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. 

Syrahhhh

Trying to avoid drinking Syrah in Santa Barbara County is like trying to avoid drinking Coca-Cola in Atlanta. It's free, cheap and easy and served just about everywhere.

And while that may be a bit of hyperbole, it's certainly true that Santa Barbara County is a great place to showcase the versatility of Syrah. Cool climates like Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley can bring out the full range of savory notes, while the warmer reaches of the Santa Ynez Valley bring out the blue fruit and black pepper. And while that may be a bit of generalization, it's certainly true that these elements wax and wane in Syrah produced from throughout the county.

I recently revisited a wine I purchased and stored from before I moved here. The 2005 Qupé Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah, Santa Maria Valley is from the Z Block at Bien Nacido. It's a hillside block with poor soils and southwest exposure that produces one of the finest Syrah's from Qupé each vintage. The grapes are typically destemmed and the wine is typically aged for about 20 months in roughly 50-60% new French Oak barrels. 

This was one of those wines that demanded whole-bottle consumption. It glided through a dinner pairing with barbecued pork chops and then proved to be a very nice weekend evening companion. Here are my notes- 

Three hour decant. Full dark garnet color with lightening ruby edges. Complex aromas- marinating steak, white pepper, black olive, vanilla, blueberry and lavender. Rich, fine and structured on the palate. Bright but still a little inward with its layered flavors of ripe dark fruit and broad savory notes. Firm tannins with a full juicy peppery finish. An exceptional bottle of Syrah just hitting its stride. Could easily be held for a few more years (rating- I like++!) $36

**********

An honorable mention also goes out to a Syrah from the far reaches of the great Pacific Northwest. Red Mountain in the Columbia Valley to be exact. This is where Hedges Family Estate cranks out excellent wines with excellent value year after year. The CMS wines are outstanding Columbia Valley blends at very accessible prices. Two of their bottlings- The Estate Red Mountain and the Descendants Liegeois Dupont Syrah Les Gosses are Red Mountain estate bottled wines typically showing distinguished character and good value. I recently opened a bottle of the 2009 Descendants Liegeois Dupont Syrah Les Gosses, Red Mountain that I purchased at the winery. Below are the notes -- 

Aerated with Vinturi. Bright opaque purple color. Loads of cassis, currant and violet aromas with just hints of meaty white pepper. Silky with juicy bold fruit on the palate with a light savory backdrop. Fine tannins and full fruit finish. The savory depth should develop with a little bottle age, but this is irresistible now. Awesome price too. (rating- I like!) $25

Red Teeth on Red Mountain- A Visit to the Red Mountain AVA

People in the know about Washington wine often call Red Mountain the "crown jewel" of Washington AVA's. Last month I attended the Wine Bloggers Conference post-conference excursion to the Red Mountain AVA. The Red Mountain vintners and growers who hosted my group set out to make us believe it.

Red Mountain is located just east of the Yakima Valley AVA, and just north of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. It's the smallest of Washington's AVA's, distinguished by it's tributary (Yakima River), its sand and clay silt loam soils left from ice age glacial floods, and its gentle slope up the 1400 foot Red Mountain. The weather is high desert climate; with only 4 to 6 inches of rain a year, hot summer days, moderating breezes, cool evenings, and a long growing season. All these factors combine to create a terroir well-suited for the Bordeaux red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as Rhone varietals such as Syrah.

After meeting the group at Terra Blanca Winery, we headed up the slope to Col Solare. Col Solare is an instant classic of a wine estate; founded in 1992 as a partnership between Chateau Ste Michelle and the Antinori family of Tuscany. It produces one of Washington's preeminent wines. Col Solare's red wine, a blend of mostly Bordeaux varietals with just a touch of Syrah, is sourced from top vineyards throughout Red Mountain, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope, and Horse Heaven Hills- including Col Solare's Red Mountain estate vineyard.

