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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.6 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 224 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by acyso on 3/17/2024 & rated 90 points: Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): A further improvement on the 2004 and 2006 -- this has more expressive aromatics on the nose, with the lifted and lighter profile that I seem to be gravitating towards for these wines. Distinctly perfumed. (690 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 10/22/2022 & rated 93 points: Deep red color. Aromas of blackberries, bacon fat and smoke. Ripe, full-bodied fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length. Thick and complex on the palate. At peak. (2088 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 8/20/2022 & rated 93 points: Siggy's Annual BBQ (Chez Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Small glass. Love the aromatics on this, floral, bacon fat, earth, dark fruit, and scorched earth. (2532 views) | | | Tasted by Bellissimo on 8/20/2022: Brought to a large gathering, no formal note taken.
30 minute decant at home, then when we arrived slow-o'd for another 90-120 minutes before I got around to this. Black olives, pepper, blackberry, cured meats all nicely integrated and balanced.
No funk, just a lovely Syrah. (2156 views) | | | Tasted by J o e on 7/15/2022 & rated 95 points: Shortly after popping the cork, it is easy to discern complex aromas of black olives, campfire smoke, raspberries, violets and gunpowder, all of which gain in intensity with air exposure. On the palate, the wine is exceptionally refined with a medium to full body, copious black fruits, plums, earth and briny minerals. Very long on the finish, with filigree mouth-coating tannins saturating every square millimeter of the palate. The decade+ of cellaring has been transformed this from a funky, boisterous and somewhat awkward youngster to a fantastic, world-class Syrah at the beginning of its apogee! 14.6% ABV. 95. (2322 views) | | | Tasted by mlawren1 on 6/17/2022 & rated 92 points: Fruit is fading and going secondary , still a bit of plum and currant. Deep and earthy on the finish. (2409 views) | | | Tasted by wineismylife on 3/2/2022 & rated 94 points: WIML94
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, roasted meats, plums and currants. Flavors of currants, dried plums and lingonberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink now. (2568 views) | | | Tasted by BVal on 12/7/2021 & rated 94 points: Last noted 2015; last bottle of this in the cellar.
Color/App: medium deep ruby core -> medium-deep ruby/garnet rim.
Bouquet on PnP was very Cote-Rotie to my mind: black pepper, herbs de Provence, leather, wet animal fur playing with mostly black fruits --yeah, that's a yum in my book any day. Additional medicinal notes, iodine, minerality and a touch of brininess coming through in the mouth along with all those wonderful olfactory elements. I'd agree with others here that this wine didn't show off the Cayuse funk as much as expected and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing -- maybe a wine to throw into a Northern Rhone tasting as a ringer, though it might show it's hand by being sweeter than old world Syrahs. Palate showed as mature with the tannins fine and faded, well-balanced and medium-bodied (as most of Christophe's wines seem to be) with a nice, long finish. Better than last time and that was already pretty damn good! 94-95. (2698 views) | | | Tasted by RJWallis on 5/6/2021 & rated 95 points: Two and a half hour decant. Modest funk on the nose but unmistakably a Christophe wine. Beautifully elegant, the viognier smooths this amazing syrah wonderfully. Dark fruits, slightest tapenade notes. (2816 views) | | | Tasted by norsktorsk on 3/9/2021 & rated 90 points: saddle leather for sure. not my fav but interesting (2945 views) | | | Tasted by Decanting Queen on 2/12/2021: My last bottle of this and similar to my August 20 note (94 score so still excellent). The fruit is so round, but great complexity with the stemmy and herbal coming through in a positive way. Possibly more savory than my previous bottle. Sadly, chose this one to share with Mark and HMC because it is the least funky Cayuse I have had (and those guys can’t handle funk) but it broke in the mail. Thanks Fedex—packages late and obviously really abused to demolish the plastic bottle cap. So Paul and I enjoyed it without them. Now I need to find another bottle. (4371 views) | | | Tasted by Ex-Ray on 12/6/2020 & rated 88 points: Our last bottle. Compared it with my last five notes, from 2011-May, 2020. This is definitely not in the same category. Still excellent, but not in the same category as the previous bottles (must be this particular bottle, because the one we had 6 months ago was fabulous). No corky aromas, though. Just medium body, lacking some of the richness and body of the others, some bitterness on the late palate. Faded a bit on the second night.
