The Boy Grenache

Always great stuff. Cherry cordial. Rye Manhattan.

Bought at the KV tasting room outside of Seattle a few years ago. Fun visit as they have plenty of wine to meet your palate needs!

I opened this as part of a GSM blind taste. There were 12 wines, including an ‘07 Cayuse GOK, ‘12 No Girls Syrah, ‘21 Allbaer Syrah, ‘12 Torbreck Struie, etc.

Out of 12, this tied for second. This took the bigger profile of the ‘07 GOK, added a juicy fruit factor, removed a kiss of funk, and tada! Double decanted two hours before taste. Translucent ruby in the glass. Aromatics of black peppered rhubarb, green/herbal twang, and cured meat (not overly meaty though). Beautifully elegant profile (and appropriate for Grenache) showing great acidity, whole cluster, with spicy strawberry, sweet jerky and no trace of oak. Defining characteristic of this wine is juicy red fruit framed by black pepper spice. Good now with decant.

92+

Seriously, except for the plots where Rayas and Fonsallette are made, is there any better place on earth for Grenache than Walla Walla? (I know Priorat might want to enter the chat). This is sooooo good. Pure, sappy kirsch run through campfire embers and dusted with sweet spices. So savory and clingy in the mouth. Length for days. Tons of smoky minerals. Love this.

Almost overwhelmingly mineral, displaying the smoky campfire embers and rich loamy scents I associate with Walla Walla, along with sandalwood and very sappy cherry-ooze fruit. Dark and minerally on the palate: very low-toned flavors fill the mouth. Fair amount of medium-soft tannin, and a very long, low acid finish that has an echo of port-like fruit and the very tail end. Very complex and idiosyncratic wine.

A bramble bomb if there ever was one, this wine is unapologetically Grenache and teetered on the edge of being OTT but somehow...kept my interest. Yes, it’s got a shit ton of ripe fruit but there’s a nutmeg thing that’s kinda cool and the finish is savory rather than sweet which is not only welcomed but quite attractive. Just enough structure to prop it all up. Drink now.

Not bad and prefect with chicken Marsala

Translucent ruby red fading to amber rim. Aromas of red cherry, raspberry, tea leaf, and cinnamon with hints of smoked meat. Medium bodied with ripe, lush red fruit on the palate leading to a long bitter finish. Alcohol is prominent but not overpowering and tannins are fine grained. Made from 100% Grenache. Although lacking in subtlety or complexity, it is fairly typical of a Charles Smith wine. 15% ABV.

Pure. A ‘perfect Manhattan’ of a wine brimming with aromatic notes of creamy cherry, soft vanilla, and bitters. Medium (-) tannin and acidity. The cherry and raspberry notes are slightly jammy and conclude with a hint of cinnamon.

The Boy, aka José Altuve, packs a giant punch. A boozy kirsch is fused with pickled strawberry and loaded with pine and white pepper while incorporating cured meat and olive tapenade. 100% Grenache that’s around 50/50 from Wahluke Slope’s Northridge Vineyard and the Powerline Vineyard in southern Walla Walla.

Nose of; ripe blueberries, dry dark cherries, spiced black raspberries, dry cranberries, black cherry licorice, raspberries, faint sweet spice, violets, dark florals and semi-sweet, moist, turned black earth. On the palate, this is fresh, lean to medium bodied, very light tannin structure (almost none), ripe, juicy and extremely easy to drink young. The flavors are; bright, ripe, fresh, juicy fruits of; boysenberries, blueberries, plum, black, blackberries, dark cherries, raspberries, there's some poached strawberries on the longer palate set. The complexity of earth, minerality etc. is amazingly understated. As you continue to sip it, there is a light salted caramel quality, a whisper of vanilla, a haunting of beautiful soft spice, violets, fresh red flowers and the acidity is like a rain forest on the palate. The is finish is very polished, round, ripe, juicy, with elegant round fruits and soft bright florals. This is so easy to sip, it's beyond ridiculous. It's Grenache Burgundy style! Photos of their estate, vines and Winemaker/Owner Charles Smith. Charles grew up outside of Sacramento, California. Once there, he began to travel and settled in Denmark. While in Scandinavia, Charles managed rock bands throughout Europe for nine years. Traveling throughout Europe, he took in a great appreciation for food & wine; which ultimately created his interest in wine. In 1999, he moved back to the Pacific Northwest where he opened a wine shop on Bainbridge Island. But, later in 1999, traveled to Walla Walla and met a French winemaker. Through this friendship, he discovered a passion for Syrah and eventually moved to Walla Walla to make his own wine. Then In 2001, he released his first vintage, the 1999 K Syrah. The rest as they say is history. Interesting career path to say the least! This bottle at just under $38 at Costco is like stealing candy from a...