Had the opportunity to taste through the majority of Charles wines in Georgetown area of Seattle at Via tribunali. Didn’t try the ap spread but straight for the wines.
Bye the bye I first met Charles back in 01’ when he was schlepping his wine with Cristophe Baron from Cayuse on one of his sales trips from Walla Walla. His first release was the 99’ Syrah and was decent enough, price tag was about $19 and we stacked it by the case. How times have changed for them both.
Although after tasting through the whites I felt that the Viognier was a bit flat but I think it was where the placement of the wine was in the flight vs. the quality.
09’ Kung Fu girl Riesling- I dig this wine, nice acid, great round fruit of ripe peach, orange peel and slate with puckering acid and a medium finish.
08’ Eve Chardonnay- Biased I am I didn’t spend a lot of time on this wine but it should typical Washington oaked Chard characteristics with a round mouth feel and easy spirit.
09’ Viognier- Like I stated, a bit flat, showing nectarine, peach, lychee and slate, no spice but a nice spine of mineral.
reds…
08’ Velvet Devil Merlot- Real value, ripe merlot notes without the mask of oak, easy going with a decent grip to hold it together, easy wine by the glass.
08’ Boom Boom Syrah- Bright acid holding together ripe berry fruit with a moderate finish and a medium weight.
07’ Charles Smith Cabernet- Great introduction to $20 well made Washington Cab, medium weight with cassis fruit, leather, earth and tobacco leaf.
Charles and Charles red wine- I did not get a vintage (current or NV) shows bright acid, dry berry fruit with drying tannin. Decent for $10.
08’ El Jefe- Pepper, game, ripe blue fruit and chalk with a mineral streak. This wine is stacked and packed with white pepper and sweet oak on the finish. Great acid.
08’ Roma- Pepper again with savory notes, baking spice, sleek cassis and blue fruits, drying tannin and solid acidity, long finish.
08’ Ovide- Pepper seems to be the signature in this group, again. Toffee, Tobacco and blue fruits, refreshing acid and smooth oak.
08’ Guido- This is my wow wine, not because it is the best of the bunch but because this is the best damn Sangiovese outside of Brunello, leather, earth, funk, spice with smooth oak, integrated acidity/tannin balance and a long finish.
08’ Boy- Huge CNP nose of garrigue and raspberry fruit, with huge glycerols in the mouth and a long mouth filling finish. A bruiser of a wine, reminds me of 07’ CNP.
08’ Pheasant hill Syrah- Crayola and blue fruit with medium weight with a moderate finsh and acidity that carries it all together.
08’ Milbrandt Syrah- On the easier side with nice fruit and a solid basic core. Great entry level into what his wines are about.
08’ Clifton Syrah- Crayola again with black fruit hiding behind the short fence of oak. Should age well.
08’ Morrison Lane Syrah- A bruiser, tight fruit that continues to open with time in the glass showing loads of game, oak, tannin and funk that conceals a massive amount of oak that is waiting to come out.
08’ Phile Lane-Deep burried nose with black and blue fuit, integrated tannin and expensive oak. Really great wine that has balance and verve. My only complaint is that this is a really nice wine but is it a great Syrah?
08’ MCK-I don’t know if I could figure out this wine. Showing oxidative notes at first that opens to a big, rich, massive, nose that is deep with barrel notes (on the sweet oak side) Long palate and a nice balanced finish
08’ Northridge Syrah- This wine is ready to go on opening showing great blue and purple fruits, gravel and a hint of white pepper. Shuts down tight after day 1. Seems like an ager (drank this one the prior weekend)
08’ The Deal- Nice red and blue fruit with stone notes and gravel, touch pepper on the nose with easy tannin, good acid.
08’ Creator- Touch weedy with deep crayola with velvety notes on the nose. I get hit with a touch of stewed fruit that disappeared and showed a fantastic, silky smooth palate. I liked this wine.
07’ Skull- Stems included, Closed, tight, what I call a ‘black’ wine, touch VA, sweet oak, silky, glycerol, good balance and apple-y acids. Reminds me of the power of Bussola crossed with Grange.
07’ Heart- Berry only, no stem. Camphor, cinnamon, sweet bread basket, lots of stuff going on. Touch plum with sweet fruit of Blackberry, Blueberry. Long palate with acid that keeps this monster together. A pleasure to drink that continues to change every time I go back to the glass.
07’ Old Bones- Both stems and berries 50/50 of each of the heart and skull. Rich, intense, camphor, crayola, baking spice, intense dark fruit that builds and builds, intense and precise. Alcohol stays in check.
The last three wines showed notes of Guigals LaLa’s with deep intense fruit, covered with heaps of tannin and lots of other stuff going on. I am not saying that these are LaLa’s not even on the same plane but they remind me of how intense Syrah can be.
Although I have nay-sayed Washington wines in general I find few producers that can be of true quality, individual style, earth, funk and all around true character.
If Jared gets to be the ‘Cayuse’ guy than can I be the ‘K’ guy. Really great stuff which I would highly recommend.
Jb
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