Ric (3260 views) | | | Tasted by Decanting Queen on 8/16/2020 & rated 94 points: This was a much better experience than my last bottle of this wine. I think it may be due to leaving it at cellar temp for longer and not letting it get to warm during the decant. I found that as it warmed the stemmy/herbal/green notes became more prominent.
Tonight this was a lovely wine with ripe juicy fruit, mushrooms and earth on the nose, all of the above on the palate with some licorice and spice. Not as savory as many Syrahs (again, I did not get any funk, blood, or olives). Smooth tannins, balanced acidity and a long finish. Great with and without food (lamb tonight) (4146 views) | | | Tasted by Kevnzworld on 7/27/2020 & rated 94 points: 45 minute decant
It’s a mix of dark berry and peach
Mature and unmistakably Cayuse Syrah.
Best in hour two. Long deep finish of peach, oak with Asian spice and pepper. Gotta luv Cayuse. Or not (2370 views) | | | Tasted by anonymoose12345 on 7/12/2020 & rated 93 points: Decanted right before drinking. Medium red in glass with clear edges. Initial nose of barnyard and sweet fruit, with the barnyard disappearing to reveal metal, bandage, ripe mature fruit, rubber.
On the palate medium bodied, high acidity, dry rusty dusty leather bound book. Blood, medicinal supplies, savory sour finish that lasts forever.
Second glass, major barnyard and sweet fruit on the nose, some soy sauce, balsamic reduction, very floral. On the palate more fruit forward, some white pepper. sour mature fruit and tobacco on the finish.
Drank the bottle from decanter over 3-4 hours with the wine constantly changing and providing a fun topic of conversation. (2262 views) | | | Tasted by sdhaliwal on 5/31/2020 & rated 95 points: Drink very well; still has some life left (2234 views) | | | Tasted by Ex-Ray on 5/16/2020 & rated 98 points: This is a version of Guigal's single vineyard Côte Roties, which Baron has made in Oregon. If you like a Hermitage style, this has got it, but even more concentrated and intense. Very pronounced aroma, complex: deep rich mushrooms, leather, meat, smoky, licorice, black fruits. Flavor is full-bodied but perfectly balanced and smooth, not too heavy, not too much alcohol; deep dark black fruits with some French oak. Extremely long finish, which gets even more pronounced over 30 seconds or more, lingers with oak, licorice, black fruits, slightly hot. Tannin is entirely in the background. A wonderful wine, perfectly ready, but should easily hold for a few more years.
Ric (2323 views) | | | Tasted by grafstrb on 3/28/2020: -- decanted immediately before tasting --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 2 hours --
NOSE: green peppercorns; wet stones; green olives; non-descript purple fruits; a bit high-toned.
BODY: medium to medium-full bodied; youthful appearance; fine particulate matter present; medium bodied.
TASTE: savory and stemmy; very light tannins; adequate acidity; seems to be in its prime window, with perhaps another five years of prime drinking in front of it; no brett; purple-fruited; excellent. Gut impression score: 91 – 93. (2234 views) | | | Tasted by joshabramson on 2/18/2020 & rated 95 points: This is in a really great place right now. Fruit is singing, tannins are fully integrated, texture is super silky. Probably not improving much from here but still has plenty of life left. Really nice! (2241 views) | | | Tasted by Ex-Ray on 12/6/2019 & rated 97 points: This is a version of Guigal's single vineyard Côte Roties, which Baron has made in Oregon. If you like a Hermitage style, this has got it. Very pronounced aroma, complex: deep rich mushrooms, leather, meat, smoky, licorice, black fruits. Flavor is full-bodied but perfectly balanced and smooth, not too heavy, not too much alcohol; deep dark black fruits with some French oak. Extremely long finish, which gets even more pronounced over 30 seconds or more, lingers with oak, licorice, black fruits. Tannin is entirely in the background. A wonderful wine, perfectly ready, but should easily hold for more years.
