2012 K Vintners Royal City Syrah
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Tasting notes
Crushed fall leaves and underbrush complicate plum sauce and brown sugar as the 2012 Royal City Syrah opens in the glass. This is racy and refined with a core of juicy acidity and mineral-tinged red fruits that smooth over the palate. The 2015 finishes remarkably fresh yet potent, with adolescent tannins that still pinch at the cheeks as sweet herbal and tobacco notes slowly fade. While the nose shows notes of maturity, the palate is on fire. The 2012 is over-giving in every possible way, yet in no fear of decline.
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Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Dark red. Explosively complex musky, savory nose offers aromas of grilled meat, earth and olive tapenade. Savory more than fruity on the palate too, but with compelling sweetness to the thick, deep olive, pepper and brown spice flavors supported by stony and meaty qualities (this unique vineyard features a lot of giant rocks). A distinctly idiosyncratic, utterly fascinating Syrah with outstanding concentration and saline, palate-saturating, reverberating length. The tannins are firm but not dry.
Another wine that flirts with perfection is the 2012 Syrah Royal City. From the Stoneridge Vineyard in the Columbia Valley, it offers up a smorgasbord of aromas and flavors, including kirsch and dark fruits, gamy meats, pepper, liquid rock and olive brine. Insanely textured, with full-bodied richness and power, loads of sweet tannin and blockbuster length, give it a year or so and then drink this incredible Syrah over the following decade.