K Vintners 2020 'Milbrandt' Syrah, Wahluke Slope

K Vintners 2020 'Milbrandt' Syrah, Wahluke Slope

Item Number: 23169

UPC: 0-184745001000

Country: USA
Region: Washington
Sub Region: Columbia Valley
Appellation/AVA: Wahluke Slope
Estate Grown Wine: No
Vintage: 2020
Grape(s): 100% Syrah
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 14
Total Acidity: 6.0 g/L
pH: 3.92
Viticulture: Practicing Organic

Vineyard Notes:
- Northridge Vineyard (67%) Loamy, fine sand over silica limestone, these ancient soils above the Missoula Flood plain are some of the best to grow fruit. This site is higher elevation and has cooler evenings, which creates later ripening, lots of minerality and concentration. A hidden gem!
- Clifton Hills Vineyard (33%) Owned and farmed by the Milbrandt family, this vineyard is a vigor-limiting mix of stone strewn sand transitioning over the first two feet of soil to deep glacially deposited gravel. These soils are extremely well drained allowing total control of the canopy.

Farming Notes: All vineyards are sustainably farmed, following organic principles. Zero pesticides, zero herbicides and zero adjuncts are used. Harvest is manual.

Winemaking Notes: 2.5 tons per acre. 100% whole cluster fermentation in stainless steel with native yeast, 52 days on skins. 16 months aged on lees in 30% new French oak puncheons. Bottled from gross lees, unfined and unfiltered. Vegan friendly.

Tasting Notes: Darkly flavored and super juicy. Oozing with black raspberry, black plum, blackberry, dates. Orange marmalade, cracked black pepper, cardamom, Columbia River gravel.

Reviews

  • Jeb Dunnuck
    Rating: 92 (6/14/2023)
    The only Syrah vinified in stainless steel, the 2020 Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard is 100% varietal that was not destemmed and spent 16 months in 20% new puncheons. Ripe blackberries, black cherries, ground pepper, and bouquet garni notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, pretty, elegant, yet fruit-loaded Syrah that has soft tannins and tons of up-front charm. It will evolve for 7-8 years.
  • Vinous
    Rating: 93 (10/1/2022)

    The Syrah Milbrandt lifts from the glass with wild herbal tones and savory spice. It's silky and racy in character, with floral-laced black fruits and salty minerals that resonate throughout. While lightly structured, the 2020 finishes fresh, leaving a reverberation of acid-driven tension, as licorice and sour citrus tones are left to linger.

  • The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 92+ (5/11/2023)
    Firm, smoky and meaty, the 2020 Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard starts with a dusty core of crunchy red fruit and blackberry skin before spicy aromas waft out of the glass. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is fresh and juicy on the palate, with a fine mineral mouthfeel and bacon and pink peppercorn flavors. The wine continues to evolve and uncoil, ending with a spicy, mineral-laced finish. The wine spent 16 months in barrel, 30% new French oak. Give it a try. Just under 18,000 bottles produced.