Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): Another relatively dialled down edition, maybe a little too much here, as this feels more muted and subdued. Again a red-fruited profile here, with relatively higher acids.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hours. Cayuse funk on the nose. Stewed fruit and flint on the palate and a long finish. For me, not worth the price or the hype. There are so many other good syrahs at half the price
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last tasted over seven years ago with similar notes though not showing any signs of decline. An elegant wine with lots of deep, concentrated berry fruits in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, blackberries, plums and licorice with hints of floral in the nose. Blackberries, plums, black raspberries and hints of herbalness in the flavor. Very well balanced, complex, full bodied and a long lingering finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine. The bottle displays an impressive sediment coat, but there was a minimal amount actually in the wine. The nose is slightly grapey to me, with touches of gamebird and salt lick. In the mouth, this is also salty/briny, with some modest red fruits. The finish again shows some salt, but generally seems a bit chunky. Overall, this was okay but weaker than prior bottles I’ve had. The maturity curve may be catching up with this wine – I would not hold bottles much longer. 90 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Crimson brown with faint bricking. Nose of eucalyptus,olive/greeen pepper (or marjoram?) & smoked meat. Full bodied with soft mouthfeel, tannin completely mellowed, and providing no definition. Tons of one-dimensional fruit searching for the lost layers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding, but maybe just a smidge less than perfect than the last few bottles. Typical pronounced toasty French oak nose, some smoke and black fruits, hint of mushrooms and earth. Medium-full body but perfectly balanced, again with black fruits, anise, and smoky oak. Very little noticeable tannin. Very long smooth aftertaste. Fully mature, won't get any better, but should easily hold on this plateau for another few years. Ric
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent. Drinking wonderfully, with many years ahead. Devoid of the significant cayuse funk, but full of dark fruit and Mediterranean spices. Nice mouthfeel, alive and delicious.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
As other bottles. Black cherries, black fruit, smoked meat, blood, toast and earth on the subtle nose. Similar structure with chocolate and coffee on the palate, and with a lengthy finish, but everything seems bunched together, without delineation. Any freshness from spice, acid or tannins has dissipated. Typical of the ripe, smoky WA Syrah, but Cayuse still fails live up to the price. I don't see much upside to waiting.
Day 2: Raisin and date. This bottle has nothing left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double decanted for an hour, deep ruby with some lightening on the rim, dark fruit with bacon & iodine (classic Cayuse), med. tannins, mod/long finish; delicious & at peak peak, drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needed an hour before it got better. Very light and thin at first. Built some weight but was missing the complexity, layers, fruit & nose these wines typically have. I’ve opened my last 07s & now 08s & realizing these wines are not 10+ year wines. 5-7 is the zone.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. This is a medium-red wine. There is not much sediment in the glass, but there is a bit of bottle crust now (in contrast to the last time I had this wine). On the nose, I get olive, raw game, pepper, and charred brisket. In the mouth, this is a savory and salty wine, with those same aspects pulling through on the long finish. Overall, this is a funky and tasty wine. It is not as distinctive as the Horsepower renditions, but still a good step away from the mainstream. Northern Rhone fans will enjoy. It is probably time to drink this up. 91 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another tremendous wine from Cayuse. Gave it 3 hours to open up and was rewarded with black olive, cherry, pencil lead, and grilled meat. It has very precise and clean flavours and can easily go another 4-5 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needed an hour to knit together, seemed disjointed on opening.
With air: Very dark, with a slightly minty aroma over red currents and a faintly exotic note that reminds me of ripe pawpaw fruit. Smooth and supple, but rather young on the palate; probably won't peak for another five years or more. At peak, it could definitely merit 93-94; right now, however, it simply isn't integrated enough yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another absolutely fantastic showing. Very similar notes to the last time, nose is hugely impressive, so complex, with olive, meat, smoke notes all laced with blackberry and balck chery fruit. I did not find the palate as expressive as last time, but still juicy, smooth with lovely complexity. These are beautiful wines.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Awesome nose of chocolate and pepper jumps from the glass. This is full bodied and unctuous but not at all heavy. Very young and alive with good acidity to give it freshness. Savory meaty flavors mixed with strawberry jam with a medium finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted after 90 minutes in a decanter. Medium to light in texture, lighter than we expected. Not light in flavor. Cherry, brine, tar, spice. a nice floral lift and a touch of pepper on the finish. Elegant and inviting. Worth the wait.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
For the first 30 minutes or so, the 2008 Cailloux is completely closed. With time, aromas of black olives, boysenberries, wet fur and a faint note of violets emerge from the glass, progressively gaining in strength. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with excellent refinement, and is loaded with dark plums, olives and iron. Long on the finish as well, with adequate acidity and gentle fine-grained tannins that coat the gums. This has settled down considerably, but is still on the upswing. Can be drunk now with lots of aeration, or held for a decade on more. Yet another outstanding Cayuse Syrah! 94+.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first Cayuse, and a bit disappointing, given its price and the hype. It had all the components of a fine syrah, but was surprisingly light. Perhaps it will develop and flesh out in a few years, but right now is not in the league of many of the top syrahs I have had over the past few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Superb complex enriching showing. Colour is deep plum, very little bricking on the rim. Nose is intense, smoky, meaty, animal, bacon and tar. So complex, so interesting, completely beguiling Syrah. Palate is ripe, full bodied, sweet balanced fruit, dark cherry and blackberry, smoky long finish with notes of meat and bacon. Really long with great character.
These are top tier wines, almost every one is spectacular.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great wine. Drank over a couple of days on vaca. Medium bodied, great nose of ink and plum. Palate of stank (blood and earth), raspberry and integrated tannins. Drinking wonderfully right now. So distinctive. Lovely drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is just stupid good. Incredible fruit with an ever evolving mid-palate and finish throughout a 2 hour drink. I love how these wines evolve in the glass throughout the evening. Spectacular.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brought this to DCC Open That Bottle Night. Other wines from the group: 2012 Casanova di Neri Brunello (drinking really well at this point, very open and charming, my WOTN by a nose); 1999 Leoville Barton (classic, regal, pencil lead and cassis, rounding into form, a close second); 2008 Chianti Classico from a producer I had never heard of (Fattoria la Ripa Gran Selezionne) -- a very fine example of the appellation, my number four wine); 2005 Far Niente Cabernet -- perfectly fine but not so much my style, with what I perceived as a fair bit of not completely integrated new oak; and 2012 Justice Cabernet, which came across as too closed to fairly evaluate.
