One of the top two or three wines in the vintage, I was blown away by the 2017 King Coal, which comes all from the Stoneridge Vineyard on the Royal Slope and is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Syrah. The Syrah is not destemmed, and everything is co-fermented in oak uprights and aged in 60% new barrels. Brilliant on all accounts, with a huge nose of spiced red and black fruits, chocolate, cured meats, tobacco, and truffle, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, awesome tannins, a great mid-palate, and a finish that won't quit. The Syrah component gives this plenty of upfront appeal, yet it's going to cruise in cold cellars for 15 years or more.

Bright, dark red with ruby tones. Inky, slightly port-like aromas of blackberry, dried cassis, game and graphite. Dense, thick and concentrated, offering terrific tension and focus to its sweet dark fruit flavors. This wonderfully sweet and full yet shapely wine is well-balanced from the start but has the stuffing and structure for at least a decade of aging. Finishes long and lively, with thick but smooth tannins that saturate the entire palate and front teeth. According to winemaker Leighton, this is always the last K vineyard to be harvested. (made from the same vineyard as the Royal City, but from the southern end of the slope)