2003 K Vintners Guido Seven Hills

[dananne]

We "discovered" this WA winery a few years ago, and we've yet to be disappointed with a wine, particularly the wonderfully dense Syrahs from selected vineyards in Columbia Valley and Walla Walla areas. They tend to the monstrous in size, but there is always an earthy/mineral anchor to all the fruit. This 75% Sangiovese and 25% Syrah blend comes from Seven Hills in Walla Walla, and it shows the continued progress made with the grape in WA. The Syrah adds color, dark fruit flavors, a weightiness to the wine, and some prickly spices that pop up at the end, providing the counterpoint to the acidity and red fruits of the Sangio. A nice wine, but Anne detected a slight bit of heat from the 13.9% alc. I somewhat prefer the "straight-up" Sangiovese wines we tried from Kiona and Russell Creek while up there visiting Kathy in '06, and as far as blends go, it certainly falls below the Collina Bella, a stab at a "Super Tuscan" from Willow Crest in Prosser, which is the best domestic take on an Italian wine we've ever tried. Nevertheless, we enjoyed this. Bought it locally for $35.