This is a toned and phenolic pinot with dried strawberry, chocolate and tile character. Earthy. Full-bodied, yet bright and vivid. Punchy and refined at the same time. Plenty going on at the finish. A new wine. Drink now or hold.

A new project by the team at K Vintners being headed up by Charles Smith and Brennon Leighton, Golden West will focus on Pinot Noir from cooler climate, higher elevation sites in the Columbia Valley. The 2018 is the first release and it’s a great bottle of wine that sells for a song. Coming from a mix of clones (777, 115, 2A, and Pommard) vines planted in 2014-2015, the 2018 Pinot Noir was 70% destemmed and spent a full 41 days on skins before spending a year in 15% new French oak. Classic Pinot Noir notes of black cherries, forest floor, autumn leaves, and spice all flow to a beautifully textured, medium-bodied, seamless wine that has present tannins, outstanding balance, and a great finish. It's easily the best Pinot Noir I've tasted from Washington State. Talk about value.

A mix of rich plum sauce, black olives and grilled sage smolders up from the 2020 Pinot Noir The Promise. This coasts along the palate with mineral-tinged black fruits motivated by brisk acidity, as fine tannins slowly form toward the close. It tapers o! long with a staining of wild berries and cocoa under an air of dark inner florals. This is certainly a more serious style than the Pinot Noir Substance tasted next to it, yet more suited to readers that enjoy an earthy style.