2016 K Vintners Syrah Rock Vintners Garden
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Tasting notes
Bright medium red. Wild, musky nose combines plum, redcurrant and raspberry fruit with savory notes of grilled meat and bacon fat. Plump and salty in the mouth, with its red fruit and game flavors joined by a note of sassafras. Nicely fine-grained but a bit flat, showing a high-pH soapiness and a lack of definition. Finishes with dusty tannins and good length, but this wine lacks excitement. (13.5% alcohol)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Syrah Rock Garden walks a fine line between red and black fruit, with dusty red plum, inky blackberry reduction and pulverized peppercorns along with hung meats and dusty sweet tobacco aromas wafting out of the glass. Full-bodied in the mouth, the wine shows a rigidity, as the fruit turns slightly tart, delivering a freshness that is rich and zippy. Displaying flavors of tart black cherries on the fresh, zippy and long finish, the wine echos on the aftertaste with a rocky minerally, tart cherries and black pepper. It's a lovely wine; approximately 600 cases produced.
An intense peppery edge with dried-rose and potpourri notes, leading to a palate that has a lean and focused edge with a fleshy mid-palate and a forthright, dark-fruited finish. Drink or hold.
Coming from a site in the Rocks region of the Walla Walla Valley, the 2016 Syrah Rockgarden Vineyard boasts a deep ruby/purple color as well as a sweet nose of red fruits, spring flowers, ground pepper, and assorted leafy, herbal notes. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, and just a straight-up sexy wine, drink it any time over the coming decade. This is another formidable lineup from Charles Smith and Brennon Leighton, who have recently moved their winemaking facility from Walla Walla to just outside of Seattle. All of the pure Bordeaux variety blends/releases have been moved to the Wine of Substance label (also reviewed in this report), and the K Vintners label is reserved for Rhône variety releases. By and large, these are all not destemmed and brought mostly in neutral puncheons. As I’ve said in the past, these are the real deal and are brilliant wines.