2010 K Vintners Syrah The Hidden

Moving back to the estate’s top Syrahs, the 2010 Syrah The Hidden Northridge Vineyard comes from the warmer, Wahluke slope AVA and was fermented with 50% whole cluster prior to aging in 100% new 500-Liter French oak puncheons. An incredible wine, it possesses off the hook aromas and flavors of meaty black fruits, cedar box, exotic spice and smoked herbs as well as a decadent, massively fruited, structured and full-bodied palate. Deep, rich and layered on the mid-palate and showing awesome length on the finish, this absolutely fabulous Syrah will be even better in another 2-3 years and have 15+ years of ultimate longevity. 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