Washington wine industry iconoclast Charles Smith launched his eponymous brand in 2006 on the heels of selling his House Wine project to Precept Wine. It’s colossal Constellation Brands that now owns Charles Smith Wines, but his “Modernist Project” approach lives on. In fact, production of the Boom Boom! Syrah exploded by more than 30 percent from the 2014 vintage. And the fruit-forward, drink-now approach continues, as did the relationships with Art denHoed, Pheasant and Gamache vineyards, joined by Arete and Wyens. Components include Viognier (3%) and Grenache (1%), and while there was no new oak involved, it was barrel aged on the lees for six months. Blueberry, cherry juice, cocoa powder and gaminess help describe the nose. There’s dense blue fruit and dark roast espresso flavors inside, which are met by dusty tannins and a juicy elderberry finish. This marks the second straight vintage that our panel has voted this wine as worthy of our top rating.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 55,000 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
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