The Cayuse was awfully good. Definitely in the top tier of the wines tasted, with a demarcation between the top three and the rest of the pack. Plenty of smoky bacon fat, olive tapenade and mostly sweet/but also slightly tart cherry. If the alcohol had been a degree lower it would have rated higher than the LB and possibly would have been above the Brunello as well; it didn't lag far behind as it was. I have only had Cayuse on a couple of other occasions and this was for me the best of the three. A world-class effort.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Crimson in color. 14.1% ABV. Co-fermented with 8% Viognier. Textbook Cayuse on the nose. Cherries, meat, smoke and a hint of flowers. Medium to full bodied with ample acidity. Olive brine, cured meats, cherries and herbs on the palate. The finish is extraordinary. Stunning Syrah that exhibits both power and finesse. Best over the next 2-3 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Part of the 2008/2011 Cayuse Syrah tasting of the Seattle wine tasting group. Very strong laser-like nose of olive brine and red candied cherry. Much more consistent taste across the palate than the others, in a good way. This is drinking really nicely right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium deep maroon - typical heady, olive, meaty, dark fruit nose - palate is SO smooth- rich but in check, this seems better balanced and slightly less large than typical for Cayuse, and is all the better for it. Very nice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light funk on the nose, then a very typical Cayuse drinking perfectly. You won't need to save any for tomorrow because there won't be any. Deep dark fruit with touches of meat, spice, and chocolate.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for an hr then back in the bottle, deep ruby, almost purple, dark fruit with a whiff of iodine, blackberry & pepper, mod, tannins, long finish; delicious & better on day 2, prob, should wait a year or 2 for the next one
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Have to give this a huge score. Decant for about 1.5 hours and WOW! Classic beautiful Cayuse funk nose. Not overpowering but compelling. The palate is perfect. Dark fruit, extracted plum and then the leather and stone. Mouthfeel is soft and mouthcoating with a long finish. With I had more.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely delicious! Crushed wet stone, berry, and Cayuse funk aromas which expand and develop beautifully on the rich palate with soft tannins on a long finish!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
91-92. Très bien, sans être remarquable. Nez puissant et séducteur, mais bouche un peu souple et sucreuse. Ne peut justifier les cotes obtenues ni le prix demandé.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little different to my last bottle. On the first night this was very bloody, a little too much cloaked tannin and a little muddy. Second night it was brill! Opened up, a little more subdued and still bright.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red. Definitely ripe, black pepper, black currant, vanilla and meat. Still fairly tightly wound flavors and a rich but dry finish. Very hedonistic.
A lot to love here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smoother than I expected, but with the same funk. I like the TN about it being like a feral north rhone. Medium to full body, drinking well (it was decanted for 2 hours).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with absolutely no sediment anywhere in the bottle. On the nose, this is meaty and funky, with strong notes of smoke and black olive. In the mouth, this is a mid-weight wine, one on which the animal notes continue all the way through to a tangy finish. Overall, this is a very distinctive wine, one that reminds me of a more feral Hermitage or Cote Rotie. It is good and good to go now. 92 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Superbe nez très typée syrah style côte-rotie: violette, lilas, bacon, poivre, olives noires, etc. La robe est très sombre. La bouche est large, avec un impression de gras et de sucré au milieu, mais ça se termine sur une belle finale assez longue et un peu amère, avec une bonne acidité pour balancer le tout. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Completely dark and opaque. Very pronounced aromas of smoke, leather, grilled meat, dark fruits, great complexity. Coffee, mocha, tobacco, all beautifully blended. Full-bodied but also soft and round, with flavors continuing to build, similar to components of the nose. Leather-meat-dark fruits predominate. Very long coffee-mocha aftertaste, lasted for a minute. The only detraction was a slight bitterness on the back of the palate, which I've noticed with some of Christophe's wines. It was still there two hours later. It's similar to the "bite" of many fine Italian olive oils, which some may like, but I'd be happier if it weren't there. Maybe it would decrease with more time in the cellar. In any case, a consistently near-perfect wine! Ric
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: savory bacon, olives, dark fruit, nice complexity that draws you back. Palate: Rich, savory, iron minerality, black olive, complex and very interesting. Long finish. Paired with Mediterranean lamb shanks which was a great pairing. Will buy again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full, rich and smooth. Some of the fruit from prior bottles has resolved but only a little of the tannin. That may actually make it a better wine given WWs big fruit profile.
