The Charles Smith wines begin with the 2007 Heart Syrah sourced from the Stone Ridge Vineyard in the Royal Slope. It was aged entirely in neutral oak. Earth, underbrush, truffle, brier, game, bacon, and blueberry aromas lead to a loaded, super-rich, unctuous, full-bodied Syrah. Mouth-filling, already complex, and multi-dimensional, it has exceptional length and impeccable balance. Give it 3-4 years to become a bit more civilized and enjoy it from 2014 to 2027. Over the past two years a cult following has sprung up around the persona of Charles Smith, imbuing him with larger than life attributes. By and large, he has acquired this status the old-fashioned way, he has earned it. When I tell enquiring minds that I’ll be visiting Charles later in the day, they know exactly where I’m going. Once past the persona, however, Charles Smith continues to make some of Washington’s finest wines. Native yeast fermentation, foot crushing, spontaneous malolactic fermentations, gentle basket pressing, no fining or filtration are routinely practiced in the cellar. Even more important, Charles Smith knows where to find the great grapes. In a region where blending is still the rule of thumb, he is the ultimate terroirist. Almost all of his wines are sourced from single vineyards. There are three groupings, the K Vintners selections, The Cayuse selections, and the Charles Smith selections. Tel. (509) 526-5230; www.kvintners.com

This initially tastes like young fruit, herbal, with a lot of stem and flower flavors, but with some heat at 16% alcohol. Nonetheless it’s delicious, compact, enormously fruity, focused and flat out amazing. A perfect mix of flesh, fruit, earth, and typicity from this unique vineyard.——P.G.(2/1/2011)—— 98

The 2005 Heart Syrah is whole berry fermented with aging for 24 months in seasoned French barrels. All of Smith’s wines are fermented with native yeasts and bottled without fining or filtration. It gives off a room-filling bouquet of cedar, leather, mineral, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Opulent, powerful, and layered on the palate, it conceals enough structure to see the wine through another 6-8 years of evolution. It will be at its best from 2015 to 2030. Charles Smith, the mastermind of K Vintners, bottles his very best wines from the obscure Royal Slope under a separate label. These are stunning Syrahs that must be tasted to be believed. They are technically within the massive Columbia Valley AVA but Smith feels the Royal Slope (or Royal Slut as he refers to it) should be recognized in its own right For a fascinating demonstration of terroir, do a side-by-side tasting of the 2005 K Vintner and Charles Smith Syrahs but bring a lot of ribs and pulled pork barbecue and turn it into a party. www.kvintners.com