One of Washington’s historic vineyards, Kiona has five Red Mountain estates and has been farming for forty years. The Kiona Estate was first planted back in 1975 by John Williams and Jim Holmes. Predominately planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this vineyard and this site has helped shape the Red Mountain AVA. This vineyard is also home to the oldest Lemberger planting in the western hemisphere.
The Williams family is now in the third generation of ownership. It was in 2016 that John Williams and Jim Holmes recognized with Lifetime Achievement awards from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers for their work pioneering Red Mountain and Yakima Valley. Winemaker Tyler Williams has served at this position since 2020, while his brother, JJ Williams, serves as general manager. I’ve spoken to JJ several times about his brand vision and have been very impressed with his leadership and knowledge of Washington wine and his region.
I was very impressed with the overall lineup. The 2019 Kiona ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 91) is a wonderfully structured wine with nice texture and herbal tones from this cooler vintage. The best wine I tasted was the fabulous 2021 Kiona ‘Estate Old Block’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) which is dense, chewy and sure to satisfy any lover of great Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Learn more about this historic Washington winery at kionawine.com and here are my reviews of the great new lineup by Kiona.
2021 Kiona ‘Pinot Noir-Lemberger’ Red Wine- This unique wine is very juicy and fruity with a smooth mouthfeel. Loaded with salty red fruits, with orange rind and stony soil accents, enjoy now and over the next several years. Drink 2024-2030- 90
2021 Kiona ‘Estate’ Lemberger- This 2021 Red Mountain Lemberger bottling has 3% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. A smooth mouthful, this shows lighter to medium bodied red fruit flavors with tobacco leaf and tar accents. Drink 2024-2029- 89
2021 Kiona ‘Red Mountain Reserve’ Red Wine- Mostly coming from Ranch at the End of the Road and Heart of the Hill Vineyards, this 2021 ‘Reserve’ is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (66%) with the remainder Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Chocolate, sagebrush and scorched earth notes with cassis all mark the nose. The palate is smooth and refined with a silky texture. Drinking beautifully now, enjoy over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2034- 92
2019 Kiona ‘Heart of The Hill’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2019 ‘Heart of the Hill’ combines 88% Cabernet Sauvignon with small portions Merlot, Petite Sirah and Carmenere. Inky in the glass, this delivers excellent concentration and poise in this cooler vintage. Dense dark fruits parade with chocolate, tar and tobacco leaf flavors. This will go for another fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2038- 93
2019 Kiona ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with small parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this delivers a soft mouthfeel. Chocolate and sage flavors combine with coffee grounds and scorched earth on the palate. Well-structured, this is a really nice value from this cooler vintage. Drink 2024-2032- 91
2021 Kiona ‘Estate Old Block’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Estate Old Block’ comes from the original 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon plantings. This comes off very plush and soft with a refined texture and generous sense of mouthfeel. Loaded with sage and thyme flavors alongside medium to full-bodied black cherry and black licorice flavors, this seamless bottling is already showing well at the three year mark. Drink 2024-2036- 94
NV Kiona ‘Fortuna III” Red Wine- A blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere from the 2019-2022 vintages, this delivers pencil lead and red bell pepper flavors with chocolate, black currants and loganberry preserves. This would be a really intriguing steakhouse glass pour. Drink 2024-2031- 91