This vintage marks David Smith’s second year of creating this as a Southern Rhône GSM-style blend, and he’s got it dialed in. He dedicated it to two of the southern Walla Walla Valley’s most important vineyards, as the Grenache (38%) and Mourvèdre (34%) both came off Seven Hills, and the Syrah is another McKibben family site — Les Collines. The nose opens with a slice of Death by Chocolate and a drizzle of raspberry sauce, followed by a layer of cherry jam, blackberry and soy. Black cherry and boysenberry lead the flavor profile, offering a endearing structure of medium black tea tannins and lime peel. Its lofty alcohol comes across as vanilla because of the gobs of fruit and complexity. And for this downtown Vancouver, Wash., winery, they are establishing a track record by earning our top rating for the second straight year.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 173 cases
Alcohol: 15.5%
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