Revisiting K Vintners 2007 Phil Lane Syrah

I originally visited the K Vintners site in Walla Walla in June of 2010, and wrote about the experience and the wines. My favorite wine from that day was K Vintners' 2007 Phil Lane Syrah, Walla Walla Valley. I recently revisited this bottling after two and a half years in my stash. 

Charles Smith produces what I would consider an arsenal of powerful and expressive Washington Syrah bottlings under his K Vintners and Charles Smith Wines labels. Like other of Smith's wines the 2007 Phil Lane is crushed by pigeage, partial whole-cluster, fermented with native yeasts, with elevage in Burgundy barrels from various coopers. 

It is estate-grown in the Walla Walla Valley from pebbly loamy sedimentary soils, brought on by the catastrophic ice age Missoula Floods. These ancient floods and their impact on the soils are one of the hallmarks of Columbia Valley terroir. To me there's often a distinct mineral highlight on Washington Syrah  contrasting with the fruit and accenting the structure and depth.

For drinking I decanted and returned to bottle. The color is a dense dark garnet with just hints of clarity. Notes of ashy-mineral, savory earth, blue violet, cassis & currant are highlighted throughout. On the palate this has opened nicely, showing a juiciness to the fruit to balance against powerful concentration. Weighty and polished with creamy tannins and long finishing notes of dark fruit and bitter espresso. This is excellent (good enough for me to save the empty bottle) - and just beginning to blossom - probably a few more years from its drinking window. Originally priced at $70. Drink or hold.