Ric (2502 views) | | | Tasted by Decanting Queen on 11/10/2019 & rated 91 points: While this was a very good wine, I was a bit disappointed given my previous experience with Cayuse. This was my first 2007 and my first Cailloux, so I’m not sure if it is the vintage or the vineyard.... This wine had intense fruit and spices, but also a lot of green herbal going on, especially after a few hours of air. Much less complexity than previous Cayuse, I missed the funk, the blood, the olives. This was a lovely Syrah, but not an intellectual wine. (3425 views) | | | Tasted by gbbwino on 10/26/2019 & rated 95 points: Last of 3 sadly. Excellent wine. Fresh & lively. Viognier helps & I love its presence in this wine. Multi layered, seamless & smooth. Great nose & palate. (2011 views) | | | Tasted by golfhawk on 9/27/2019 & rated 96 points: An amazing Syrah that was very unique to WA but typical of Cayuse. Minerality and dark fruits with a touch of spice along with a number of other tertiary flavors going on. Long finish that made you savor every sip. Coravin half the bottle so looking forward to the second half on another night. (2119 views) | | | Tasted by I1bearup on 5/16/2019 & rated 89 points: Not nearly the wine the 2010 was. This was entirely too big and had zero acid to match. The aromatics weren't there for us and was a major disappointment. (2393 views) | | | Tasted by eszencia on 5/11/2019: Still wrapped up in itself after a 4-hour decant. Two more hours gave it time to show its smooth finesse of brooding fruit and subtle spice. Wonderful. (1896 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2010, IWC Issue #153
(Cayuse Vineyards Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/29/2011)
(Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard) Opaque red violet color; sexy, deep roasted plum, pepper, green peppercorn, tart black fruit nose; tasty, rich, plush, tart black fruit, roasted plum, pepper palate; medium-plus finish (decanted for 6+ hours) 96 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/12/2010)
(Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard) Dark red violet color; pepper, tart black fruit, herbaceous nose; tight, tart black fruit, charcoal, pepper palate with balance; medium-plus finish 94+ pts. 94 points | By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (12/28/2009)
(Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley) A downright stinky nose with manure, burnt embers, and purple fruit. A well fleshed out, meaty palate dominated by olive flavors in its rich, expansive middle. Drinks like a well-cooked steak. 14.2% alcohol. ***** points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com and Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels) |
| Cayuse Producer website
The story began near the village of Charly-sur-Marne in the Champagne region of France, where a very young Christophe Baron walked the family vineyard with his father and grandfather. He was the youngest of the centuries-old Champagne house, Baron Albert, and his ancestors had worked the land since 1677.
Like generations of fathers and sons before, it was in his blood to be a wine grower and creator—a true vigneron. “It’s a title you’re born with, not something you become or learn in school,” Christophe says. “So I followed my dad, and wherever he went, I went. That’s the way it started.”
After studying viticulture in Champagne and Burgundy, Christophe realized he wasn’t yet ready to enter the family business and gave in to the urge to travel. “In Burgundy, I had fallen in love with Pinot Noir, and had met some Americans with land in Oregon,” he says. “My English was terrible, but I wanted to go there.”
An unexpected internship at a winery brought Christophe to the Walla Walla Valley for the first time in 1993. After one year, he traveled the world gaining experience in Australia, New Zealand and Romania before continuing his training in Oregon. He intended to buy some land and start a vineyard from scratch, but all those plans came to an abrupt halt on an April morning in 1996.
Christophe had returned to Walla Walla for a strictly social visit, and was wandering the countryside with a friend. As they drove near the Oregon/Washington border, he spied a [neglected cherry orchard] littered with acres of softball-sized stones. Plans to move to the Willamette Valley were quickly discarded, and Christophe resolved to buy the property and plant a vineyard.
While others saw ten acres of the Walla Walla Valley’s worst farmland, he saw only enormous potential. The terroir reminded him of the cobblestones of the southern Rhone valley and Châteuneuf-du-Pape in his native France. “I almost fell on my derrière when I saw those stones,” he says. “And I’ve been living the dream ever since.”
Christophe purchased the property and planted his first vineyard in 1997. “People said I was crazy, that I’d break my equipment and waste my time and money,” he recalls. “But I knew that vines need to struggle in difficult ground in order to provide their best.”
He called the venture Cayuse Vineyards, after a Native American tribe
whose name was derived from the French word “cailloux”—which means “stones.” In the decade since, it has grown to seven vineyards, soon to be eight, encompassing more than 55 acres.
What was considered by many a foolish gamble on that field of stones has been rewarded year after year with some of the most acclaimed wines in the region—and in the nation. “Those stones are the reason I’m here in Walla Walla,” Christophe says. “It’s certainly not for the night life.”
