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| Country: | United States |
| Regions: | Washington Washington (Walla Walla) |
| Winery: | Charles Smith K Vintners |
| Grape Type: | Syrah |
| Vintage: | 2019 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Charles Smith K Vintners Powerline Estate Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Friendly, approachable and vivacious, yet also dark and mysterious. Black cherry, allspice, black ash, and orange blossom. Thyme and flint with ark fruit, cedar, kelp, black pepper, juniper, crushed rock, and tons of complex floral notes. Fear not, embrace it.
While just bottled a week before this tasting, the 2019 Syrah Powerline Vineyard certainly wasn't showing any worse for it, offering a stunning bouquet of ripe red and black fruits as well as white pepper, sandalwood, tobacco, and new leather. Pure, medium to full-bodied, and vibrant, with supple, polished tannins, this brilliant Syrah is going to keep for 10-12 years, if not longer.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Walla Walla (Washington State), Charles Smith opened his first winery, K Vintners, in December of 2001. The first release, 1999 K Syrah from Walla Walla Valley, initiated the style of winemaking that Charles continues today: small lots of single vineyard Syrahs and field blends of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo, and Viognier, all of which are hand-picked, fermented with naturally occurring yeasts and basket pressed.
Johann Michel Cornas Cuvee Jana is 100% Syrah.
Black raspberry aromas, licorice, sizzled bacon and smoke. Elegant and pure with depth and well-integrated tannins.
Jana is the name of Johann and Emmanuelle's daughter.
Manual harvest, selection of the grapes from the "Chaillot" parcel, full clusters, fermentation in tanks for 3 weeks, daily remontage and pigeage. Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels and aging on the lees for 12-18 months in barrels (new old barrels) The average age of the vines is 11 years. Yield: 25 hl/ha
Review:
"Dark purple. Highly perfumed, oak-spiced black and blue fruits, incense, vanilla and potpourri on the hugely perfumed nose, along with hints of licorice, smoked meat and mocha. Stains the palate with concentrated, spice-laced blueberry, cassis, cherry-vanilla and espresso flavors that turn sweeter as the wine opens up. Broad, polished tannins add shape to a strikingly long, smoke- and spice-driven finish that strongly echoes the floral and blue fruit notes. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2022), 97 pts
Force Majeure Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
The estate Cabernet Sauvignon is grown primarily along the southwest ridge of the vineyard. The vines produce small berries with bountiful flavor, concentration and intensity, but also a good degree of finesse, excellent structure and layers of complexity that will continue to develop during extended bottle aging for those who want to cellar and age their wines. The wine is powerful, elegant, full-bodied.
Bottled unfined and unfiltered.100% free run
Pumpovers and punch-downs, up to 45 day macerations
Native yeast, 5 day cold soaks
22 months in 75% new French oak barrels
Fermented in concrete and stainless closed top tanks.
Review:
Another gem is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain Estate, a deep, concentrated, powerful Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that I suspect will be up there with the legendary wines from this terroir. Beautiful cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and damp earth notes give way to a full-bodied effort that has a liqueur of rocks-like minerality, flawless balance, building yet polished tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it will evolve for 25-30 years if properly stored. Best After 2026.
-Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points
Solomon Hills Estate Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Solomon Hills Pinot Noir is always distinctive and singular in its ability to harness the Coastal influence of Santa Maria Valley. Earth tones alongside briar bush and blueberries contrast aromas of forest floor and fired red clay. The noticeable savory elements of cracked black pepper and teriyaki beef nicely balance ripe cherries and blackberries on the palate.
Review:
I loved the bouquet of the 2021 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills, a light ruby-hued effort with perfumed darker cherry, mulberry, leafy herb, and smoked earth nuances. It's medium-bodied, has a layered, seamless texture, integrated tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's absolutely brilliant. Enjoy bottles over the coming decade or more.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
K Vintners Syrah Royal City us made from 100 percent Syrah.
Royal City for REAL. Perfume of great complexity. Camphor, black cherry and forest floor. All spice building on the palate. Suave and full of finesse with cured olive and wet earth. This is where elegance reigns supreme. – Winemaker, Charles Smith
Review:
Lots of lavender, cured meats, loamy earthy, and pepper as well as both red and darker fruits emerge from the 2018 Syrah Royal City, easily one of the richest, most powerful Syrahs in the lineup. Full-bodied and concentrated, with loads of meaty, gamey, spicy nuances, this rock star of a Syrah offers loads of pleasure today yet is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for another 10-15 years in cold cellars. It's a ripe, sexy, yet again, incredibly savory and meaty Syrah that could come from nowhere else!
-James Suckling 98 Points
Lots of lavender, cured meats, loamy earthy, and pepper as well as both red and darker fruits emerge from the 2018 Syrah Royal City, easily one of the richest, most powerful Syrahs in the lineup. Full-bodied and concentrated, with loads of meaty, gamey, spicy nuances, this rock star of a Syrah offers loads of pleasure today yet is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for another 10-15 years in cold cellars. It's a ripe, sexy, yet again, incredibly savory and meaty Syrah that could come from nowhere else!
