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Community Tasting Notes 45
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mojotojo Likes this wine: 94 points
March 14, 2024 - The Royal City is always such a fun wine to drink. It always surprises me while being very true to its source. This time, the '14 was dark and brooding when first poured right after pulling the cork. Considerably more concentrated than a '12 I opened a few months ago. Slightly bricked around the edges but not off, at all. A strong hint of Walla Walla funk upon pulling the cork that dissipated within about 15 minutes as the wine opened up to reveal dense black fruit, cassis, smoked meats, and lavendar. After another 15 minutes, more smoke and pepper-y notes showed up, with violets and a fine mineral streak. The tannins are baby-bottom smooth. I pumped it down and tried it again and it evolved into a gorgeous, seamless Syrah that is velvety, lip-smacking and utterly deliciious. It can hang for a few more years without any trouble.
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Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 points
January 27, 2024 - Showed really well in rather esteemed company. Was riper and more plush than the other syrahs, but had a balanced profile and a lovely red floral note on the nose that really pushed this into another gear. Fruit leans fresh and towards a red profile despite the ripeness (I found this unique). Would like to try again.
1 person found this helpful Comment -
Vincenzos Wines Likes this wine: 98 points
January 27, 2024 - This is an outstanding wine. Very big. Leather, tobacco. Dark berries. Smooth! Perfect tannins. Drinking very well right now. We enjoyed it with a nice steak, roast potatoes, and sautéed kale.
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RPerro Likes this wine: 94 points
December 9, 2023 - 30 min decant before funneling back into the bottle for service at Ringside Steakhouse; paired with bone-in NY steak. First wine in the line-up and it was massive! Full bodied, showing black fruits, black tea, and pepper...very delicious and a great way to start our annual holiday dinner. Drink now - 2034.
1 person found this helpful Comment -
Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 points
September 15, 2023 - Pop and pour. Drinking at peak, I think, with balanced palate of mature but copious fruit, black tea, spices. Yummy.
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Pro Reviews 3
Add a Pro ReviewJamesSuckling.com
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By James Suckling
3/19/2018 (link)(K Vintners Syrah Washington State Royal City, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text.
Vinous
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By Stephen Tanzer
Washington: Various Shades of Hot (Oct 2017), 10/1/2017 (link)(K Vintners Syrah Stoneridge Vineyard Royal City Washington Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Full Pull
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By Paul Zitarelli
Full Pull K Vintners, 11/8/2017(K Vintners Syrah Royal City) Hello friends. We have small parcels of a trio of rarities from K Vintners’ recent set of releases. Our K offers are always feeding frenzies, and this one – our last of the year – promises to be extra cuckoo given the wines involved. So let me first offer two quick notes: 1. To the best of our knowledge, we have retail dibs on all three of these wines west of the mountains. 2. It’s likely we’ll have to under-allocate here, given the parcel sizes, so a quick reminder of our allocation technique: Our allocations favor breadth over depth, so that everyone gets one bottle before anyone gets two. And our formula for prioritizing allocations includes overall orders, frequency of orders, recency of orders, and list tenure, among other factors. Now, onto the wines:Royal City Syrah has been exceptionally difficult to source ever since the 2006 vintage, when it became Paul Gregutt’s first ever 100pt wine from Washington. While the 2014 vintage is not yet reviewed, Advocate has reviewed seven vintages, and six of them have earned 98pt or 99pt reviews. This is a wine with a track record of excellence. 100% single-vineyard Syrah from Stoneridge Vineyard on the Royal Slope, this wine is fermented with native yeasts and 100% whole cluster pressed. It’s aged in 70% new French puncheons for 28 months. The listed alcohol is 14.5%. We’ve only be able to offer this wine twice before—the 2008 and 2013 vintages. This year’s parcel is marginally bigger, but still barely large enough to warrant an offer, so I’ll stop there and turn it over to the winery: One smell and it is obviously Royal City. Decomposed earth, camp fire, olives, black licorice, Asian spice. Supple, layered, profound. A wine to inspire dreamers and dreams. And a note from Charles Smith himself: Wrapped in a regal robe. Aromas of black olive, morels,velvet theatre drapes waft up from the glass. Giving way to a deep long palate,black plum skin, cured meat, leather and forest floor. Compelling and complete. From a wine there is nothing more to ask. Another great vintage in the story that is Royal City.
Wine Definition
- Vintage 2014
- Type Red
- Producer K Vintners
- Varietal Syrah
- Designation Royal City
- Vineyard n/a
- Country USA
- Region Washington
- SubRegion n/a
- Appellation Washington
Community Holdings
- Pending Delivery 6 (0%)
- In Cellars 853 (68%)
- Consumed 387 (31%)
Food Pairing
Community Recommendations
braised short ribs, cassoulet, good old burger, Lagasse Stuffed ChickenWho Likes This Wine
96% Like It 25 votes
More About This Wine
Articles
- ProducerK Vintners
- VarietySyrah
- CountryUSA
- RegionWashington
- AppellationWashington
Add Articles
- Wine2014 K Vintners Syrah Royal City (add)
- FamilyK Vintners Syrah Royal City (add)
- ProducerK Vintners
- VarietalSyrah
- DesignationRoyal City (add)
- CountryUSA
- RegionWashington
- AppellationWashington