scotts’ Forté blended in.
@losthighwayz @rjquillin well aren’t I the rube; I figured Forte was a wine grape that just didn’t make DeLong’s wine periodic table! Yessir, the 2015 has 2% according to the trusty casemates sale site…
And from the Wine Enthusiast:
88 Points. Dusty and briary, this block-designate tastes of root beer and Christmas cake—the spiciness leading to a seeming-sweetness of chocolate and licorice. VB 6/1/19
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/saxon-brown-2014-stonewall-block-zinfandel-sonoma-valley/
Great rats! Saxon Brown wines are always a unique flavor adventure.
@Winedavid49 @KitMarlot @winesnob
Impressed not only by the reviews, but by the photography here as well!
Saxon-Brown, by my notes last seen on woot January of '12. Welcome back.
What’s the back story on this one WD?
@KitMarlot @rjquillin @winesnob Gaffner has said no to me (respectfully) about 30 times over the years. he had a couple of restaurants where this was the marquee zin. so… some cases sprang up at the price we needed to justify a casemates slot.
@KitMarlot @Winedavid49 @winesnob
Ah, Covid fallout from closed eateries.
Well done.
@KitMarlot @rjquillin @Winedavid49 @winesnob
This wine was set aside for a group of an amazing Steakhouses. Unfortunately covid19 has changed everything
@KitMarlot @rjquillin @Winedavid49 @winesnob
Please remind people that we ALL need to make an effort to support our local restaurants. These people are our friend, neighbors and heart and soul of so many communities.
@Winedavid49 please offer some of his wines again. I got many really nice wines from WW offers.
/giphy noisy-carbonated-druid
@SippinSantiagos Has there ever been a more endearing auxiliary character than Poe? I can assume the writers took the Hotel in John Wick as inspiration, but that guy was a blast.
@KNmeh7 @SippinSantiagos he really is a solid side character. Enough character to be his own show.
/giphy fearful-gabby-sign
Saxon Brown is an auto-buy for me. Couldn’t muster the gusto for a full case at this time, but thrilled to see these guys coming up in the rotation!
@corrado
thanks corrado.
just chatted with Jeff. he’s on the road unitl ~ 1:30 today. will chime in then.
@Winedavid49
Hey David. I’m here
@jeffgaffner @Winedavid49
Prompt you are.
Working on getting you a bunch of grapes so others know you’re the winemaker.
We’ve had a lot of speculation on RS.
Can you help us out with that and some insight how this came to be?
And you now have your grapes. Thanks!
I left the bottle on the counter, uncorked, overnight to see if there is any evolution. I just had a couple of sips and found that there were more herbs in the nose and the impression of sweetness isn’t as jarring. I think this will benefit from some cellar time and I think it has improved.
What I found surprising was what Saxon Brown did to the InZinerator. It didn’t overshadow, belittle, make it tart in the shadow of her magnificence, and the InZinerator didn’t make Saxon Brown taste overly sweet or cloying. Instead, Saxon Brown was complementary; you could tell that they were made from the same stuff and had a similar purpose, but while the InZinerator is flawless, Saxon Brown is transcendent. She decomposed the InZinerator into its constituent parts and made me realize that everything was in its right place, and I finally understood. Each fruit was separated out, each earthy note and flavor nuance was revealed, like a complex mystery solved. But despite this education, Saxon Brown demurred. She wouldn’t reveal her secrets. She will illuminate in others what she will not say about herself.
We’ve got lasagna coming from a local Italian restaurant for dinner, so if you’re waiting for my impression* of how it pairs with the Italian classic, you won’t have to wait much longer.
*I know you’re not waiting for this.
It was great with the lasagna.
@KitMarlot @winesnob
Great rat reports, but I’m left so confused! Is this a wine with detectable residual sugar, or is it simply a sweeter-seeming wine from the fruit forward aspect?
The comparison to InZinerator is also interesting. I find that wine way too sweet and fruity for my tastes, so the idea that this is even more fruity makes me think I won’t enjoy it.
But the comments about its complexity and earthy notes make me think I’d enjoy it.
Maybe I should just snag a bottle from somebody in SoCal to try it. I know Saxon Brown was an old woot favourite.
@klezman Probably the higher alcohol % (15.0 on label? 15+ maybe?) is contributing to the sweet note?
@klezman judging from your thoughts, I’d say you would definitely find this sweet if not a touch too sweet. There’s probably a bit of the oak at play there too. It’s had some time for the sugars to break down a bit but still noticeably sweet. Mind you this is a Zin, so a sweet Zin pretty much means you’re getting more sugar than you would already expect. The high ABV is a telltale sign. The nose is surprisingly complex. I don’t think you should commit to a case but if you snag a bottle or two, it will come in handy for the right guest. I’m sitting this one out just because I don’t know what I’d do with so much sweeter wine. BUT I realize some folks do enjoy a sweeter wine, so I strive to taste objectively. It is also a smaller batch artisan wine and it shows in its overall quality. Hope that helps. Cheers!
@klezman @WkdPanda
So.
