Wines of Substance
The original thought was to be a one wine brand, with a single minded vision to produce the best value-priced Cabernet Sauvignon in America. How do you go about this? Traditional winemaking. Natural fermentations. Barrel-aging. Plus, bottling unfiltered and unfined. In essence, making the wines in small batch winemaking integrity, but doing so on a larger scale. The wine is black. The label definitively says, "This is Cabernet Sauvignon." And also, with the CS, you know who made this wine: Charles Smith.
| Website | houseofsmith.com/brands/substance-wines/ |
|---|---|
| Country | America |
| Region | Washington |
| Appellation | The Rocks District of Milton Freewater, USA, America, Ancient Lakes, Columbia Valley, Columbia Gorge, Snipes Mountain, Other, Puget Sound, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills, Lake Chelan, Red Mountain, Washington, Walla Walla Valley, Wahluke Slope |
From this Winery
Classic from the get-go. Black cassis, pipe tobacco and black cherry saturates the mouth. Followed by forest floor, dark plum and pencil lead. Great density and a tremendous finesse-filled finish which one has to repeat...A CLASSIC!
Beautiful. Aromatic. Layered. A bouquet of blossoms. Tangerine, apple, pear and wisteria right to your face as Italian melon, Gala apple, clove and lemon meringue soothes your mouth. A delicate cascade of mineral washes over the palate. Complex and complete as you swoon with satisfaction.
Aromatic flawlessness coming forth on a delicate bubble. Lilac, yellow plum, pea vines, creamy and delicious. Tangerine oil, anise, stone and baguette. Mouth-filling, complex and so waiting for you.
93+ Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (v2016)
“The 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Sunset Vineyard reveals notes of lemon oil and delicate botanicals framed by light reduction that would be very much at home in the eastern Loire Valley.
On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, pure and racy, with a textural attack underpinned by loads of cut and chalky tension.
This is a world away from the insipid, ester-laden concoctions that commonly pass for Sauvignon Blanc, and it’s refreshing in every sense.
The price is outrageously low for the quality.”
90 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (v2015)
“The white Bordeaux blend from this label, the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc Sunset Vineyard is 100% Sauvignon Blanc brought up in barrel.
Notes of lemon curd, hints of citrus and white grapefruit all flow to a rounded and supple white that has integrated acidity and a clean finish.
It’s a seriously good white that’s well worth its going rate.”
91 Points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (v2014)
“Up there with the top Sauvignon Blancs from Washington, the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in a combination of concrete tanks and barrel.
It has a Loire-like minerality as well as terrific notes of citrus rind, lychee and dried herbs.
These give way to a pure, crisp, downright delicious white that has bright acidity, good texture and a clean, crisp finish.
It’s a terrific value to drink over the coming 2-3 years, and it might have an interesting evolution beyond that as well.”
We’re going to have to learn French. This Merlot is reminiscent of a St. Emilion. Hits all the notes of cassis, blackberry, crushed stone and pencil lead. Medium-bodied awash with fine grain tannin and a haunting aftertaste that says, "I've been here before, time to sign up a Rosetta Stone".
Stoneridge Cabernet. I Have to say it again; with every vintage if contnues to climb the ladder to the top of Washington's classic prifile. Red cassis, blackberry, fresh herb, tobacco, full-bodied, crushed seashell, graval and forest floor. All this hangs on and never lets go through the endless finish.
TASTING NOTES BY WINEMAKER CHARLES SMITH
Cool riverbed littered with stones that lay underneath the surface. Ash, compost, black preserves, round out this plush, textured wine. Black olive and cured meat show up in the mix..
TASTING NOTES BY WINEMAKER CHARLES SMITH
What a beautiful nose. Black cherry, black cassis, and cut tobacco is just the invitation. A richness comes into play, resting on a blanket of wet earth, gravel, fresh thyme, and maple sap. The wine continues to unfold itself with a long, lingering finish.
A labor of love is the Klein vineyard Bx. From the “wow” aroma to the powerful palate and the realization that this wine will age for decades. The descriptors: Black raspberry, mountain herbs, molasses, pencil shavings, green chartreuse, tar, cola, cigar box, cold fireplace ash, black currant, dive bar and sawdust. To drink is to believe. I’m a believer.