2017 K Vintners Vintners Guido Sangiovese Jack's Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Moderately saturated medium red with a palish rim. Aromas of cherry, mocha, sandalwood and olive tapenade; very Rocks in character in spite of the unusual variety (Brennon Leighton noted that this was the first block of vines planted in the Rocks District, using cuttings from Montalcino; Barbera was put in at the same time). At once densely packed and easygoing, offering complex flavors of red cherry and spices joined by notes of kelp and tomato skin; plenty of Rocks salinity on display. I like this fine-grained wine's balance of sweetness and acid spine. With its very smooth tannins, it wine boasts considerable early sexy appeal. But I'm not sure I would have picked the variety blind owing to the inescapable character of the site.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Sangiovese Guido looks and acts more similar to Grenache than Sangiovese. Guido offers soft earthy notes of mushroom on the nose along with fruit aromas of dark cherry, red plum and pepper spices. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is a delight on the palate, offering pleasure with layers of complexity and finesse and ending with a clean and juicy finish. The wine remains with soft persistent flavors of ripe red berries in the mouth. It’s gorgeous.
The 2017 Guido (100% Sangiovese) reveals a lighter ruby hue as well as complex notes of baking spices, new leather, and mulled cherries. Aged in 40% new barrels, it’s medium to full-bodied and has a ripe, velvety texture, good overall freshness and purity, and a great finish. There are only 175 cases made, but it’s a rock star of a Sangiovese (I don’t know many better in the United States) to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years, if not longer. 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.