Charles, a pioneer of Walla Walla winemaking, wanted the wine to represent an implicit contract between grower and winemaker.
Such transactions are often completed with just a gentleman's handshake...
There are no contracts, no smart lawyers, just a simple "deal" that allows Charles to work with his winemakers to develop very special grapes and wines.
Tasting notes by Charles Smith: I-beam density and whispering exhilaration.
Sundance Vineyards is blooming like I've never seen it before.
White pepper, orange peel, red plum.
Black licorice, black leather, black sand.
A treasure to look at, and a delight to drink! Vineyard: Sundance Vineyard One of the oldest vineyards on the Wahluke Slope, planted in 1997.
The field has topsoil over gravel, sand and basalt, and more caliche than the rest of Walook's property.
The vineyards' slope allows for slow ripening and produces concentrated wines.
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.