2019 Merlot Vineyard Collection Northridge ME

The Substance lineup from House of Smith is a fantastic place to start when looking for the best bang for your buck in Washington wine. Brennon Leighton thinks of Substance as an introduction to the House of Smith brands and a launching pad for projects that may one day grow into the K Vintners lineup. We are witnessing that happening this year with new vintages of Powerline and Stoneridge Cabernet Sauvignons and Northridge and Stoneridge Merlots. As an introduction to the brand, Leighton strives to make each of these wines an overachiever in its category. On several occasions, I opted for a Substance wine at local by-the-glass lists, simply trusting that I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Brennon Leighton, the winemaker at House of Smith, was very clear about the 2020 vintage, stating, “2020, I think, is the best vintage that Washington has ever had... it was the most even throughout…I was able to pick my fruit, phenolic-wise, with low sugars, high acids.” I can’t fault his opinion after tasting a lineup of K-Vintners Syrahs. The portfolio at House of Smith is gigantic, encompassing CasaSmith, Golden West, K-Vintners, SIXTO, Substance and ViNO. That said, what’s most impressive is that the average level of quality is kept so remarkably high while so many wines also offer terrific value. For some of the top single vineyard Syrahs in the state, look to the K-Vintners lineup. In Chardonnay, SIXTO easily rates among some of the best whites made in the United States. Lastly, Italophiles will find some interesting takes on Italian varieties in Washington through the CasaSmith portfolio.