The modern and stately winery is beautifully situated toward the top of the Red Mountain slope. It overlooks the Red Mountain AVA below as well as the Horse Heaven Hills in the distance. We listened to the story of the winery on the patio overlooking the vineyards, then headed into the aging cellars to taste the 2006 Col Solare, Columbia Valley ($80). Aged in 100% new French (75%) and American (25%) oak, the 2006 is a wine of great beauty, finesse, and seamless structure. It is marked by mineral, cherry, and spice aromas; and beautiful lush black fruit, spice, and vanilla across the palate. Lush and rich in tannic structure, this is a stunner that I'd love to watch develop over time. As an added bonus, we tasted the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon component for the blend from barrel- a promising preview...

After the tasting, we hiked through the vineyards and down the slope to Hedges Cellars. Learning along the way about some of the prevailing viticultural philosophies of Red Mountain growers (covered later at Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard).

Finally, at Hedges Cellars, we were greeted by Christophe Hedges. Christophe, the national sales manager, expressed strong opinions to the group about the importance and distinction of estate wines- grown and produced. He talked with conviction about his belief in Red Mountain as unique terroir, and about how Hedges strives to maintain this in their wines. He tied in the role of critics and wine ratings to diminishing the unique terroir of places like Red Mountain and other areas throughout the wine world.

From there, we headed into the aging cellars to taste Red Mountain wines side by side with landmark wines from other famous regions. The pairings included:

~2007 Obolisco Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain with 2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- comparing the former's leafy savory fruit elegance with the latter's powerfully lush structure and rich dark spicy fruit. Two different expressions of Cabernet, both excellent wines.

~2008 Descendant's Liegeois Dupont Syrah, Red Mountain with 2008 Kaesler Shiraz, Barossa Valley- comparing the former's musky & gamey tobacco and fruit with the latter's lush black fruit and sweet spice. Distinctly different Syrah/Shiraz with great results.

~2006 Hedges Family Estate, Red Mountain with 2006 Chateau Talbot, St-Julien- comparing the gamey black fruit & musky herb/spice notes & silky minty structure of the former with the latter's dusty tobacco and spice & mineral fruit. An incredible comparison, both great wines.

~2006 Goedhart Family Bel' Villa Syrah, Red Mountain with 2006 René Rostaing, Côte Rôtie- both exhibiting a wild and free gaminess along with brambly fruit, tea, and mineral- along with various spice accents. What a couple of magical Syrahs!

Lesson learned- the wines of Red Mountain stand toe to toe with world class wines from more famous regions. If there's an identifier of Red Mountain that I'm picking up at this point of the day, it's fine structure and elegance... and ripe fruit delivered deftly yet powerfully. This was the common thread that I picked up from Red Mountain on this day.

From there we were off, just down the way, to the famous Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard. Originally developed in 1975 and planted with Riesling, Chadonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon; Ciel Du Cheval is now most known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Its wines have averaged 92 point scores from major publications over the last 5 years.

We were greeted by owner, Jim Holmes. Mr. Holmes talked about his philosophies on vineyard and people management. The vineyard workers don't work when the temperature hits 95 degrees. He practices his own brand of sustainable farming, deeming sulfur sprays as harmful to the soil, his people, and surrounding lands (sulfur is approved for use in organic farming). They don't change the soil composition by introducing organic compounds and composts. And the vineyards is developing alternatives to use of artificial fertilizers. We then got our hands dirty with the soil, learning how to distinguish the different types of soil by how it responds to moisture.

Such Washington luminaries as Quilceda Creek, Andrew Will, and Januik make wines from Ciel Du Cheval.

Finally, it was back to Terra Blanca Winery. Located toward the bottom of the Red Mountain slope, Terra Blanca is a grand setting for a winery. It's set among its vineyards with grand views of the Horse Heaven Hills. Proprietors Keith and Renae Pilgrim led us into the cellar for a vertical tasting of Terra Blanca's Onyx- a Bordeaux blend from their Red Mountain estate vineyards. We tasted the 2006, 2001, and 1999- all very enjoyable with savory, spicy, minerals, and earthy depth; and laced with lush refined fruit and elegance. The older two wines very much exhibiting and enhanced depth and silky feel.

From there it was on to a grand tasting of Red Mountain wines from various vintners, and then a Spanish-style barbecue dinner on the patio of Terra Blanca overlooking the Horse Heaven Hills at sunset.

What a wonderful day, complete with great wines and great learning about this beautiful area of Washington. This was a wonderful close to my time in Pacific Northwest wine country. For more pictures of the Red Mountain AVA, click the link.

