By K Vintners
2020 Merlot Northridge Vineyard

Tasting Notes by Winemaker Charles Smith
Blackberry, dark plum, and cool earth. Silky and luscious, the pinnacle of Washington Merlot.

Vintage Notes
The 2020 vintage might be the best we have ever had in Washington state history. We had an incredible growing season that was long and temperate, allowing the fruit to ripen evenly. The wines are focused, rich, complex, and lively. The reds are restrained and elegant yet powerful, with incredible tension and balance. Our white and rose wines are wonderfully rich on the palate, but balanced with enough acid to make them complete. We are excited to see how these wines evolve!

Northridge Vineyard
Loamy, fine sand over silica limestone, these ancient soils above the Missoula Flood Plain are among the best for growing fruit. This site is at a higher elevation and has cooler evenings, which creates later ripening, lots of minerality, and concentration. A hidden gem!

Winemaking
Varietal Breakdown: 100% Merlot
Appellation: Wahluke Slope
Production: 2.6 tons per acre, native yeast, 100% whole berry fermentation in French oak tanks, 49 days on skins
Aging: 22 months barrel aged on lees in 50% new French oak barriques

Wine Analysis
Alcohol: 14.00%
TA: 5.4 g/L
pH: 3.74
RS: No residual sugar
[Information provided by House of Smith]

Wine: 2020 K Vintners Vineyard Collection Merlot Northridge Vineyard
Score/Rating: 94
Suggested Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030
Review Date: 06/14/2023
Reviewed By: Jeb Dunnuck 
Tasting Notes: A step up, the 2020 Vineyard Collection Merlot Northridge Vineyard is cut from the same cloth aromatically and offers perfumed red and black fruits, game, rose petal, and herbal notes as well as medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. All Merlot aged 22 months [...], it’s well worth seeking out and will evolve nicely through 2030.

Wine: K Vintners 2020 Merlot Northridge
Score/Rating: 93
Suggested Drinking Window: 2026 - 2033
Review Date: 10/2023
Reviewed By: Eric Guido
Tasting Notes: The 2020 Merlot Northridge boasts a bouquet of dusty lavender, violet, crushed rocks and wild blueberries. Silky and nearly creamy in feel, it impresses further with depths of mineral-tinged red and blue fruits, guided by zesty acidity. Edgy tannins linger, along with a licorice and balsamic twang, as the 2020 finishes long and staining, simply begging for the cellar.

Wine: K Vintners Merlot Wahluke Slope Northridge Vineyard 2020
Score/Rating: 93
Review Date: 03/21/2023
Reviewed By: James Suckling
Tasting Notes: Notes of plums and blackberries with dark chocolate, ground spices and moist earth. Medium- to full-bodied with velvety, slightly chewy tannins that are broad and firm. Smooth and plummy with a chocolatey texture. Lingering dark-fruit finish. Drink or hold.

Wine: K Vintners, K Northridge Vineyard Merlot, Wahluke Slope 2020
Score/Rating: 88
Suggested Drinking Window: 2024 - 2035
Review Date: 02/02/2024
Reviewed By: Ronan Sayburn MS, Eugenio Egorov, Ben Gubbins
Tasting Notes: Vibrant notes of baked cherry and blackberry. Chocolatey, with vanilla beans and cigar box. Linear and precise with a grippy tannin and good acidity.