-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
I feel this wine expresses the greatness of California and its hidden pockets where Cabernet can excel. The cold Pacific Ocean running the entire length of the state presents maritime influences – and with each small distance eastward the climate warms. Stony soils, south facing slopes and moderately warm conditions are the keys to producing dark, rich and good tasting Cabernet.
A small release from Caymus Vineyards, this wine is a California-appellation Cabernet Sauvignon – supple, dark and rich, bearing the signature hallmarks of Caymus. It is sourced from sites throughout the state which feature climatic conditions, soils and topography that are ideally suited to Cabernet. This project stems from excitement over California's diverse vineyard land, often in lesser-known areas, with the potential to produce exceptional Cabernet.
Zuccardi Finca Piedra Infinita Altamira is made from 100 percent Malbec.
Deep red in color, the Zuccardi Finca Piedra Infinita Altamira expresses great fruity character with notes of red fruit. Grand structure and acidity on the palate with mineral with notes of wet stone and graphite and a long finish.
Review:
Quiet complexity that needs time in the glass. While it is brooding and deep, there is also a perfumed, floral and herbal aspect that makes it so attractive and unforgettable, even at such an embryonic stage. Freshly crushed blueberries, dried licorice, decadent violets, crushed stones and ash on the nose. Satin-textured tannins on the palate, which are tense, chalky and seamless. Powerful and juicy with impeccable balance. A great, cerebral and intrinsic malbec from Argentina. You can drink now, if you want, but it is a wine that you’d want to keep for the next two decades. A real charmer, especially for the wine nerds. Buy this and try!
-James Suckling 99 Points
K Vintners Syrah Royal City us made from 100 percent Syrah.
Royal City for REAL. Perfume of great complexity. Camphor, black cherry and forest floor. All spice building on the palate. Suave and full of finesse with cured olive and wet earth. This is where elegance reigns supreme. – Winemaker, Charles Smith
Review:
The 2019 Syrah Royal City is earthy, almost meaty in the glass, as notes of sage and dill accentuate green olive, then evolves to show musky black currants and crushed rocks. This is texturally thrilling, deep and creamy in feel, yet somehow energetic as well, with masses of mineral-tinged black fruits complemented by sweet herbs and tobacco. The 2019 melts away from the palate like molten chocolate, with exotic spices and tangerine to balance. Wow, I can't wait to see what another four to five years of cellaring might reveal here.
Vinous Rating: 97+ Points
K Vintners Syrah Royal City us made from 100 percent Syrah.
Royal City for REAL. Perfume of great complexity. Camphor, black cherry and forest floor. All spice building on the palate. Suave and full of finesse with cured olive and wet earth. This is where elegance reigns supreme. – Winemaker, Charles Smith
Review:
Lots of lavender, cured meats, loamy earthy, and pepper as well as both red and darker fruits emerge from the 2018 Syrah Royal City, easily one of the richest, most powerful Syrahs in the lineup. Full-bodied and concentrated, with loads of meaty, gamey, spicy nuances, this rock star of a Syrah offers loads of pleasure today yet is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for another 10-15 years in cold cellars. It's a ripe, sexy, yet again, incredibly savory and meaty Syrah that could come from nowhere else!
-James Suckling 98 Points
Lots of lavender, cured meats, loamy earthy, and pepper as well as both red and darker fruits emerge from the 2018 Syrah Royal City, easily one of the richest, most powerful Syrahs in the lineup. Full-bodied and concentrated, with loads of meaty, gamey, spicy nuances, this rock star of a Syrah offers loads of pleasure today yet is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for another 10-15 years in cold cellars. It's a ripe, sexy, yet again, incredibly savory and meaty Syrah that could come from nowhere else!
-Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points
K Vintners The Beautiful Syrah 2018 is made from 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier.
A multi-layered beauty; perfumed, lovely. Super dark rose. Broken, unfiltered cigarette, Amaro. Densely colored with a shimmering red rim. Giving, yet just an inch at a time. One to ponder. One to enjoy.
Review:
Such a pretty nose of cooking spice, red and black cherries and dried garden herbs. Full-bodied with excellent depth and nuance. Silky tannins. Whole black pepper and spiced cherry make the palate hum. There is a deft hand at work here. There is so much exciting energy to the ripe, balanced fruit. This is showing well now, but can age easily for the next 10-15 years. Drink or hold.
- James Suckling 97 Points
K Vintners The Beautiful Syrah 2018 is made from 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier.
A multi-layered beauty; perfumed, lovely. Super dark rose. Broken, unfiltered cigarette, Amaro. Densely colored with a shimmering red rim. Giving, yet just an inch at a time. One to ponder. One to enjoy.
Review:
The 2018 Syrah The Beautiful Powerline Vineyard comes from a vineyard outside of Walla Walla, in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. It was not destemmed and was brought up in neutral, larger barrels. An exotic nose of ripe blue and black fruits, lavender, sappy flowers, and herbes de Provence-like nuances give way to a medium to full-bodied, richly textured, structured wine with a mouth-filling, layered, meaty style that builds nicely with time in the glass. There's always a sappy, almost herbal edge to this beauty, and it ages beautifully. Feel free to open bottles any time over the coming 15-20 years. It would certainly be hard to pick out in a lineup of top Northern Rhône Syrahs.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
K Vitners The Hidden Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah.
