“One of my favorite tastings during my Washington trip is with Charles Smith and his right-hand man, Brenna Leighton. They have one of the most stacked lineups out there… As I’ve said in the past, these wines are the real deal!” - Robert Parker

Northern Rhône lovers, or anyone who craves the mega-polished, uber-rich wines that Charles Smith is known for - GET IN HERE.

We love all his wines, and this one had us swooning. 96 points from James, 95 from Jeb, and rarely seen with a discount attached. Our price? Lowest around, obviously.

What a deal, on “The Deal” - sorry, had to.

Got some? Good. There’s not much to spare…

Charles Smith has so many high-scoring wines we can’t keep up, and this adds to his legacy. This comes from the Sundance Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope, one of Washington’s premier AVAs. The vineyard gets its name from the long-ripening exposure and the terroir here is prime Syrah breeding ground - a bed of broken basalt, gravel, and caliche under topsoil and sand.

What. A. Beauty. Where to begin? Rich and deep, polished and ethereal. This walks a tightrope between bold and beautiful just perfectly. Whole cluster fermentation gives it added personality. A well of black fruit - blackberry, black plum, and a flash of red raspberry and dark cherries. There’s olive, torrefaction (freshly roasted coffee beans), sweet pipe tobacco, and crushed gravel, too. The balance between ripe fruit, savory umami, fantastic minerality, and exotic spices will wrap your brain in a pretzel. Real deal Syrah indeed. If you haven’t had his wines, this will make you a believer!

Sad news last, just about a pallet is all we were allocated, gone when gone.

96 Points – James Suckling

“Some tea-bag and sweet-tobacco character to the dark-fruit and lightly toasted-oak character on both the nose and palate. Full-bodied, chewy and polished with a long, flavorful finish. Fine, powdery tannins. Needs time to soften, but already very pretty. Drink or hold.”

95 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

“Currants, savory spices, dried flowers, charcoal, and loamy earth all emerge from the 2018 Syrah The Deal, which comes from the Sundance Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope. Showing plenty of more savory, earthy notes, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a rounded, expansive texture, and ripe, polished tannins. It shows the more elegant, streamlined style of the vintage, yet I love its balance. It’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-12. Drink 2021-2033.”