Now owning three brands, Cayuse, Horsepower, and No Girls, all wines are made from each of the five specific vineyards covering 41 acres and producing mainly Syrah along with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Roussanne, Tempranillo and Viognier, all farmed biodynamically.Cayuse Syrah Cailloux VineyardPoints for each vintage. https://cayusevineyards.com/static/wines-cailloux.aspxSyrah Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)
Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent. USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Walla Walla ValleyThe name translates as easily as it rolls off the tongue: Walla Walla. Many Waters. To the earliest Native tribes, the many waters came from the nearby Blue Mountains and gathered to form the Walla Walla River on its way to join the Columbia to the west. The waters flowed first; however, into a fair-sized Valley carved in the mountain's foothills, and bordered in part by the terrain of what is known as the Columbia Plateau. Tribal members knew the Valley's generally milder climate could maintain their people in winter villages. There were lush wild grasses which could sustain horses and attract game from the winter snows of the nearby Blues, or from the giant high plateau that becomes desolate and dangerous during the cold season. The rolling terrain and numerous watersheds offered protection from nature and other hazards of the day. Here the water was plentiful and full of fish and seldom froze, even in the coldest years. The meadows were wonderful places to gather with other people to trade, compete and celebrate treaties. Compared to the region around them, the Walla Walla Valley was a safe refuge from the treacherous conditions which can often be found during the winter for hundreds of miles around. In this unique growing region, most of the earliest records of grapes and winemaking reference the Italians who had immigrated here in the mid to late 1800's and who brought with them their tradition of growing, making and drinking wine. Vines with these origins still exist in the Valley today. The first post-prohibition winery was Blue Mountain Vineyards. It was bonded in 1950 by the Pesciallo family where they produced Black Prince and other Italian varietal wines for a period of several years before succumbing to economics and climate. To the wine world of today, Walla Walla has become know for the quality and style of its red wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Syrah gaining notoriety in recent years. In the1970's, the pioneers of today's wine community began to think similar thoughts: that the Walla Walla Valley, with its long history of fruit growing, moderate climate, wine-making heritage, and interesting terrain might just be a place to grow vines and make wine on a commercial scale. These pioneers of the region applied for and received approval of the Walla Walla Valley as a unique American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1984. It was the third in Washington State and also includes a portion of land in Oregon. In the time leading to the recognition of the appellation, four wineries had been bonded starting with Leonetti Cellar, and shortly thereafter, Woodward Canyon. L'Ecole Nº 41 and Waterbrook soon followed. In addition to the smaller vineyards that were being planted, the Valley's first large-scale, commercial vineyard Seven Hills was established. By the time the BATF recognized the Walla Walla Valley AVA, the Valley was beginning to gain attention from within the wine industry, as well as attracting publicity from journalists and media outside the region. The foundation for today’s industry had been laid and the benchmark for quality had been set. In addition, fruit from the area was now being harvested and a baseline for understanding the local growing conditions was being constructed. Every few years another winery would join the fold and take up the challenge of producing the highest quality wine and the growing of outstanding fruit. Seven Hills Winery and Patrick M. Paul each got their start during this time. More vines were added, although acreage increases were small each year. The industry was small and everyone knew everyone else involved, while the welcome mat remained out for any newcomers. Growers and winemakers alike regularly shared time in the cellar or at the table and together learned more about wines and vines. By 1990 there were just six wineries and the Valley's grape acreage stood at perhaps 100 acres. The total collective production of wine was microscopic by any measure, but it was the quality that was being noticed by many inside and outside the trade. As the tiny trickle of wine produced in the Walla Walla AVA began to flow to the outside world, a "wine renaissance" was beginning to happen globally. The Pacific Northwest had staked a claim in this new wine world and as people learned about the region, they also began to hear about Walla Walla. This interest spread rapidly to those with Walla Walla connections. The early 1990s saw the planting of more vines and the establishment of another large-scale vineyard, Pepper Bridge. At the same time, a group of local investors, working closely with the Napa based Chalone Wine group, laid the foundation for Canoe Ridge Vineyard, the Valley's first winery supported in part by a major outside investor. As the industry has grown, many new wineries have gotten their start in the arms of an established winery. Waterbrook Winery's modern production facility started the trend, sharing space, equipment, and any help needed. Other wineries also adopted “extra guests,” a practice that has helped form close, personal relationships throughout the local industry. By the turn of the new century, the Walla Walla Valley wine industry had 22 wineries and 800 acres of grapes. In the year 2000 the AVA had been expanded back to the original boundaries proposed in the1984 application. The year 2000 also saw the formation of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance with 100% of the Valley's wineries and 98% of the Valley's planted acreage represented. Today, more than 60 Walla Walla Valley wineries and more than 1,200 acres of Walla Walla Valley grapes contribute to the ever growing, international acclaim garnered by the wines of this newly-emerging region of Washington State. |
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