Plenty of red fruit but a little lacking in acid balance. Excellent with a rich cheddar before dinner and surprisingly nice with salmon and green beans at dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose is typical Cayuse funk. Forest floor, beef jerky, blood, pine needles. Very complex -- the nose explodes with rapidly changing aroma's. Great black to red fruit jam, with smoke, anise, smoke, & white pepper. Decanted approx. 1 hour. Amazing and ready to drink, but also has plenty of cellar life left. Light and velvety. Much lighter than the initial nose might suggest. A wonderful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of great wines with friends; 12/19/2015-12/20/2015 (E, 4th St.): Purple in color, some ruby. The nose has black cherries, charred wood, and spice. On the palate, this has nice black cherry fruit. Some complexity. Some black raspberries. Good acidity. Long finish. Great wine but over shadowed in this flight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Souper Pango à Montréal (Restaurant Tandem): Un nez lardé avec des olives. La bouche est svelte, ronde, on serait en Côte Rôtie si ce n'était d'un milieu de bouche légèrement sucré, qui précède une finale étonnamment minérale. Il montre une belle complexité, mais c'est un peu sucreux, avec une amertume en finale. Bon vin intéressant, certes, mais pas à la hauteur des cotes de fous qu'il a reçues. 91 pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
On first pour, black olives, mushroom, and earth. With some air over time, dark plum, cherry - not sweet, coffee, bacon fat, violets. A great bottle of complex wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
RICH ELEGANT SYRAH BUT LESS FULL THAN SQN TASTED SIDE BY SIDE. DEEP BERRY FRUITS, BLACK CHERRIES, AND PLUMS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND VERY LONG FINISH.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very interesting wine. I've had it open for 3 days and it gets better each day, suggesting a long life ahead. Very dark, meaty, deep, sultry and has a saline tinge that solidifies the dry lack of sweetness. I found this to be better without food and would love to have it again in a few years to see how it develops. -- Raised the score a point because it was even better on day 4. Amazing wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was tasting rather big and tight last night inspite of a two hour decant. It must have been bottle variation, but it didn't open as fully as others I have had. Still good though!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted a couple of hours before drinking. Dark fruits and some meat on the nose. Dark berries, meat, bramble and some pepper on the palate. Tannins well integrated. Fairly round, integrated, and slightly soft. Alcohol not readily noticeable. Paired fine with a zippy lamb stew; certainly could have overpowered a more subtle dish. Well-crafted, bigger wine. Pretty tasty.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My favorite wine of the night, with 11 others including '98 and '01 Grange; '94 Harlan, '02 Shafer Hillside Select, '94 Guigal La Landonne, '07 Velvet Glove, others. Completely dark and opaque. Very pronounced aromas of smoke, leather, grilled meat, dark fruits, great complexity. Coffee, mocha, tobacco, all beautifully blended. Full-bodied but incredibly soft and round, with flavors continuing to build, similar to components of the nose. Leather-meat-dark fruits predominate. Very long coffee-mocha aftertaste, lasted for a minute. This is perfection in the glass, and perfectly drinkable! Ric
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Chateauneuf du Pape style syrah from WW. Really big, strong tannins, a dose of black pepper and pungent blackberry and boysenberry. Stands up to your strongest Osso bucco or BBQ steak, but not a wine to sip with cheese and fruit. Well made and predictable, but not my favorite.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
superb stuff. decanted 5 hours. these wines are so special. then again, i haven't had anything from the rocks of walla walla that i haven't liked. for my palate, this is drinking get with a healthy decant, but it's got tons of life left. if scoring, solid 96, but probably would have scored higher if i had been able to spend more time with it. cayuse is worth the tariff.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
very nice this bottle was. A little of the huge Cayuse funk has started to integrate leaving a beautiful wine that had a very northern rhone feel to it. Smoked meats, garigue, olive, pepper and black fruits. Really drinking well.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is an exceptional wine in every way. Beautifully balanced, velvety, extremely rich. Drinking perfectly right from the bottle. I love this so much.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: dark ruby -> medium deep ruby rim; no sign of bricking yet. Huge bouquet of carnal roast beef, pepper, iodine and smoky barbeque. Palate is also a beast with pepper, crushed rock, violets and blackberry essence, with a smooth texture. Finishes long with delectable acidity to keep everything fresh. I opened this because a '08 God Only Knows from a few days ago was so approachable and delicious and I'm glad I did -- these '08's from Christophe are wonderful now on PnP and deserve being checked out.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic Northern Rhone aromas of smoked meats, game, pepper, and black fruits. A touch of browning at the rim suggests entering maturity. Very concentrated and ripe (sweet/candied??) on the palate with savory flavors framing a deep core of black fruits. Not as fresh as I was expecting especially for 2008. A little clumsy at times. Might be going through a sleep phase right now as this wasn't very expressive on the nose. I would advise against decanting as we did - better to drink from the bottle. 92-94pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
When poured right away, it was burgundian and fresh. After a few hours, it put on weight to more resemble the Northern Rhone. Fascinating to follow. Focused, concentrated flavors and finishes long.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for Kelsey's birthday at Caffe Mingo in Portland. A nice funky, meaty nose, with some blue and black fruit underneath. Grilled meat, blackberry, smoke and pepper on the palate. Just an amazing wine that continued to evolve over our 2 hour dinner. Paired with a calamari and choritzo risotto with Calabrian peppers. Delicious!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Agree with others that this is a bit lighter than other vintages. Popped and poured and it was ready to go. It may have benefited from air but didn't seem necessary and was delicious from the start.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lighter on its feet than the 2007, the 2008 has a bit bit better structural balance and brightness. It's less ripe and extracted, but very satisfying, if a bit less "classic" Cayuse than the big/bold warmer vintage wines that we've had in the past couple of vintages. I just had a chance to try some of the 2010 and 2011 Cayuse wines at the winery (both very cool vintages) and I must say, I liked and appreciated the lighter, brighter and more clearly delineated styles of those wines than some of the more extracted versions from recent warmer vintages like 2007 and 2009.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Souper avec amis du bureau (départ M-M): Le vin se montre le plus mûr du trio, sans surprise. Beaucoup de richesse, de matière, sans excès d'alcool, avec une certaine minéralité. J'ai aussi eu au nez une impression d'y trouver l'infuence de la vendange entière, qui aide à établir un rapprochement avec le Rhône Nord. Un vin impressionnant, qui a de la structure et un très bel équilibre, mais aussi tout de même une sucrosité qui le fait paraître un brin plus mou que ses compagnons de table rhodaniens. Une belle vision de la syrah américaine, parfaitement maîtrisée. Du bel ouvrage. J'aime, mais avec une certaine ambivalence, car je trouve qu'à ce prix, je préfère encore une grande Côte Rôtie. 92+ pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magnificent and very drinkable! Typical pronounced toasty French oak nose, some smoke and black fruits, hint of mushrooms and earth. Medium-full body but perfectly balanced, again with black fruits, anise, and smoky oak. Very little noticeable tannin. Very long smooth aftertaste. It will certainly hold for years and may develop more complexity, but wonderful now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Let this decant about an hour. At that time the aromas were muted and the palate was a bit tart, sour and even bitter. Awkward. After another two hours the juice starting to sing more, but still not as much as past Cayuse Cailloux bottlings. You can detect dirty raspberries and black cherry, blueberries too. But this wasn't the dominant aroma. The earth and spice were up front. Overall a great package and maybe this was just a more subtle showing overall. Vintage, bottle?...who knows.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
With New Year's Eve tenderloin roast. Absolutely wonderful; pronounced complex aromas, Northern Rhone style, of mushrooms, earth, a bit of bacon. Medium-full flavor to match. Medium tannin but definitely in the background. Long full aftertaste. Not sure it will improve but should certainly hold for several more years, but very drinkable now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1st bottle ordered from winery and cellared since. Pop and pour. This is a more restrained wine (if that is possible for a Cayuse wine) very earthy with all spice, tons of mineral, flowers, some garrique, licorice and red and blue fruit. Not as much funk and has a leaner feel to the wine. The finish lingers for a LONG time. Wife didn't seem to like this stating that it was too alcoholic. Some heat, but not offensive. Love the cofermented viognier...just a touch, but oh so good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had at a X-Mas lunch, a nose of dark fruits and spice, dark black purple in color. A full bodied and dry single vineyard Syrah, with blackberry, black cherry, licorice and a long layered spicy finish. Still very young, needs a long decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose - savory, cola, root, root beer, impressive and unusual nose reminds me of the 08 Armada mouth - starts out like a dart root inflected pinot on the attack, with root beer, sassafras, allspice which transitions into a savory yet sweet berry saline midpalate with minimal structural tannins of the savory finish. leaves with the taste of soy sauce. These 08 Cayuse are exotic, unusual, and exciting wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Incredible wine. Old World Syrah meets New World. Meaty, dark fruit and whole cluster stems aromatics. Masses of rich berry fruit on the palette, with iron/graphite notes and a core of tannic density on the mid-palette. A long, elegant finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mes notes ont été de 96 - 97, je vais donner 95, pour remettre dans le droit chemin, c'est p-e un de mes meilleurs vins que j'ai jamais gouter :) Bref, j'adore ce vin
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Recently popped the 2009, and by comparison noticeably less funk on the 2008. Not sure how much that is the extra year in bottle or the vintage, as I made no significant notes about funk in the 2008 a year ago. Tonight, I did a quick aeration with a Vinturi into a small decanter. Served over an hour and a half with dinner of medium rare filet mignon. I think getting a burst of air helped, though definitely a longer decant is justified.
