Heart of the Hill Vineyard, at 149 acres, is the largest of Kiona Vineyards’ three estate sites on Red Mountain. At less than 5 acres, the Petite Sirah planted in 2011 makes up just a sliver of Scott & Vicky Williams’ vines across these 16 blocks. Working with this big red Rhône during just the second commercial vintage helps Mike Metheny stand out from the Woodinville crowd, and this Artisan Hill winemaker shows the ability to manage the grape’s naturally broadly shouldered tannins. Aromas of chocolate-covered pomegranate, blueberry and hickory smoke lead to viscous flavors of blackberry and black plum. Sinewy tannins lead to a sense of vanilla extract, capped by some elegance of minerality and coffee. These wines are available at Queen Anne wine merchants McCarthy & Schiering, El Gaucho-Bellevue and via shipping to more than a dozen states. Look for them at the Woodland Park Zoo Wine Tasting on both July 27-28.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 101 cases
Alcohol: 15.2%
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