2011 | House of Smith | K Vintners The Deal Sundance Vineyard Syrah

Bright, saturated ruby. Lovely floral lift to the aromas of black raspberry, white pepper and smoke. In a juicy, elegant style, with nicely integrated acidity and a very fine-grained mouthfeel. Extremely young and still tightly coiled, but boasts the balance and depth of flavor to age gracefully and gain in complexity. Very promising, lightly stony Syrah.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The most northern Rhone-like in the lineup, the 2011 Syrah The Deal Sundance Vineyard exhibits gorgeous blackberry and cassis-styled fruits, olive, pepper and underbrush in its juicy, medium to full-bodied, nicely focused personality. Seamless and elegant, with solid mid-palate depth, it, too, will over a decade of prime drinking. One of the highlight (and largest) tastings for this report, the team at K Vintners consists of wild man himself, Charles Smith, and Andrew Latta and Brennon Leighton. Despite the rock star persona, when it comes to the wines, these guys are dead serious, source grapes from some of the top sites, and simply get out of the way once they’re in the winery. All of the single vineyard Syrahs are fermented with native yeasts and 100% whole cluster, and see an extended time in mostly neutral French oak puncheons...The 2011s, which were all tasted out of bottle, come from a cooler, more difficult vintage, yet show solid ripeness and good textures.

• Wine Spectator: Fresh and open-textured, with red berry, black cherry, licorice and smoke notes as the finish sails on. Drink now through 2021.

Producer Information

House of Smith (also sometimes known as Wines of Substance, although this is also an offshoot brand) is a broad portfolio of Washington-based brands founded and owned by Charles Smith, distinct from much of the labels under the former Charles Smith Wines company which was acquired by wine giant Constellation in 2016. Smith grew up in California and managed rock bands in Scandinavia for a number of years before returning to the US to work in the wine industry. He planted his first vines in the Walla Walla Valley AVA in 1999 and released the subsequent 330 cases of Syrah in 2001 under the label K Vintners, before establishing his namesake brand in 2006. The House of Smith portfolio features mostly single-variety wines which are known for their striking labels and evocative proprietary names. While focused on accessibility and affordability, the wines are still critically acclaimed. The K Vintners range includes a selection of single-vineyard Syrah wines, as well as varietal examples of Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Viognier. The range, which changes regularly, also has several Southern Rhône-style blends. Apart from K Vintners, current brands include the Substance range, Vino CasaSmith, which focuses on Italian grape varieties such as Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese, the Chardonnay-only Sixto, B. Leighton (the latter two are made with grower Brennon Leighton) and the Charles & Charles / Bieler & Smith collaboration with Charles Bieler. Smith works with contract vineyards all over Columbia Valley including the sub-appellations of Wahluke Slope, Walla Walla Valley, Snipes Mountain and Yakima Valley. The vineyards practice sustainable farming and use recycled water. Grapes are crushed by foot, fermented with wild yeasts and basket-pressed. In 2016, five of his most prominent brands (along with the Charles Smith Wines name) were sold to Constellation Brands. These are Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Eve Chardonnay, Boom Boom Syrah, Velvet Devil Merlot, and Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon. Before the sale, production across the Charles Smith brands reached 650,000 cases annually, making it one of the largest producers in Washington, only surpassed by Chateau Ste. Michelle Estates and Precept.

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