Violets, lavender, blueberry, smoked bacon. Ripe plum and pepper on the finish.
Lucky to have a friend to share his allocation with me at cost while I patiently wait on the waiting list. Hoping this year enough of his Wish List is filled to pick up a few other offerings.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Holy bacon fat! Bacon and funk is all that is on the nose initially. Given some time to breath it really started singing to me. There is a reason these wines are hard to come by. They are fantastic. Drinking well in its youth but if you forgot about it for 5 years it could really change your life.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
HdR 2012 - The Return of the Bionic Frog (Paso Robles, CA): Somewhat translucent dark garnet in the glass. Iron/Mineral nose, somewhat high toned, delicate and Northern Rhone-like. Christophe suggested paper, which seems apt. Ripe plum and berry fruit, mineral laden, rather seamless. Interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nous rendons à César ce qu'il se doit - Je ne décrierai pas ce vin puisque je l'ai assez bien fait la 1ere fois, je dirai simplement que ce vin est sans doute l'un des meilleurs vins que j'ai bue depuis longtemps, un seul cépage et autant de complexité nous pourrons nous laisser bercer par une seule gorgée !!! C'est de toute beautée !!!!! UN VIN INCROYABLE !!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
in a funky (cayuse funky) phase. A lil extracted right now and huge funk. HUGE Raineer cherries and roasted veggies. Intersted to see how the 08's age. At release they were amazing, in a bit of a dumb phase to me right now. Will see how they are doing in a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is the fourth consecutive vintage of this wine that I've been fortunate enough to try, and this is consistent with past vintages. As always, this is defined by the Viogner-driven (floral, red/blue fruits) nose and the savory, peppery, darker-fruited palate. At times, this almost tasted like a peppercorned blackberry. Fascinating stuff. As always. spectacularly light mouthfeel in fascinating contrast to powerfully concentrated flavors and a long, lingering finish. Spectacular, as always.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
wow what a change from a year ago! the palate started with green tobacco on the front, followed by mixed berry, blue fruit, blackberry, pepper and some funk all riding over a bed of chalky mineral. deftly balanced acid provides a smooth finish. this is what i hoped for from cayuse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow... Au début lorsque j'ai ouvert la bouteille le bouchon de liege sentait déjà la confiture on aurait dit que le vin avait couler par un bouchon pas assez étanche... mais une fois que j'ai retiré le bouchon et j'ai analyser le liège il était bien dur, probablement causé lors de l'embouteillage, il ne semblait pas avoir coulé du tout ! Bref j'ai eu peur pendant un instant... Le nez se révèle sous une couche pateuse de fruits murs et sucrés. Toutefois je le laisse carafé pendant 1h..... Plus tard une fois mis au verre pour le déguster, le nez se révèle beaucoup plus intéressant sous une épaisse humidité floral, un côté terroir semble avoir envahie le nez de ce bijou. Le petit côté mineral de ce vin m'attire, la réglisse, l'olive, les épices bien dosé mais brulé qui donnent à cette syrah la liberté d'expression. À l'aveugle il pourrait sans doute vous convaincre que c'est un vin du Rhône et un grand vin ! ce vin est une grande réussite, je suis bien content d'en posséder encore quelques bouteilles pour les prochaines dégustations de ce vin qui se dérouleront d'ici 5 a 10 ans assurément. La bouche est ample et les tannins sont imposants mais gracieux qui une fois bien intégrer en bouche nous laisse une qualité sans pareil pour des heures et des heures !! Bravo encore une fois pour ce vin qui nous a donné des frissons moi et ma copine !! Je le comparerai maintenant aux grands vins de ce monde et encore une fois cela c'est mon opinion ! Joyeux Noël =)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nez animal, avec aussi un coté floral (violette) classique des vins du Rhône Nord. On perçoit également de nettes traces d'élevage, avec caramel, caoutchouc brûlé, qui heureusement s'estompe avec le temps. La bouche est ronde, avec une jolie texture, grasse. Il a cependant un coté sucré prononcé, un peu too much, qui le fait paraitre un peu mou. C'est le seul aspect qui évoque les vins du nouveau monde, le reste pouvant aisément passer pour un vin rhodanien. Très bien, quoique sans doute pas à la hauteur des attentes suscitées par les critiques américaines. 91 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had at a dinner. This bad boy was singing after being in the decanter for 3 hours or so. Strong nose of blackberries, smoked bacon, florals, and a little green olive. Palate showed lots of blackberries, a little black cherry, seared meat, mnerals, green olives. The finish was long in length and the mouthfeel was great and there was noticable acidity that cleansed the palate nicely. Went very welly with the roasted pork dish it was paired with and the typical silky mouthfeel. Will definately get better with age, but so good now as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark maroon. Reductive nose with pine needles and black fruit. Full bodied and layered mid palate with black fruit transitioning to savory components like cured meat and even a briny flavor. This picks up weight very quickly as it takes on air and gets a bit too flabby for me. Very soft mouthfeel, but no apparent acidity and the tannic structure is silky soft.