Alla Walla Walla

With last month's Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, WA; the local wine community rolled out the red carpet in a big way. Friday night featured a downtown walkabout, with all of the downtown tasting rooms open and pouring.

Saturday morning brought a seminar on Walla Walla terroir with geologist Kevin Pogue. The seminar centered around many factors that are key to the success of Walla Walla wines. The ice ages and the Great Missoula Floods left silt soils rich in minerals. The high desert climate and it's bitter cold winters has kept out phylloxera, allowing Walla Walla's vines to remain ungrafted. The northerly latitude and warm summers allow for a long growing season, with plenty of radiant sunshine to the vines. Conversely, the cool nights keep acids high enough and allows for even ripening. Finally, the dry weather allows for consistent vintages due to the predictable amounts of water to the vines. These are notable built-in advantages that have helped Walla Walla (and many other areas of Washington for that matter) come into its own as a wine growing region.

The seminar concluded and we were off to tour vineyards and wineries in Walla Walla. Our exact destinations were unknown, as we randomly choose school buses to board with various destinations.

Les Collines Vineyard

I boarded a bus that started at Les Collines Vineyard for a vineyard tour and tasting. Les Collines is a leading vineyard in Walla Walla. Our hosts were vineyard founder and Amavi Cellars vintner Norm McKibben, and Brandon Moss from Gramercy Cellars. Les Collines features 240 acres of vines in the southeast of the Walla Walla AVA. With more rain in the eastern foothills of Walla Walla, this is one of the wettest vineyard areas in Eastern Washington, albeit with only about 24 inches a year. The vineyard is less reliant upon irrigation than other nearby areas, with only light irrigation in August. Les Collines is certified sustainable, practicing minimal input farming and a self composting operation. Vineyard practices include meticulous pruning, shoot thinning, green harvesting, and control of soil moisture. The three primary grapes grown here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,
and Merlot.

We took a walk through the vineyard, with Norm pointing out their shoot positioning and the stage of berry set on the vines. The vineyard is stunningly beautiful, and in the prettiest area of Walla Walla that I saw over the course of the weekend. It was a stark and desolate beauty; located next to wheat fields, and spread across gently rolling hills, with expansive views of the surrounding foothills.

The Wines-

Finally it was time for the real treat. We tasted three wines made from Les Collines grapes.

~2007 Amavi Cellars Les Collines Syrah, Walla Walla- Aged 16 months in 20% new French oak. Rich in the glass with gamey fruit, olive, and savory herb aromas. Lush and smooth on the palate with black fruit, leather, pepper, and mint; and a dusty gripping structure and finish---excellent---$34.

~2006 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo, Walla Walla- Tempranillo, Grenache, and Syrah. Soft floral and mineral accented by the fruit. Drinks nice and elegant with red fruit, coffee, & earthen spice. Silky with spicy tannins and nice length---very good to excellent---$40.

~2008 Gramercy Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla- The nose held aromas of violets, cured meat, black olive, pepper- accented with subtle fruit. On the palate the fruit came to life with notes of lush blueberry, while carrying through the depth of the nose, before finishing with peppery tannins and a long finish---excellent---$42.

**********

Panel discussion at Reininger Winery

The second stop on our tour was at Reininger Winery. On the way there, our bus driver nearly caused an accident as we pulled right out in front of oncoming cars. A honk and a bird later, we made it in one piece to Reininger! There, we sat for a panel discussion with Chuck Reininger, Ron Coleman of Tamarack Cellars, and Mike Tembreull of Tero Estates. It was an interesting discussion with questions and input from our group.

Some of the things that were discussed included: the relative ease of doing business in Walla Walla compared to California wine regions (and how that has helped the area's development as a wine region); the evolution of the AVA- they are still discovering what grapes and practices work best; and what wines should be the identity of the AVA.

The Wines-

We tasted a wine from each of the vintners in attendance.

