2017 K Vintners Syrah Klein
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Tasting notes
Bright full, dark red. Initially reticent musky nose opened with air to reveal black fruits, licorice and graphite. Fresh and fine-grained but juicy and tight, offering impressive density but little in the way of early sweetness. The wine's firm tannic structure reminded me of Cabernet, but then this is typically a powerful version of Syrah according to Leighton, who trains these vines lower to avoid the worst of the wind. The big, dusty tannins saturate the tongue and build. A rather muscular version of Syrah. (15% alcohol; from a windy site on the southwestern edge of Walla Walla Valley featuring less than a foot of soil over volcanic rock)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Seriously impressive on the nose, the 2017 Syrah Klein Vineyard bursts out of the glass with power and precision, draped in a long, velvety robe of spiced plum reduction, blackberry essence, smoked lavender and hints of dusty beef jerky with soft peppercorn spices, cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom. Full-bodied, the palate is broad and nimble, showing a depth of flavor with a continually evolving complexity that grows in amplitude as the wine opens. It has a balanced structure and firm tannins that will allow this to age for more than 10-15 years, ending with a long, drawn-out finish with flavors of black tea, tobacco and a rustic rocky essence. Wow, stellar stuff!
From a basalt outbreak in the southwest portion of Walla Walla, not destemmed and brought up in 50% new puncheons, the 2017 Syrah Klein Vineyard sports a deep ruby/plum color to go with stunning notes of blackcurrants, chocolate, loamy soil, and spiced meats. It's powerful and full-bodied, yet stays light and graceful on the palate, with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It's a stunning, Hermitage look-alike to enjoy over the coming 20 years. This is what I call a stacked lineup from K Vintners, and the team of Charles Smith and Brennon Leighton continue to make brilliant wines. The lineup is broken up into multiple brands today, with K Vintners focusing primarily on Rhone varieties. The Wines of Substance (or just Substance) label are the Bordeaux based wines, then you have CasaSmith, Sixto, B. Leighton, and now Golden West.