It is not a secret the magnitude this wine can reach. In this vintage, femininity reigns supreme. Perfume, flowers, cassis. All anchored to sense of place with stone, ancient soil and chanterelles that make this wine a wine of the earth.
Review:
Kirsch, ripe black cherries, roasted herbs, violets, and orange blossom notes all emerge from the 2018 The Hidden Syrah Northridge Vineyard, which is all Syrah brought up in neutral oak. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully polished, it packs loads of fruit yet stays light on its feet, with no sensation of heaviness. As with all of these Syrahs from Smith, it's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
K Vintners King Coal 2020 is Cabernet Sauvignon with 24% Syrah, the 2020 King Coal Stoneridge Vineyard is firmer, darker and fresh with notes of pencil shavings and a juicy and generous core of spicy dark fruits, with delicate dusty red flowers, delightful brown baking spices and dark berries. Full-bodied, fresh and still tight, this will be released in September of 2023. Buy it, put it directly into your cellar, and forget about it for at least four years. It will go the distance; just be patient. Made from 100% whole-cluster grapes, the wine aged in 60% new French oak for 22 months. Bravo!
Review:
Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with 24% Syrah, the 2020 King Coal Stoneridge Vineyard is firmer, darker and fresh with notes of pencil shavings and a juicy and generous core of spicy dark fruits, with delicate dusty red flowers, delightful brown baking spices and dark berries. Full-bodied, fresh and still tight, this will be released in September of 2023. Buy it, put it directly into your cellar, and forget about it for at least four years. It will go the distance; just be patient. Made from 100% whole-cluster grapes, the wine aged in 60% new French oak for 22 months. Bravo!
Wine Advocate 98 Points
My First comment tasting this wine is "wow!" It's delicious; our flagship wine at Paradigm and it delivers. Dense, deep, ripe aromas of black berry and black cherry-like fruit layered with caramel and toastiness from a nice mix of French Oak barrels. Flavors coat the palate with matching notes in a classic Cabernet Sauvignon presentation. One of our best Cabs to date!
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot , 1% Petit Verdot
Review:
"Owned and managed by the Harris family, Paradigm winery produced its first vintage in 1991 in Oakville with winemaker Heidi Barrett. A self-contained winery estate with 50 acres of vineyards, Paradigm maintains a hands-on approach to all winemaking and vineyard operations. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon consists of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and is aged in both new and used French oak for 20 months, then aged a further 20 months in bottle before release. The total production for this vintage was 5,544 bottles." Blind tasted by Dave Allen, Stephen Brook, Terry Kandylis (at Decanter Magazine's December 2019 Californian Cabernet 2015 Panel Tasting, London, 17 Sep 2019)
- Decanter 95 Points
Argot Bastard Tongue Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Sonoma Pinot Noir.
Inheriting an unbroken string of success, the "Bastard Tongue" arrives fully-formed and ready to impress. Always a blend from multiple Pinot Noir vineyards, this iteration of "BT" was selected from three distinct sites, each making their own unique contribution of Sonoma County terroir to the wine's character.
Exploding forth on a tidal wave of high-toned, intense red and black fruits, this is a Pinot Noir that no stemware can contain. The palate's profound depth is balanced by an inherent freshness, allowing the wine to crackle with brambly energy, while sustained by bass notes of underbrush, black tea, pie spice and baker's chocolate. A formidable rendition of "Bastard Tongue", and a deserving successor to its line.
Night harvested by hand throughout September, cluster and berry sorted by hand, de-stemmed, no crushing. 7-day cold soaks, followed by native fermentation in open-top bins. Average time on the skins, 14 days. Aging 22 months in French oak barriques (95% new). Never racked prior to bottling. Bottled unfined, unfiltered.
Very versatile for pairing. Goes well with grilled meat, vegetable, fish, poultry and cheese.
Review:
"The 2023 'Bastard Tongue' is an utterly delicious Pinot Noir from Argot. It is both vibrant and expressive, with lifted aromas of raspberries, dark cherries and sweet cranberries woven together with notes of lavender, dried violets, baking spices, tea leaf, and mossy notes that remain persistent throughout. On the palate, it reveals a mouthwatering core of juicy red/dark fruit wrapped in supple tannins, with a gorgeous silky texture that speaks to its finesse. What sets this wine apart is its freshness—bright acidity energizes the layers of flavor, giving the wine a lively structure and a clean, extended finish. It's a Pinot Noir that balances depth and elegance with remarkable complexity." - 97 Points, International Wine Report
"Explosive red fruits, cool pine forest, loamy underbrush, five-spice and bakers chocolate. This wine marches down the palate with red-fleshed strawberries, Luxardo cherries and a hint of blood orange. As the finish spins into infinity, the fruit profile evolves from red to black, crescendoing on the palate's persistent lift of sweet and floral spice notes. Magnificent." - 96 Points, Jeb Dunnuck