As always, interesting to taste these and marvel on one hand at such a unique wine, but at the same time wish for a bit more elegance. The lack of acidity was really quite jarring on this bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 07 was so much further along than this at this stage. This baby needs more cellar time. Drank over 3days and it went from tar, manure, a good Cayuse funk with some pineapple florals peaking through and pretty aggressive tannic finish on day 1. Cured meats, flowers, pineapple juice, earth and some heat on the back end on day 2. Day 3 there there was a distinct brownie note and some noticable oak with earth, black and blue fruits, anise, pineapple candy and slight pepper. The mouthfeel was a bit clumsy but came around by day 3. Hold my friends......
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank late in the evening after a multitude of other wines so probably didn't have it's due respect this night. With that being said the nose on this was fantastic; without going into all the descriptors it was classic Cayuse funk. A little lighter in color and seemed a tad thinner than previous Cayuse I have had but then again this is a baby. Nice mouthfull of red and blue fruits, meat, olive although all still very primary. Only a 92 for me right now but lots of upside as this hopefully gains some weight in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
14.1% ABV. Notes from memory. Decanted and immediately consumed. Translucent garnet in the glass with a hint of a purple tawny in the dim lighting of the wine bar. Complex nose, somewhat reminiscent of the Northern Rhone with a funky melange of rubber, leather, earth, and a little floral sweetness I couldn't quite put my finger on. Medium full bodied with a fairly round, velvety palate, but not lush or hedonistic, primarily displaying light black fruit. An interesting wine, to be sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely wonderful bottle of wine. Very integrated after 4 hours of decant time. This really came across as a Northern Rhone and I have not usually felt that way about Cailloux before. Normally don't drink this young but have a few so said what the heck. Damn I love Cayuse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Club: Epic Syrah Smackdown (The Abarnment): I'm quickly growing to recognize the Washington Syrah style - this is it to the core. Compressed flavors, light on the ripeness spectrum without being lean or green, and elegant without being flashy. I wish I could come up with a better word than "pool" to describe that distinctive flavor I get for these wines, but I'll use it here as a placeholder. Nice stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
double decanted 2 hours and returned to bottle, drank 5 hours later. nose has typical funk and smoke with plenty of game, and is vegetal with bay leaf and white pepper. with some swirling in the glass the nose get richer with a bit of blackberry. the palate is similar with herbaceous funk, roasted game, and vegetal notes over a base of light blackberry and minerals. picked up a hint of blueberry in time. finish was not long but was smooth. the wine really didn't budge after decanting but then after it was poured to glasses it started changing with more fruit coming out. hope this bodes well for where this wine is heading. much too vegetal at this point for my palate but has great complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Revelatory how good this wine is for being so young.. Smoky mineral explode into a rich meaty plum extravanganza. It was awesome seconds after I pulled the cork and only got better over the next hour. I wish I'll had the patience to let this wine age. Beautiful, I'll be drinking many more bottles of this producer. $94.99 OH Retail www.austinbeeman.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had this tonight and lived up to expectations. Started with el felino malec, 2005 la roqete chat du Pape n terra valentine Cabernet to start the night and the cayuse stole the show. Great fruit. Surprised the 08 wasn't too young and drank great. Best syrah I've had that I can remember. Exceptional quality of finese fruit from start to long finish. Well worth it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed over two nights- pop and pour. Lots of fruit up front with violets loads of pepper and a little heat on the nose. Clearly this needed some time to settle down and with air it really did settle into a nice modern syrah. Loads of red, black and blue fruit. Raw leather,smoked meats, and floral nose. Mouthfeel did show heat early but like the nose it was gone by night 2. This is gorgeous stuff. Modern but plenty of earthiness for those that got's to have it. I found this very approachable after getting lots of air. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This vineyard probably has improved the most year to year. Big punch in the face of dark ripe fruit, earth, violets, smoky spice. Lush and velvety with balanced layers of earthy goodness and roasted fruit. Pretty damn good. 94-96pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/17/2024 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL): Another relatively dialled down edition, maybe a little too much here, as this feels more muted and subdued. Again a red-fruited profile here, with relatively higher acids.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2024 - pedlund wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Cayuse funk on the nose. Stewed fruit and flint on the palate and a long finish. For me, not worth the price or the hype. There are so many other good syrahs at half the price
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2023 - jlgnml wrote: 92 Points
Deep color, tons of extracted blueberry fruit, good finish, just not a style I enjoy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2023 - smcadam wrote: 87 Points
Past prime, loss of fruit, unbalanced
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2023 - europat55 wrote: 95 Points
Simply delicious!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2023 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Crushed wet stone, berry, and receding Cayuse funk aromas with a silky palate and soft tannins on the long finish!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2023 - Bellissimo Does not like this wine:
Really disappointed in this. Stewed black fruits, yes there was some pepper but thats about all.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Last tasted over seven years ago with similar notes though not showing any signs of decline. An elegant wine with lots of deep, concentrated berry fruits in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, blackberries, plums and licorice with hints of floral in the nose. Blackberries, plums, black raspberries and hints of herbalness in the flavor. Very well balanced, complex, full bodied and a long lingering finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2022 - Ex-Ray Does not like this wine:
At home. Flawed bottle. Not corked or prune, just flat and lacking any fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2022 - Guia Likes this wine:
Deeeelicious. Drink sooner than later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great fruit forward, good palate feel. Pleasant but not over powering. Very good indeed. Drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2022 - norsktorsk wrote: 94 Points
a little air does it well
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2021 - whitmanlholt wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine. The bottle displays an impressive sediment coat, but there was a minimal amount actually in the wine. The nose is slightly grapey to me, with touches of gamebird and salt lick. In the mouth, this is also salty/briny, with some modest red fruits. The finish again shows some salt, but generally seems a bit chunky. Overall, this was okay but weaker than prior bottles I’ve had. The maturity curve may be catching up with this wine – I would not hold bottles much longer. 90 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2021 - Ron Slye wrote: 92 Points
Drinking nicely now. Well integrated and smooth. The funk balanced with some red fruits, olive, and smoke.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2020 - eszencia Likes this wine:
Crimson brown with faint bricking. Nose of eucalyptus,olive/greeen pepper (or marjoram?) & smoked meat. Full bodied with soft mouthfeel, tannin completely mellowed, and providing no definition. Tons of one-dimensional fruit searching for the lost layers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2020 - golfhawk Likes this wine: 95 Points
A fabulous Syrah with great minerality. Dark red fruit and subtle spice. I don’t see this getting any better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2020 - mnoljo Likes this wine: 94 Points
A mature seamless fruit bomb with shadows of Cayuse funk.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding, but maybe just a smidge less than perfect than the last few bottles. Typical pronounced toasty French oak nose, some smoke and black fruits, hint of mushrooms and earth. Medium-full body but perfectly balanced, again with black fruits, anise, and smoky oak. Very little noticeable tannin. Very long smooth aftertaste. Fully mature, won't get any better, but should easily hold on this plateau for another few years.
