Every so often you taste a wine that is truly special and separates itself from most others. A sensational bottling, Charles Smith might be most famous for crafting his wine from the ‘Stoneridge Vineyard’ near the town of Royal City and at what is now the Royal Slope AVA. There is something sensational about the terroir that is encapsulated in Syrah from this site. Stony, smoky, and salty tones often intermingle, as do herbal and meaty tones. For any serious lover of Washington Syrah, this wine is a dream.
The Stoneridge Vineyard sits in an alluvial fan gravel bed, above the flood plain of the Columbia River. Under the topsoil is a layer of caliche and basalt 6-12’’ deep, creating a calcium and iron rich media that forces roots to struggle. The new 2017 K Vintners ‘Royal City’ Syrah (OB, 96) is a stunning new bottling with sensational range and terroir. It is magical to consume now but will cellar well over the next eight to ten years. Learn more about this great wine at https://winesofsubstance.com Here is my review of the beautiful new 2017 ‘Royal City’ Syrah.
2017 K Vintners ‘Royal City’ Syrah- Truly one of the iconic Washington wines, the 2017 ‘Royal City’ Syrah is sourced from the ‘Stoneridge Vineyard’ located in the new Royal Slope AVA and owned by the Davis family. The vineyard is home to a massive array of soils, from sandy loam and malaga cobble to Quincy fine sand. Translucent in the glass, the 2017 ‘Royal City’ Syrah shows incredible range on the nose from salted meats to green olive tapenade alongside shades of huckleberry and beef fat with green peppercorns that all meld in the glass. The palate is fresh, with plenty of stuffing. The mouthfeel is downright luxurious. Layers of red currants dance with smoky minerals, cigar ash, stony terroir, Kalmata olive, red cherry candy and Mandarin orange rind. The flavor range here is sensational. Gorgeous to enjoy in its youth, this outstanding new wine will provide drinking enjoyment over the next eight years. Drink 2020-2028- 96