~1999 Reininger CIMA, Walla Walla- Sangiovese, Cab Sauv, and Merlot. Very dark in color with brick highlights. The nose reminded me of chocolate covered cherries, along with hints of earth. The cherry was riper and more prevalent upon drinking, with hints of coffee, tobacco, and cocoa. Silky with smooth loose tannins. Nice, seemed a little past its peak---good to very good---$? (no longer available)

~2008 Tamarack Cellars Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley- Deep garnet color with aromas of dried herbs & violets, vanilla, and minerally red fruit. Lots of red fruit on the palate with backing spice and pepper. Silky and creamy tannins and spice on the finish---very good---$28.

~2007 Tero Estates Windrow, Walla Walla- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec- harvested at the same time and fermented as a field blend. Aged in 500L oak puncheons. Meant to be a precise representation of the vineyard at a particular moment in time. Aromas of mineral, black cherry, pipe tobacco, and coffee- with the addition of caramel, black fruit, and light spice on the palate. Supple structure with opulent tannins---very good---$42.

**********

Northstar Winery

The final stop of the day was for a lunch and private tour at Northstar Winery with winemaker David "Merf" Merfeld. Northstar is Chateau Ste. Michelle's Walla Walla property, and is in the south of the AVA. They've set out to highlight the potential of Merlot in Walla Walla and the Columbia Valley, making big Merlot wines with lots of oak character and firm structure. Northstar is a large-scale winery with full visitor amenities.

The Wines-

~2006 Merlot, Walla Walla- 78% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cab Franc. Aged 17 months in 56% new French oak. Big and unctuous with lots of cocoa, coffee, and black fruit- oak driven. May need some time for the oak to integrate further---good---$50.

~2006 Merlot, Columbia Valley- 76% Merlot, 19% Cab Sauv, with Petite Verdot & Cab Franc. Aged 18 months in 70% French & 30% American oak (total 65% new). Savory black fruit and notes of spice- with hints of mineral, spice, black fruit, and integrated espresso oak notes. Well structured and firm---very good to excellent---$41.

Not available on their website, we also tasted the 2005 Columbia Valley Syrah, and the 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet was my favorite wine of the visit; with plenty of leather, cedar, red & black fruits, spice, and tobacco- all with peppery firm tannins---very good to excellent.

**********

Being a younger region, and without the high profile of the California wine regions, an AVA like Walla Walla is one that I previously viewed from the periphery. Knowing some of the benchmark wines, but not really knowing Walla Walla. This was a great indoctrination, and one that I'll look forward to exploring further in the future.

Click the link for all Walla Walla photos.

A Visit To K Vintners

Seeking a quick sabbatical from the Wine Bloggers Conference, I headed west of downtown Walla Walla to visit the venerable K Vintners. K is one of Charles Smith's three primary brands, along with Charles Smith Wines and The Magnificent Wine Company. The story is well known- Smith comes from Northern California via Europe, where he managed rock bands. He somehow ended up in Walla Walla, WA as a rock star winemaker, both literally and figuratively. He's famous for Washington Syrah, mostly from the Walla Walla Valley and the Wahluke Slope.

His branding, modernist and surreal, is iconic. Fortunately his wines walk the walk. K Vintners and Charles Smith wines are not only among the most highly regarded domestic Syrah; they've established themselves among the most highly regarded domestic wines period. Smith's Syrah wines have been rated consistently in the classic range in the Wine Advocate and in Wine Enthusiast. Aside from high-end Syrah, Smith's more value oriented brands such as The Magnificent Wine Company's House Wines and Charles Smith Wines' Kung Fu Girl Riesling bring style and value to everyday wine drinking.

The K Vintners winery and tasting room is located inauspiciously among the Phil Lane estate vineyard in Walla Walla. It's marked by a life-sized "K" along the road. There's farm pasture land across the street, with curious cattle that scampered off when I walked up to take a picture. With an old farm house, quaint vineyards, tall trees, and the winery in a old barn off to the side; the setting reminded me of the rolling Midwestern farm land that David Lynch brought to life in "The Straight Story" film.

The tasting room further reminded me of surreal themes of David Lynch- stark and mostly bare with concrete-colored walls... tiny little windows into the barrel room cut in asymmetrical patterns... the wines laid out on a bare antique table accompanied by a lone candle... a random assortment of weird tunes blasting from behind a mysterious black door... and my host sitting on a tiny little chair behind the table. The scene tied the cinematic and surreal influence on K together for me. As great as the wines are, every little nuance of the overall aesthetic is part of the show.

