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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 47 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by dronkey666 on 1/14/2021 & rated 95 points: Still alive! Absolutely gorgeous. Needed a half hour to open up. Fruit and acidity still very present (2091 views) | | | Tasted by GTFreek on 10/3/2015: Tasted out of magnum, which was signed as "4 of 16" so quite a treat. Immediate nose of pepper, black fruit, slight meaty quality, as was just written, unmistakably Syrah. Other than the beautifully overt nose, did not have much signs of an aged wine, drinking surprisingly fresh with acidity and elegantly bright black fruits, again with the pepper, medium bodied with soft tannins, not as full as a younger Cayuse, that may be the age or a change in style from this bottle to current winemaking. Finishes wonderfully, balanced like a Rhone style. (4563 views) | | | Tasted by andrewdodd86 on 10/3/2015 & rated 100 points: From magnum, #4 of 16 made! Still tannic. Young. Vibrant. Years ahead of it. Red raspberry, forest floor, mushrooms, Cayuse funk in a good way. Blackberries, earthy, currant. Just unreal. Another level. Probably not 100 pointer for most people, but this is right in my wheelhouse. Consumed @ Bin 54 (5063 views) | | | Tasted by rustyRudy on 10/3/2015 & rated 97 points: Drunk from a magnum. Decanted and enjoyed over 3 hours. Jeb was right about this drinking well now and having a long life ahead of it. Just a very pleasant hint of smokey funk. Grilled meat, dark fruit, and spice on the nose. Tons of cherry, red currant, minerals on the palate, and although these fruit flavors were expressive they pulled this off without being jammy. This was the oldest Cayuse that I have had to date. I believe that they age beautifully and will plan on giving my more recent vintages plenty of time to mature. (4743 views) | | | Tasted by devman on 4/14/2014: Much more syrah like than I am used to with the Cayuse Syrahs. Great nose of blackberry, vanilla, rhubarb and a bit of the normal Cayuse funk. Full bodied on the palate, great fruit and balance. Long lingering finish. Probably the best Cayuse wine I've ever had. (5736 views) | | | Tasted by godx on 6/7/2013 & rated 87 points: Bill's Monthly Lunch - June 2013 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – Vanilla pudding nose with dark fruits, nuts and a hint of herbs. Candied fruits on the palate which are quite ripe. Smooth and lengthy with mostly resolved structure. A delicious wine and one with a decent bit of complexity but still not my favorite style of wine (others at the table liked this wine a lot more than I did). Good. (3484 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 6/7/2013 & rated 91 points: Ripe wines I wouldn't have cared much for when young get kind of warm and cuddly in maturity in a way I sometimes like a lot, and this was one. Took it to Bill's lunch--Devin described the nose as 'vanilla pudding' and I don't think that was a compliment; I found it more like warm cherry pie with the baked, sweet-tart fruit and toasty crust. Tannins are fully resolved. (4405 views) | | | Tasted by DougLee on 6/3/2012 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 3 hours. Brilliant purple hue. Extraordinary nose of beef blood, saline, red plum, earth, camphor. Palate was just as impressive, pumping out layers of blackberry, red plum, meatiness, moca, white pepper, and an infusion of saline. Long finish with lashes of plum and mineral. Wow, so alive. Last taste was over 7 years ago with a rating of 86 points. I think I get it now - just a terrific showing. (3653 views) | | | Tasted by Radboy on 9/4/2010 & rated 93 points: Dark, rich fruit with whiffs of earth and berries. Not surprising, this went very well with a French dinner. Drinking quite well now. (3395 views) | | | Tasted by AndrewSGHall on 5/20/2010: Totally forgotten I had tasted this wine 5 yrs ago. Nicely integrated and balanced. Traces of the rich fruit were more attenuated, svelte body and nice persistence. (3264 views) | | | Tasted by rhpeters on 4/30/2010 & rated 91 points: Huge fruit in your face, but with plenty of complexity. I don't like this as much as their En Chamberlain