While the wine was still in the barrel, Charles let people taste it.
At the time, the comment that was being made was, "This is beautiful."
The name stuck, and the wine remains beautiful, complex and timeless to this day.
This wine is Charles' only one to be fermented with a small amount of Viognier alongside Syrah, resulting in a wine that is sexier, more seductive and stunningly beautiful.
Tasting notes by Charles Smith: Absolutely stunning.
Gentle, graceful and dynamic.
The aroma of black cherry, blueberry, grapefruit peel and black olive leads you deeper and deeper, while deep dark rose, dried herbs and black tea are accented with nuances of crushed stone.
Let's take a moment to reflect on the overwhelming appeal of this variety that this wine offers.
Powerline Estate Vineyard (100%): A 12-hectare estate vineyard located at an altitude of 360m at the foot of the Blue Mountains, south of the town of Walla Walla.
It was planted in 2012.
The well-drained soil of round stones covering a subsoil of sand and gravel allows the plant to develop deep, firm roots.
The boulders were carried by rivers from the ancient Blue Mountains and deposited in the riverbeds.
The deep sandy and silty soils beneath the boulders give the grapes purity, while the high altitude helps retain acidity and reduce alcohol, giving the wines wonderful balanced complexity.
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.