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B-21 Top Recommendation
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Crafted by iconic Washington state vintner Charles Smith, the powerful 98 pt. 2020 K Vintners Syrah Motor City Kitty offers rich, concentrated dark fruit hinting of peppery spice and crushed stone with substantial tannins and a silky finish, a muscular 100% Syrah built for a decade of pleasurable drinking at a superb value price.
Producing his first K Syrah in 2001 and selling it out of his 1987 Astro van, Charles Smith is a legend of the Washington wine scene, earning a reputation as a freewheeling rock and roller with a savvy business sense that has produced multiple million dollar deals with industry giant Constellation while consistently producing some of the region's most highly rated, single vineyard Syrahs. Naming it for his calico cat sitting atop the first barrel at the time, the Motor City Kitty Syrah (MCK for short) is one of K Vintner's original cuvees, sourced from the renowned high elevation Boushey Vineyard in Yakima Valley. Located north of the town of Grandview, the Old Field Block parcel in Boushey is situated on a southwestern slope of the Rattlesnake Mountains at around 1,200 feet above sea level, the Syrah vines planted in sandy volcanic soils with a cooler climate requiring extended hang time that adds depth and complexity to the MCK. Sourced from a low yielding vintage producing "concentrated, powerful wines with quality tannins" according to Jeb Dunnuck, the opulent 2020 K Vintners Syrah MCK was fermented with native yeasts by winemaker Brenna Leighton and aged in 25% new French oak puncheons for 21 months, yielding fresh aromatic fruit with dense tannins that will continue to evolve over time.
Summing up the polished and rich 98 pt. 2020 K Vintners Syrah MCK, Eric Guido of Vinous declared "There's simply so much going on here, and so much more to come through cellaring," a meticulously crafted vineyard-driven Syrah from one of Washington state's top producers unbeatably priced to stash away and enjoy over the next decade. |
98JS #31 Top 100
96V
95WA
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This is a serious and intense syrah. Complex notes of chocolate, blackberries, black cherries, cedar and nutmeg here, with cracked pepper, rosemary and dried lavender. Evolving. Firm, tight and compact, with a full body. Beautiful freshness, too. More structure here. Try from 2025.
98 points, James Suckling (May 2023)
#31 - James Suckling Top 100 of 2023
Dark and viral in the glass with savory exotic spices, crushed ashen stones, grilled sage and smoked meats, the 2020 Syrah Motor City Kitty (MCK) makes a big first impression. This is texturally deep with a wave of mineral-tinged black fruits accelerated by sour citrus, as sweet herbal tones form toward the close. The 2020 tapers off with a potent concentration of wild berries and smoky earth, as gently grippy tannins tug at the palate. There's simply so much going on here, and so much more to come through cellaring.
96+ points, Eric Guido, Vinous (Mar 2023)
Floral, focused and mineral-driven, the 2020 MCK Syrah offers dark red fruits with delightful red and pink peppercorn notes. Full-bodied and with 15% alcohol, the palate firms up with gripping tannins to reveal a rich mineral tension that lingers on the long, boozy finish. The MCK Syrah will remain a powerhouse and please New World Syrah lovers around the globe.
95+ points, Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate (May 2023)
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