The alc is really 15% and the wine is not sweet but 0.4% rs. Cooler sites Zin have a low pH and high TA this along with being aged in French Burgundy barrels can give the wine that slightly sweet notes.
@jeffgaffner @WkdPanda @winesnob
0.4% RS is at the barely perceptible level for some, I suppose, but hardly in the range to yield a wine that should be called “sweet”. That seems to be a common issue with tasting - flavours/aromas that conflate sweetness vs fruitiness.
I’m still interested in snagging a bottle from somebody in SoCal, and I’ll have to see how it hits my palate.
@jeffgaffner @klezman @winesnob don’t know if it came across in my report, but I found this wine confusing. Probably the most intriguing wine I’ve had in my life (which doesn’t say that much mind you, I only started drinking wine seriously in 2006.) It is just so sweet up front that you expect it to be fruity, which it is not. It seems to have residual sugar but finishes dry. It seems like it should be okay but there is no vanilla or “oaky wood chip” tannin. It doesn’t taste zippy (like Scott Harvey’s zins) but it is still razor sharp. I’m not trying to persuade, just inform. I prefer acidic wines but do like port, and I bought a case, for what it’s worth:
/giphy manageable-coherent-motion
@klezman Yep. The InZin comparison was the nail in my purchase coffin. The white label stuff is bonkers good, but InZin is way too “sweet” for me. If that is an apt comparison, i’m out.
@KitMarlot @klezman @winesnob
I love your comments! Wine should make you think and feel - cheers
@jeffgaffner @KitMarlot @klezman @winesnob thanks for jumping on board Jeff! How does this compare stylistically to say Wilson, Dutcher Crossing, Carol Shelton, or Wine Guerilla from Sonoma? The specs and labrats make me think of these producers
@KitMarlot @klezman @losthighwayz @winesnob
The fruit comes from southern Sonoma Valley in Carneros which has more natural acid and lower pH. The wine is almost claret like.
Damn rats, you convinced me…
@salpo haha cheers!
I think my 2nd (woot) ever was the Saxon '08 offer and I held onto those bottles for a while and found them extremely good. In for a case here to share!
@deadlyapp
Thank you!
Man I really wanted to convince myself into buying a 3 pack but lab reports holding me back. Not sure this is my style anymore.
@losthighwayz I think you should be fine with a 3 pack. It might even grow on you. As you can tell from the vintner’s comments, it’s not so much a residual sugars thing. Probably just more of a manifestation of the milder climate and oak process conspiring. It certainly has a beautiful nose and nice finish. Cheers!
How does this compare with the Zin you were making from the Casa Santinamaria Vineyard?
@Kildahl
Actually a lot like Casa Santinamaria but slightly less tannins
@jeffgaffner
You made me look at CT.
Seems I have a few of your '07 Sarahs still hanging around from an old woot purchase.
Camp Block, Owl Box and Flora.
Any thoughts?
@rjquillin Lucky you! Had a 2007 Syrah tasting with those wines and all are showing great
/giphy excited-martian-pirate
For the record, I don’t know what the rats were drinking. This was prettily bottled sweet swill, and my worst purchase from Casemates or its predecessor by far. And I say that as someone who’s enjoyed Saxon Brown in the past. Just bad.
@michaepf I popped one open tonite and can’t disagree. In a blind tasting, I would of never tagged it as a zin.
@michaepf noted.
@michaepf I intend to inform, not persuade, but sometimes my enthusiasm gets the better of me. Some people like Moscato.
For what it’s worth I put my case in a dark corner of my basement for the next few years, hoping the sweet sensation (which @jeffgaffner says isn’t from excess residual sugar) integrates with the rest of the package. I know I wrote a lot of words in my report, so perhaps these got lost in the jumble:
Also, Winesnob said this:
@jeffgaffner @KitMarlot Thanks for writing! That’s fair feedback. In part I think I read what I wanted to see given my positive past experiences with cm/ww and with Saxon Brown. Some reviewers can interpret fruit- forward as sweet, and the winemaker was adamant that the wine was not that. I saw a lot of words too about how balanced, elegant, etc. it was, which was in line with my recollection of SB.
But I wanted to be clear for future folks, in case there was another offer, that this wine sits awkwardly between zin and dessert wine, and doesn’t succeed at either.
@jeffgaffner @KitMarlot @michaepf i had some again the other night. i agree with the zin - dessert meld. i ended up reconciling and liking it by the last glass (day later).
@jeffgaffner @KitMarlot @michaepf @Winedavid49 I just did a PnP. First taste was pure sugar. I’ll see what happens to it over time. This might be best served chilled…
@jeffgaffner @KitMarlot @michaepf @Winedavid49 putting it in the fridge made it worse. Would not recommend.
Glad I skipped this offer! CT reviewer was spot on
Can’t see how this wine was supposedly meant for steakhouses?
Oh god. The only disappointing purchase I’ve made from Casemates so far. “syrupy” is the an apt description. Through an entire bottle over 12 hours I’ve tried so hard to like this zin in any way possible - agree that it’s unique and unexpected - but it’s been nothing but a struggle to get through it that got worse and worse with time. Not sure what to do with the remaining two but definitely glad I didn’t spring for the case.