Ric
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2020 - cadamson Likes this wine:
Excellent. Drinking wonderfully, with many years ahead. Devoid of the significant cayuse funk, but full of dark fruit and Mediterranean spices. Nice mouthfeel, alive and delicious.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2020 - hckschr40 Likes this wine: 89 Points
As other bottles. Black cherries, black fruit, smoked meat, blood, toast and earth on the subtle nose. Similar structure with chocolate and coffee on the palate, and with a lengthy finish, but everything seems bunched together, without delineation. Any freshness from spice, acid or tannins has dissipated. Typical of the ripe, smoky WA Syrah, but Cayuse still fails live up to the price. I don't see much upside to waiting.
Day 2: Raisin and date. This bottle has nothing left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2020 - redzins Likes this wine: 94 Points
Funk is now gone. Drink sooner vs. later.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted for an hour, deep ruby with some lightening on the rim, dark fruit with bacon & iodine (classic Cayuse), med. tannins, mod/long finish; delicious & at peak peak, drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2020 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Quite tasty when first open with classic Cayuse nose and palate but started to fade with an hour of air. Will drink my last bottle soon.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2020 - eszencia Likes this wine:
Unfortunately, losing its mid-palate. While it remains a decent wine, it falls short of other Cayuse experiences.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2019 - gbbwino wrote: 90 Points
Needed an hour before it got better. Very light and thin at first. Built some weight but was missing the complexity, layers, fruit & nose these wines typically have. I’ve opened my last 07s & now 08s & realizing these wines are not 10+ year wines. 5-7 is the zone.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2019 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a medium-red wine. There is not much sediment in the glass, but there is a bit of bottle crust now (in contrast to the last time I had this wine). On the nose, I get olive, raw game, pepper, and charred brisket. In the mouth, this is a savory and salty wine, with those same aspects pulling through on the long finish. Overall, this is a funky and tasty wine. It is not as distinctive as the Horsepower renditions, but still a good step away from the mainstream. Northern Rhone fans will enjoy. It is probably time to drink this up. 91 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2019 - jsebiri wrote:
This could be confused for a well aged barnyard ‘y Pinot. #notsyrah
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2019 - ViggoTheFrog Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another tremendous wine from Cayuse. Gave it 3 hours to open up and was rewarded with black olive, cherry, pencil lead, and grilled meat. It has very precise and clean flavours and can easily go another 4-5 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2019 - jsebiri wrote:
A real mouthful , close your eyes and you think you are drinking a very very meaty , full of secondary nuance,Burgundy. Very nice .
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2019 - KPB wrote: 90 Points
Needed an hour to knit together, seemed disjointed on opening.
With air: Very dark, with a slightly minty aroma over red currents and a faintly exotic note that reminds me of ripe pawpaw fruit. Smooth and supple, but rather young on the palate; probably won't peak for another five years or more. At peak, it could definitely merit 93-94; right now, however, it simply isn't integrated enough yet.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2019 - thebonnydooner wrote: 94 Points
Another absolutely fantastic showing. Very similar notes to the last time, nose is hugely impressive, so complex, with olive, meat, smoke notes all laced with blackberry and balck chery fruit. I did not find the palate as expressive as last time, but still juicy, smooth with lovely complexity. These are beautiful wines.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2018 - redzins Likes this wine: 94 Points
NYE 2018 with Jeff and Deana.
Inky Dark. Roasted plum, char, and meaty aromas. Dark fruit, chocolate, and woody flavors, lead to a long finish
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2018 - nywine68 wrote: 94 Points
Awesome nose of chocolate and pepper jumps from the glass. This is full bodied and unctuous but not at all heavy. Very young and alive with good acidity to give it freshness. Savory meaty flavors mixed with strawberry jam with a medium finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2018 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
Tasted after 90 minutes in a decanter. Medium to light in texture, lighter than we expected. Not light in flavor. Cherry, brine, tar, spice. a nice floral lift and a touch of pepper on the finish. Elegant and inviting. Worth the wait.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2018 - J o e wrote: 94 Points
For the first 30 minutes or so, the 2008 Cailloux is completely closed. With time, aromas of black olives, boysenberries, wet fur and a faint note of violets emerge from the glass, progressively gaining in strength. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with excellent refinement, and is loaded with dark plums, olives and iron. Long on the finish as well, with adequate acidity and gentle fine-grained tannins that coat the gums. This has settled down considerably, but is still on the upswing. Can be drunk now with lots of aeration, or held for a decade on more. Yet another outstanding Cayuse Syrah! 94+.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2018 - Dennis Graves Likes this wine: 91 Points
My first Cayuse, and a bit disappointing, given its price and the hype. It had all the components of a fine syrah, but was surprisingly light. Perhaps it will develop and flesh out in a few years, but right now is not in the league of many of the top syrahs I have had over the past few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote: 95 Points
Superb complex enriching showing. Colour is deep plum, very little bricking on the rim. Nose is intense, smoky, meaty, animal, bacon and tar. So complex, so interesting, completely beguiling Syrah. Palate is ripe, full bodied, sweet balanced fruit, dark cherry and blackberry, smoky long finish with notes of meat and bacon. Really long with great character.
