K Vintners

Charles Smith is both owner and winemaker at
K Vintners and previously lived in Scandinavia. Originally from Northern
California, he has been involved with wine professionally and personnally
his whole life. Currrently K Vintners is producing wine from 3 different
viticultural zones: Red Mountain, Columbia Valley and the Walla Walla
Valley. Each of these areas are proving to be unique and impressive
for the viticulture of Syrah.

In April '02 K Vintners planted two seperate
blocks of vineyards to Syrah adjacent to the winery in the rocky dry
creek beds that run through K Vintners property. The winery produces
small lots of single vineyard Syrah, with production level at 2000
cases per year, divided between five wines.
The "K" Syrahs all show a great deal
of terroir in their flavors. Most of the winery's production is very
small lot single vineyard Syrah, with a second label, "The Magnificent
Wine Company" producing some blends.
The K Syrah Morrison Lane is full of herbal notes,
with lavender, violets, fresh dried grass and thyme in the nose. Big
fruit is well integrated with more herbal and gamey notes in the flavors,
and the finish is exceptionally smooth, yet shows good tannic structure.
The K Syrah "End of the Road" shows
a very different profile from the Morrison. Its nose is dominated by
fresh pipe tobacco, cedar, and rich warm spice, with flavors of intense
black plum, black cherry, licorice, and pie spices. A unique hint of
violets completes the finish. A fascinating wine.
The Magnificent Wine Company Merlot is made from
K Vintner's prized "En Cerise Vineyard" fruit, and is made
with Bordeaux styled intensity. The wine is richly meaty and big, with
a lot of tannic backbone and structure. No wimpy wine here, this is
a big, darkly colored, hearty wine to stand up to venison or cassoulet.
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