@blacklotus90 I ended up opening a bottle Thursday and left half on the counter, uncorked, overnight. I found the sweetness less jarring and found the wine to be significantly better. You didn’t ask my opinion, but I would recommend saving the other bottles for a couple of years. If you can’t wait, you could try pouring hard into a decanter and swirling a lot. Couldn’t make it worse, right?
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot it would probably make a good reduction sauce.
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot @Twich22
Try good pork or venison and use some of this in a blackberry sauce.
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot
I didn’t expect much from this wine, considering the price, I’m sad to say that it met my expectations. It was far too sweet for my tastes, closer to an “inexpensive” dessert wine than anything. I have acquaintances that are younger than I, and have less discerning tastes, and decided that it was best to just give it away, rather than trying to cook with it, or save it to see if it got better with age.
Ah, well. So it goes.
@Shrdlu Just curious what about the price tipped you off? For future reference
$20 is not exactly cheap on casemates, and the MSRP was $40.
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot @Shrdlu
I think the UPS crew may get my remaining two bottles. Now, to sort out what to do with the remaining 573ml in the one I opened.
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot @rjquillin @Shrdlu I still want to know how a wine with only 0.4% RS (i.e. right around the detectable limit for most) comes off as “syrupy” and “sweet”. Something just doesn’t add up here.
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot @klezman @rjquillin @Shrdlu
This reminds me of many lifetimes ago on woot Kyle bought one of the Saxum Brown offers and traded me a bottle for something? We both said the same things that are being said about this one.
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot @klezman @Shrdlu
I’d agree on the description, but isn’t the detectable level somewhat lower, with recognition higher, iirc.
I did enjoy the 2007 Saxon-Brown Syrah Flora Ranch
@blacklotus90 @KitMarlot @rjquillin @Shrdlu I thought perceptibility varied by person in the 0.3-0.6% range.
@Twich22 In general, $20 is a good price point for me. When something is a bit below, I usually do research elsewhere before buying it. On the other hand, it was a Zinfandel, which I’m usually pretty tolerant of.
I’m certain that everyone I gifted a bottle to is happy with it. My last bottle heads out tomorrow (I’d bought six). It wasn’t horrible, but life is short, and it was clearly not to my taste. Most wines here on Casemates that I like are above 20, and usually in the 30 and above range.
No worries.
When looking for the Mon-Tue offering, I saw this thread in the list, and thought I’d take a look. I was very surprised to see all the negative comments about the Saxon Brown Zinfandel. I’d opened one of my three bottles shortly after receiving it, and my notes indicate that I liked it then, and I had given it three stars in my own rating system (corresponding roughly to 90-91 in the usual 81-100 scale in the magazines). I noted that it was full-bodied, juicy, had an old wood nose (something I associate with aging in barrels that have been used a few times). I thought then that it had a good mid-palate and a long finish.
So I opened another one tonight, and I still have the same impressions. I can understand how some think it has a sweet affect. But I attribute that to the considerable fruitiness that balances the high alcohol pretty well. My impression of high alcohol (15% and higher) natural wines is that winemakers have a big challenge to balance all that alcohol to produce a palatable wine. In this case I think they got the job done. This was the first Saxon Brown wine that I’ve had, and I’d certainly be open to trying some more from them.
@DickL Its not a terrible wine. I drank some of it and could tell it was made with care. If you can get over the sweetness its a nice wine. But it is quite sweet compared to what I would like or expect. To me, as others have commented, it does fall somewhere halfway along to becoming a port. So its in this odd area where its not sweet enough to be a dessert wine but its sweet enough where it makes you think about dessert wines. As always, everyone has different tastes and different pleasures. Its not a terrible wine, but also not what I would expect to get from a “good” zin, which I suppose is my real gripe.
@DickL @Twich22 Opolo?
@losthighwayz @Twich22 What about Opolo? I’ve never had any of their wines. Are they noted for high alcohol Zins with a sweetish affect?
@Twich22 Perhaps my opinion is related to the fact that I like ports and Porto. So a wine being a somewhat port-like table wine is not a problem for me.
@DickL @Twich22 my bad for assuming you knew Opolo. Yes, Mountain Zin used to be my go to many moons ago then I tried it around 2 years ago and could not finish it. It wasnt the alcohol (I enjoy many high alcohol Aussie wines, Herman Story, Stillman Brown) but more so the syrupiness and sugar (percieved or not). Many people like it so I suppose it boils down to preference
I agree with rquillin on the 2007 Saxon-Brown Syrah Flora Ranch. I really enjoyed it And its one of the wines I consider memorable. Still know where I was and where I sat as it opened over a few hours - I was fairly new into wine at the time and it opened my mind to what wine can be. But I am struggling with this one - I think all the reviews are fair if that makes sense. It does have a syrupy aspect to it that is tough to deny, but also has a port likeless which is usually in my wheelhouse. I think the first bottle was just not what I was expecting. The next will either be on a cold night by a fire or a hot day in a sangria.
Long time listener, first time orderer.
/giphy known-martial-powder
@onetruedave How are you posting on an 18 month old offer? Hope Zepplin is your first casemates.