-The Wines



Per their technical information- K foot-crushes their fruit, ferments with only native yeasts, manually punches down, uses basket presses, and are aged in French Burgundy barrels.

~2009 Viognier, Columbia Valley- Barrel fermented in neutral barrels. Rocky and floral aromas flushed with stone fruit. Lush on the palate with peach, honey, apple, and apricot. Crisp and balanced---very good---$20.

~2008 "Milbrandt" Syrah, Wahluke Slope- 90% Sundance and 10% Pheasant Vineyards, sustainably farmed and owned by the Milbrandt brothers. Unfined. Floral notes with leathery spice and red fruit. Gamey on the palate with earthy red and blue fruit notes, layed over a spicy structure and finish---very good to excellent---$25.

~2008 "Clifton" Syrah, Wahluke Slope- Another vineyards owned and sustainably farmed by the Milbrandt brothers. Unfined. Cured meats, leather, baking spice leading into brambly red and black fruits. There's a spicy rich structure, tightly wound, leading into a full silky finish---excellent---$35.

~2007 "Phil Lane" Syrah, Walla Walla- From the sustainably-farmed estate vineyard in Walla Walla. Cobbley loam soil with vines trained low to the ground. Large brambly fruit on the nose with smoked meat and pepper. Lush fruit, black pepper, black olive, and spice- firm with a beautiful finish. This one could be special---excellent to stellar---$70.

The High Museum Trade Tasting

Today was the first day of the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, the 4th largest wine auction of its kind in the US. Proceeds from the auction benefit the High Museum. Kicking everything off was the Thursday afternoon tasting for those in the trade... With a connection to the wine business in Atlanta, a $15 donation got you an afternoon of tasting and a nice Riedel glass. Proceeds from the tasting go to assist Metro Atlanta Public Schools' access to the arts.

Between the crowds and the sheer number of wines that I was trying to taste, I decided to forgo writing any tasting notes. However I did have a few favorites- Au Bon Climat, Brewer-Clifton, Melville, Peay, Russian Hill, and Van Duzer (the 2007 making up for the 2006!) topped my list in Pinot Noirs... I was stoked to try the new 2008 Melville small lot Pinots- Terraces and Carrie's. Peay was new for me as well- loved their Sonoma Coast trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah- all from the 2008 vintage. They had great balance along with vibrant fruit. Their Syrah was awesome, balancing the full gamey and spicy fruit with cool climate finesse. Speaking of Syrah, K Vintners and their 2007 Walla Walla Valley Morrison Syrah was pretty special... full on waves of black fruit, savory spice, and earth- fully balanced with precision. I guess this is one of the entry level Syrahs from K and Charles Smith... pretty heady.

I tasted a fair amount of big Napa Cab's and Merlots from the 2005 - 2007 vintages, most of them needing time to mellow out and settle in. Caymus, Kathryn Hall, Pahlmeyer, and Pride all were pretty dark, loud, and brooding wines- intense on the palate with all the components fighting for airtime. I'd need to sit down with these and either give them time, or a lot of air to get a fair assessment. A few of the Cabs that were already showing nice refinement were the 2005 Grgich Hills (awesome 2007 Chardonnay as well), the 2006 Ramey Claret and Napa Cab, and both of Silver Oak's 2005 Cabs.

The biggest disappointments were probably Kosta Brown's 2008 Sonoma Coast and Russian River Pinot Noirs- good wines but didn't impress me as much as the Pinots mentioned earlier; some of the aggressive Cabs listed above (like I said, they need more time with me or I need more time with them...), and some high alcohol mashers from Martinelli- a Russian River Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that were both north of 15%, along with a Zin that came in at nearly 17%! Too much body and sweet gnarly fruit, they were like drinking fruit splinters and cotton candy.

There weren't too many imports, a few Australian and Chilean wines that I didn't get to. Maisons Marques and Domaines were pouring some of their portfolio- a beautiful Domaines Ott Rosé from Provence and a 2006 Pio Cesare Barolo. Very nice indeed.

So there you have it, a layman's view of the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction trade tasting all from memory, shoddy note-taking, and wine-stained brochures. Here's to next year!