2017 K Vintners Syrah Phil Lane
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Tasting notes
Subtle, floral aromas of sappy raspberry, strawberry, mocha and herbs are eventually joined by an emerging note of smoked meat. Still tightly wound and showing this bottling's typical early tension, but the saline flavors of dark raspberry and herbs also offer a rather suave texture and enticing sweetness. Finishes firm and long, with the backbone of dusty tannins to support mid-term aging. This wine possesses less mid-palate silkiness than many of the foregoing Syrah samples. (the yield for this bottling is very low, as the winery also makes a rosé from this vineyard)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Syrah Phil Lane Vineyard opens to a nose of black pepper, roasted coffee beans, smoked blackberry and grilled plums, with a rocky minerality reminiscent of baked clay. Full-bodied, the wine is generous and tight on the palate, with firm tannins that grip the gumline and offering smoky sensations through to the finish. Give this a couple more years in bottle before opening and drink over the next 10-15 years.
From a tiny site on the eastern side of Walla Walla (all Phelps clone), the 2017 Syrah Phil Lane offers a Rocks-like bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cured meats, and ground pepper as well as a kiss of bloody, iron-like notes. It's medium to full-bodied and has a terrific sense of freshness and purity, lots of fine tannins, and a great finish. It will drink well for 15 years. Unfortunately, there are only 117 cases produced. This is what I call a stacked lineup from K Vintners, and the team of Charles Smith and Brennon Leighton continue to make brilliant wines. The lineup is broken up into multiple brands today, with K Vintners focusing primarily on Rhone varieties. The Wines of Substance (or just Substance) label are the Bordeaux based wines, then you have CasaSmith, Sixto, B. Leighton, and now Golden West.