2012 K Vintners - Klein Syrah (750ml)

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A blend of 41% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Cabernet Franc, the 2012 Klein (they do two wines from this site, a 100% Syrah and this Bordeaux blend) has fabulous Cabernet notes of currants, ground herbs, crushed rocks and graphite to go with a deep, full-bodied, layered, concentrated style on the palate. There's an upfront feel here due to the wealth of fruit, but it has ample tannic grip through the mid-palate and finish. Give it a few years, it will knock your socks off for at least the following 10-15 years.-JD

(from ten-year-old vines planted on a rocky outcropping at about 800 feet on the west side of Walla Walla Valley): Good medium ruby. Explosive aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, spices and white pepper. Juicy, saline and superconcentrated, dominated by intense, very primary berry and cherry fruit. Not yet complex but this is still an infant and is likely to evolve very slowly. (The pH here is close to 3.9 but I never would have guessed.) Finishes with firm but well-integrated tannins and excellent length. Charles Smith leases and farms this land, with the owner providing water. In this windy site, featuring very shallow soil with basalt underneath, two tons per acre would be a good yield, says Brennon Leighton; but the tiny clusters and berries produced just 0.78 tons per hectare in 2012 (Brennon described the wine as "a financial mistake at these yields.") K Vintners also makes a Bordeaux blend from this very late-ripening seven-acre vineyard.- Stephen Tanzer (11/2015)