These are top tier wines, almost every one is spectacular.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2018 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. Drank over a couple of days on vaca. Medium bodied, great nose of ink and plum. Palate of stank (blood and earth), raspberry and integrated tannins. Drinking wonderfully right now. So distinctive. Lovely drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2018 - Radboy wrote: 96 Points
This is just stupid good. Incredible fruit with an ever evolving mid-palate and finish throughout a 2 hour drink. I love how these wines evolve in the glass throughout the evening. Spectacular.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2018 - bhouk wrote:
Brought this to DCC Open That Bottle Night. Other wines from the group: 2012 Casanova di Neri Brunello (drinking really well at this point, very open and charming, my WOTN by a nose); 1999 Leoville Barton (classic, regal, pencil lead and cassis, rounding into form, a close second); 2008 Chianti Classico from a producer I had never heard of (Fattoria la Ripa Gran Selezionne) -- a very fine example of the appellation, my number four wine); 2005 Far Niente Cabernet -- perfectly fine but not so much my style, with what I perceived as a fair bit of not completely integrated new oak; and 2012 Justice Cabernet, which came across as too closed to fairly evaluate.
The Cayuse was awfully good. Definitely in the top tier of the wines tasted, with a demarcation between the top three and the rest of the pack. Plenty of smoky bacon fat, olive tapenade and mostly sweet/but also slightly tart cherry. If the alcohol had been a degree lower it would have rated higher than the LB and possibly would have been above the Brunello as well; it didn't lag far behind as it was. I have only had Cayuse on a couple of other occasions and this was for me the best of the three. A world-class effort.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior note, deep ruby, classic Cayuse nose with dark fruit & some pepper & iodine; delicious, drink or hold
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2018 - tomlee wrote: 96 Points
Crimson in color. 14.1% ABV. Co-fermented with 8% Viognier. Textbook Cayuse on the nose. Cherries, meat, smoke and a hint of flowers. Medium to full bodied with ample acidity. Olive brine, cured meats, cherries and herbs on the palate. The finish is extraordinary. Stunning Syrah that exhibits both power and finesse. Best over the next 2-3 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2018 - rgcanada Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great bottle. Love the way Cayuse develops over an evening.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2017 - Ron Slye wrote: 94 Points
Part of the 2008/2011 Cayuse Syrah tasting of the Seattle wine tasting group. Very strong laser-like nose of olive brine and red candied cherry. Much more consistent taste across the palate than the others, in a good way. This is drinking really nicely right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2017 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of spice but a bit overwhelming. Liked other Cayuse but this one was not my favorite.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2017 - Radboy wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2017 - winot Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium deep maroon - typical heady, olive, meaty, dark fruit nose - palate is SO smooth- rich but in check, this seems better balanced and slightly less large than typical for Cayuse, and is all the better for it. Very nice.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2017 - Acohen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slightly funky but with great aromatics and nice meaty dark fruit. Opened for three hours
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light funk on the nose, then a very typical Cayuse drinking perfectly. You won't need to save any for tomorrow because there won't be any. Deep dark fruit with touches of meat, spice, and chocolate.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2017 - mlawren1 wrote: 94 Points
Great wine with deep dark stone fruits with an earthy finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for an hr then back in the bottle, deep ruby, almost purple, dark fruit with a whiff of iodine, blackberry & pepper, mod, tannins, long finish; delicious & better on day 2, prob, should wait a year or 2 for the next one
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2017 - enjoyvino wrote: 95 Points
Have to give this a huge score. Decant for about 1.5 hours and WOW! Classic beautiful Cayuse funk nose. Not overpowering but compelling. The palate is perfect. Dark fruit, extracted plum and then the leather and stone. Mouthfeel is soft and mouthcoating with a long finish. With I had more.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely delicious! Crushed wet stone, berry, and Cayuse funk aromas which expand and develop beautifully on the rich palate with soft tannins on a long finish!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2017 - Villon wrote: 92 Points
91-92. Très bien, sans être remarquable. Nez puissant et séducteur, mais bouche un peu souple et sucreuse. Ne peut justifier les cotes obtenues ni le prix demandé.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2017 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Plum, smoke, leather, and dark fruit on the nose. More dark fruit with medium tannins and good acidity on the palate. Long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2017 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 93 Points
A little different to my last bottle. On the first night this was very bloody, a little too much cloaked tannin and a little muddy. Second night it was brill! Opened up, a little more subdued and still bright.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Dark red. Definitely ripe, black pepper, black currant, vanilla and meat. Still fairly tightly wound flavors and a rich but dry finish. Very hedonistic.
A lot to love here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2016 - Acohen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lots of great dark fruit with funk, meat, smoke and olive notes that exploding in your mouth and had a long deep finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2016 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smoother than I expected, but with the same funk. I like the TN about it being like a feral north rhone. Medium to full body, drinking well (it was decanted for 2 hours).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2016 - rhalbert wrote: 92 Points
Nice but seemed more one dimensional than usual. Perhaps in a funk right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2016 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with absolutely no sediment anywhere in the bottle. On the nose, this is meaty and funky, with strong notes of smoke and black olive. In the mouth, this is a mid-weight wine, one on which the animal notes continue all the way through to a tangy finish. Overall, this is a very distinctive wine, one that reminds me of a more feral Hermitage or Cote Rotie. It is good and good to go now. 92 points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2016 - Villon wrote: 92 Points
Superbe nez très typée syrah style côte-rotie: violette, lilas, bacon, poivre, olives noires, etc. La robe est très sombre. La bouche est large, avec un impression de gras et de sucré au milieu, mais ça se termine sur une belle finale assez longue et un peu amère, avec une bonne acidité pour balancer le tout. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
Completely dark and opaque. Very pronounced aromas of smoke, leather, grilled meat, dark fruits, great complexity. Coffee, mocha, tobacco, all beautifully blended. Full-bodied but also soft and round, with flavors continuing to build, similar to components of the nose. Leather-meat-dark fruits predominate. Very long coffee-mocha aftertaste, lasted for a minute. The only detraction was a slight bitterness on the back of the palate, which I've noticed with some of Christophe's wines. It was still there two hours later. It's similar to the "bite" of many fine Italian olive oils, which some may like, but I'd be happier if it weren't there. Maybe it would decrease with more time in the cellar. In any case, a consistently near-perfect wine!
Ric
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2016 - familydoc wrote: 93 Points
Nose: initially "cayuse funk", mushroom, spice, dark fruit
Taste: olive and fruit, improved at 2 hours becoming more layered and with a lot of nuances.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2016 - jeffmudd wrote: 95 Points
Always love the Funk!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2016 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
Typical (clean) Cayuse fruit. For those that like the lovely top notes of cayuse and don't want the pond water of Bionic Frog.
