2010 K Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon The Creator
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Tasting notes
(70% cabernet sauvignon vinified with whole berries and 30% syrah done with whole clusters; from the "Rocks"; spent up to 55 days on its skins): Good bright ruby-red. Aromas of black cherry, black olive, five-spice powder and pencil shavings. Sweet, silky and light on its feet, with lovely inner-mouth perfume to its flavors of flowers, spices and olive tapenade. A peppery nuance gives this wine a taut quality. Building tannins call for a few years of cellaring.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Moving away from 100% Syrahs, the 2010 The Creator checks in as a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Syrah. It’s a seriously perfumed and rich effort that boasts knockout aromas of cassis, mint, wild herbs and cedar along with a full-bodied, pure, precise and brilliantly textured palate. In need of 2-3 years in the cellar, it should see its 15th birthday in fine form. Drink 2016-2025. In the top tier of producers in Washington State, wild man Charles Smith fashions singular, exotic wines that never lack for richness or texture. While his wines can push the limits in some vintages and be slightly controversial, there’s nothing controversial or over the top with these 2010s and 2011s and they have beautiful purity of fruit, clean, integrated acid profiles and solid underlying structure. In almost all cases, given the quality, they represent incredible values. While this was a slight marathon tasting, when the wines are this good, it’s always easy to keep your motivation. Focusing on low-yields in the vineyards, the winemaking here is straight-forward with almost all of the wines seeing some whole cluster fermentation, time on lees and aging primarily in neutral French oak. www.kvintners.com