K Vintners Rockgarden Syrah 2017
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James
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
This is it! Asian Five Spice, licorice and grilled lamb. Freshness and energy that you rarely find in The Rocks. Lavender, white and black pepper and crushed stone. Taut. Long. Great. BIG. BOLD.
Blend: 100% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
This great site in the Rocks region of Walla Walla has produced a gamey, meaty 2017 Syrah Rockgarden that sports a medium ruby/plum color, Hermitage-like notes of blackcurrants, graphite, smoked game, pepper, and leafy herb, medium to full body, ripe, powerful tannins, and a great finish. There are just 361 cases made, but it’s a brilliant wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Rockstar juice, the 2017 Syrah Rock Garden Vineyard shows whole-cluster expressions with high-toned red fruits, a floral and mineral lift, black raspberry, soft oaky nuances and aromas of black pepper, cured meats and roses. Medium to full-bodied, the wine offers a vibrant and lively mid-palate that is balanced and shows tight tannins followed by flavors of bitter black tea, blackberry and cracked pepper. Ending with a long, winding finish, this Syrah is going to be a crowd-pleaser at this price. Absolutely delicious. Rating: 94+
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James Suckling
This shows lots of floral character with green tobacco and meat on the nose and palate. It’s full and decadent with lots of rich fruit. Juicy finish.
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Located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Walla Walla Washington, K Vintners opened its doors to the public on December 3rd, 2001. The property at 820 Mill Creek Road where the winery sits was homesteaded in 1853 with the adjacent farmhouse built in 1872. The winery grounds with Titus Creek flowing through the lawn and the old pioneer planted trees, is a little slice of heartland Americana. The Winemaker: He loves to drink wine! Charles Smith, proprietor and winemaker, comes to Walla Walla after 11 years in Scandanavia. Originally from northern California, he has been involved with wine personally and professionally his whole life. And did we forget to mention... he loves to drink wine! The Vineyards: K Vintners is producing wines from 2 distinctive viticultural zones: Wahluke Slope and Walla Walla Valley. Each of these areas are unique and awesome for Syrah and the Field Blends produced. In April '02 two seperate blocks of vineyards were planted to Syrah adjacent to the winery in the rocky dry creek beds that run through K Vintners property.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.