The 2008 Roma en Chamberlin, also from a Cayuse vineyard, is composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Syrah. Dense, rich, plush, and well-balanced, this already complex wine will also evolve for another 3-4 years and drink well through 2025. I met up with Charles at his new wine bar in Walla Walla before we drove out to the winery in his 1949 Cadillac, a picture of which is on the web-site (not the deluxe model like my grandfather used to drive). It is always a highlight of my annual trip to Washington because in addition to the tasting, you get a performance but, after all is said and done, when it comes to making wine, Charles Smith is all business. He knows where the vineyards are, he believes in amazingly low yields, and in the winery he is a non-interventionist. All of the following wines were made with native ferments and were bottled without fining or filtration. Tel. (509) 526-5230; www.kvintners.com

A similar blend to the Ovide; this is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Syrah. The fruit is more forward here, with pretty blackberry and black cherry flavors, and a dark and forceful streak of iron and charcoal and licorice. A light lavender note adds interest.——P.G.(12/15/2011)—— 94

The 2007 Roma En Chamberlin is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Syrah. It exhibits a nose of cedar, spice box, violets, black currant and blueberry. Smooth-textured, layered, and sweetly-fruited, it has outstanding depth and richness with a sense of restraint. Give it 2-3 years and drink it through 2022. Over the past two years a cult following has sprung up around the persona of Charles Smith, imbuing him with larger than life attributes. By and large, he has acquired this status the old-fashioned way, he has earned it. When I tell enquiring minds that I’ll be visiting Charles later in the day, they know exactly where I’m going. Once past the persona, however, Charles Smith continues to make some of Washington’s finest wines. Native yeast fermentation, foot crushing, spontaneous malolactic fermentations, gentle basket pressing, no fining or filtration are routinely practiced in the cellar. Even more important, Charles Smith knows where to find the great grapes. In a region where blending is still the rule of thumb, he is the ultimate terroirist. Almost all of his wines are sourced from single vineyards. There are three groupings, the K Vintners selections, The Cayuse selections, and the Charles Smith selections. Tel. (509) 526-5230; www.kvintners.com

This is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Syrah. The Cab shines here, firm and confident, with sharp edges from spicy herbs. The fruit is polished and silky, and the wine seems to have a sheen over it, an almost gauze-like surface that shimmers and shines.——P.G.(2/1/2011)—— 93