wine, but it is still fun to drink. There was some smokiness and meatiness in there...almost like a bit of beef jerky along with the dark fruit and jam. Very rich. (3039 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 2/20/2010 & rated 93 points: Similar to the 2/1/09 bottle but a touch fresher, richer and longer on the palate. (2722 views) | | | Tasted by Easter Everywhere on 10/1/2009: Very nice, great fruit, texture, touch too acidic is only flaw (1239 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 5/17/2009 & rated 92 points: Same as 2/1/09 bottle. (2974 views) | | | Tasted by keeno1 on 2/22/2009 & rated 93 points: Rich blackberry fruits on the nose with a touch of vanilla and floral notes. Leads to ripe blackberry and dark cherry notes on the palate. Wonderful richness and body without being over the top. This wine is in great place right now. Very enjoyable. (3338 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 2/1/2009 & rated 92 points: Deep purple color. Aromas of black fruits, licorice and a touch of dark chocolate. Silky, somewhat elegant fruit in the mouth excellent balance and depth. This wine has lost its baby fat but has gained some complexity with age. At peak. (2928 views) | | | Tasted by Jared on 12/3/2008 & rated 91 points: 2nd vintage from this vineyard. Australian in style as it still has tons of upfront fruit and a little oak. Dense and dark. Still going strong. Tasty. 91pts. (3065 views) | | | Tasted by bajayngo on 11/15/2008 & rated 93 points: quick notes from the wine dinner. green veggies, a wiff of oak, cherries, spices, ink, sour cherries, anise this wine is peaking right now. (2920 views) | | | Tasted by CP on 11/4/2008 & rated 90 points: At first it felt too acidic, but with some air time the acid faded a bit, and with some BBQ pork chops the acid balanced out nicely. Still, this feels less complex than in 2005, but the complexity is gaining with more air time also. (2955 views) | | | Tasted by rowen on 10/25/2008 & rated 91 points: This was the best, and (perhaps not coincidentally) the oldest, of several bottles I've had from this producer over the years. Nevertheless, I'm still not convinced about this winery, at least with respect to my palate. Strikes me as much more French than Australian in influence, which may float some peoples' boats. (3211 views) | | | Tasted by ssouth on 10/16/2008 & rated 95 points: TN: 2001 Cayuse Vineyard Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Syrah, alc 14.1%, $50: Nose of cocoa and earth.. bit of pipe tobacco.. rich bittersweet chocolate followed by rich ripe fruit.. plums, currants, etc... Really amazingly good!! A rival of the best Alban wines I have had.. one of the very best Syrah experiences I have had in a a very long time (3018 views) | | | Tasted by ziavino on 9/28/2008 & rated 91 points: Decanted for about 45 minutes. Nose of ripe raspberries and cherries with a pepper spice in the background. Maybe a little smoked brisket too. Medium-bodied; flavors of slightly tart raspberry, with a touch of smokiness. Mouthfeel gets more velvety as it sits in the glass. Not a knock-out, but very good. (3068 views) | | | Tasted by GJ-captures on 9/20/2008 & rated 94 points: Decanted, tasted over a period of 4 hrs. Still pretty tight over the first hour and a half. Then opened with blueberry and cherry aromas followed by a delicate floral finish, this wine seems more subdued than the newer vintages of this wine (i.e. 2004, 2005). Nothing really like it from Washington, very distinctive. It seems that this wine still has a few years of aging ahead of it. (3250 views) | | | Tasted by DianeR on 8/9/2008: Craig and Nita's Wine Barbecue: Fantastic syrah, with notes of leather, blueberry, smoky spice, and pepper. (3843 views) | | | Tasted by Easter Everywhere on 7/1/2008: Dense blackish ruby, intense red fruit, citrus, meat, bacon fat, thick & rich on palate w/firm, tangy bite, fine integrated tannins, raspberry, blueberry (1207 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2003, IWC Issue #111
(Cayuse Vineyards Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (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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