The wine Motor City Kitty Syrah was named after Charles's love for the tabby cat with an M on its forehead, the Detroit-based rock band MC5, and old American cars.
All wrapped up in tasting notes by Charles Smith.
It's dense, rich and action packed.
Explosive aromas of dark cherry, huckleberry and black olive.
Ash, grilled herbs, damp earth.
Great concentration, tension and balance.
This wine has all that and more! Vineyard: 100% Bushey Oldfield Block Vineyard owned by Dick Bushey, one of Washington State's leading vineyard owners.
The vineyard was planted by Dick with the help of winemaker Brennon Layton.
The highest plot is on a southwest-facing slope with sandy volcanic soil.
The plot is planted with three clones of Syrah: 383, 174 and Joseph Phelps.
The 2020 vintage may be the best in Washington State history.
The long growing season and warm temperatures allowed the fruit to ripen evenly and produced excellent results.
The wine is focused, rich, complex and lively.
The red wines are understated and elegant yet powerful, with incredible tension and balance.
The white and rosé wines are wonderfully rich, yet balanced with enough acidity to round out the wines.
We are excited to see how these wines evolve! Charles Smith's evolution onto the world wine stage has been nothing short of amazing.
Owner/winemaker Charles Smith managed rock and roll bands in Europe for 11 years before moving to Walla Walla and starting K Vintners with a shoestring budget.
Charles' wines exude the excitement of his rock and roll roots, but honest quality and values are the foundation of his winemaking.
Charles produces several brands under different labels: Charles Smith Wines, most of which are made to be drunk the same day they are purchased, and they combine easy drinking, affordable and high quality.
Charles also produces some of America's most fascinating and highly acclaimed Syrah under his original K Vintners label.
K Vintners' wines are made in extremely small quantities to appeal to discerning connoisseurs.
Over the past decade, Charles Smith Wines and K Vintners wines have received 66 scores of 95 or above and more than 300 scores of 90 or above from America's leading wineries, Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.