2016 K Vintners The Deal Sundance Vineyard Syrah

The 2016 Syrah The Deal Sundance Vineyard opens with black peppercorn ground over a bowl of black fruit, with aromas of cigar ash and savory herbs with dark purple flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the wine expands in the mouth to show a rich but chewy palate with lush fruit and grippy tannins across the back. It ends with a grippy finish that will take some time to come around or will be best enjoyed with food, now. 1,189 cases made.

This is from the Sundance Vineyard, which has volcanic, sandy soils at a higher elevation than the surrounding plots. The nose has aromas of crushed dried flowers and bright red berries that follow to the palate where a streak of sweetly spicy oak threads into the ripe, composed and elegant red-plum finish. Drink over the next decade.

The 2016 Syrah The Deal comes from the sandy, loamy soils of the Wahluke Slope and has classic earthy notes of spices, forest floor, dried herbs, hot stones, and a crushed rock-like sensation of minerality. Full-bodied, concentrated, and opulent on the palate, it has a beautiful balance between richness and elegance, fine tannins, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years. 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.