A superb vintage for this cuvee, the 2010 Syrah Pheasant Vineyard is 100% Syrah that comes from sandy loam soils and vines planted in 2000. Aged in 30% new French oak, it offers up peppery, Christmas spice-like aromas that give way to more game, rosemary and smoked fruit qualities with air. This full-bodied, gorgeously textured Syrah has no hard edge, excellent concentration and a light, elegant mouthfeel that carries through the lengthy finish. An absolute superb value, this beauty will evolve for 2-4 years and drink well for 10-12 years. Drink now-2022. In the top tier of producers in Washington State, wild man Charles Smith fashions singular, exotic wines that never lack for richness or texture. While his wines can push the limits in some vintages and be slightly controversial, there’s nothing controversial or over the top with these 2010s and 2011s and they have beautiful purity of fruit, clean, integrated acid profiles and solid underlying structure. In almost all cases, given the quality, they represent incredible values. While this was a slight marathon tasting, when the wines are this good, it’s always easy to keep your motivation. Focusing on low-yields in the vineyards, the winemaking here is straight-forward with almost all of the wines seeing some whole cluster fermentation, time on lees and aging primarily in neutral French oak. www.kvintners.com