K Vintners Rockgarden Syrah 2016
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Robert
Product Details
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Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a site in the Rocks region of the Walla Walla Valley, the 2016 Syrah Rock Garden 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.
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Wine Spectator
Expressive river stone and blueberry aromas open to silky and refined raspberry, licorice and black olive flavors that build on the dynamic finish.
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James Suckling
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.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
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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.