PDQ94
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2016 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Nose: savory bacon, olives, dark fruit, nice complexity that draws you back.
Palate: Rich, savory, iron minerality, black olive, complex and very interesting. Long finish.
Paired with Mediterranean lamb shanks which was a great pairing.
Will buy again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2015 - hejhog Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full, rich and smooth. Some of the fruit from prior bottles has resolved but only a little of the tannin. That may actually make it a better wine given WWs big fruit profile.
Plenty of red fruit but a little lacking in acid balance. Excellent with a rich cheddar before dinner and surprisingly nice with salmon and green beans at dinner.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2015 - papabluez wrote: 95 Points
Nose is typical Cayuse funk. Forest floor, beef jerky, blood, pine needles. Very complex -- the nose explodes with rapidly changing aroma's. Great black to red fruit jam, with smoke, anise, smoke, & white pepper. Decanted approx. 1 hour. Amazing and ready to drink, but also has plenty of cellar life left. Light and velvety. Much lighter than the initial nose might suggest. A wonderful wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Lots of great wines with friends; 12/19/2015-12/20/2015 (E, 4th St.): Purple in color, some ruby. The nose has black cherries, charred wood, and spice. On the palate, this has nice black cherry fruit. Some complexity. Some black raspberries. Good acidity. Long finish. Great wine but over shadowed in this flight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Souper Pango à Montréal (Restaurant Tandem): Un nez lardé avec des olives. La bouche est svelte, ronde, on serait en Côte Rôtie si ce n'était d'un milieu de bouche légèrement sucré, qui précède une finale étonnamment minérale. Il montre une belle complexité, mais c'est un peu sucreux, avec une amertume en finale. Bon vin intéressant, certes, mais pas à la hauteur des cotes de fous qu'il a reçues. 91 pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2015 - Ron Van Holland wrote: 94 Points
Excellent balance of lightness and subtlety that still packs mouth-coating power: earth, bramble, and peppery herb complexity.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine. Slow oxed for 2 hours and drank over 2 more. Gained complexity as the night went on. Wonderful blend of spice and forest floor.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2015 - ledwards wrote: 91 Points
Seems closed down right now. Became more expressive with decant- recommend long decant at this stage.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
Slow oxed for two hours prior to drinking. Amazingly complex with spice,mushrooms and olives. Finish goes on and on. Really great.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - brianngibson wrote: 95 Points
On first pour, black olives, mushroom, and earth. With some air over time, dark plum, cherry - not sweet, coffee, bacon fat, violets. A great bottle of complex wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2015 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
RICH ELEGANT SYRAH BUT LESS FULL THAN SQN TASTED SIDE BY SIDE. DEEP BERRY FRUITS, BLACK CHERRIES, AND PLUMS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND VERY LONG FINISH.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2015 - jskuek Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose: ammonia, hair saloon, lychee
Palate: full body, minerals, dark Choc, coffee. Long finish
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2015 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Very interesting wine. I've had it open for 3 days and it gets better each day, suggesting a long life ahead. Very dark, meaty, deep, sultry and has a saline tinge that solidifies the dry lack of sweetness. I found this to be better without food and would love to have it again in a few years to see how it develops. -- Raised the score a point because it was even better on day 4. Amazing wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2014 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
This was tasting rather big and tight last night inspite of a two hour decant. It must have been bottle variation, but it didn't open as fully as others I have had. Still good though!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2014 - Robert R. Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted a couple of hours before drinking. Dark fruits and some meat on the nose. Dark berries, meat, bramble and some pepper on the palate. Tannins well integrated. Fairly round, integrated, and slightly soft. Alcohol not readily noticeable. Paired fine with a zippy lamb stew; certainly could have overpowered a more subtle dish. Well-crafted, bigger wine. Pretty tasty.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2014 - calodo2011 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pretty, a touch soft, expanded w/ an hour of air. Nothing off-putting, this bottle just exhibited a feminine style.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2014 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
My favorite wine of the night, with 11 others including '98 and '01 Grange; '94 Harlan, '02 Shafer Hillside Select, '94 Guigal La Landonne, '07 Velvet Glove, others. Completely dark and opaque. Very pronounced aromas of smoke, leather, grilled meat, dark fruits, great complexity. Coffee, mocha, tobacco, all beautifully blended. Full-bodied but incredibly soft and round, with flavors continuing to build, similar to components of the nose. Leather-meat-dark fruits predominate. Very long coffee-mocha aftertaste, lasted for a minute. This is perfection in the glass, and perfectly drinkable!
Ric
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2014 - hejhog wrote: 85 Points
A Chateauneuf du Pape style syrah from WW. Really big, strong tannins, a dose of black pepper and pungent blackberry and boysenberry. Stands up to your strongest Osso bucco or BBQ steak, but not a wine to sip with cheese and fruit. Well made and predictable, but not my favorite.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2014 - caeleric Likes this wine:
superb stuff. decanted 5 hours. these wines are so special. then again, i haven't had anything from the rocks of walla walla that i haven't liked. for my palate, this is drinking get with a healthy decant, but it's got tons of life left. if scoring, solid 96, but probably would have scored higher if i had been able to spend more time with it. cayuse is worth the tariff.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2014 - twelch wrote: 96 Points
very nice this bottle was. A little of the huge Cayuse funk has started to integrate leaving a beautiful wine that had a very northern rhone feel to it. Smoked meats, garigue, olive, pepper and black fruits. Really drinking well.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2014 - pugblanc wrote: 93 Points
Spicy Tannins. BlackBerry. Buttery. Elegant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2014 - cjsea45 wrote: 93 Points
Smooth and well balanced but not very complex
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2014 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is an exceptional wine in every way. Beautifully balanced, velvety, extremely rich. Drinking perfectly right from the bottle. I love this so much.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2014 - rhalbert wrote:
Drank with Jacquie and Randy
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2013 - BVal wrote: 94 Points
Color: dark ruby -> medium deep ruby rim; no sign of bricking yet. Huge bouquet of carnal roast beef, pepper, iodine and smoky barbeque. Palate is also a beast with pepper, crushed rock, violets and blackberry essence, with a smooth texture. Finishes long with delectable acidity to keep everything fresh. I opened this because a '08 God Only Knows from a few days ago was so approachable and delicious and I'm glad I did -- these '08's from Christophe are wonderful now on PnP and deserve being checked out.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2013 - mattyboy_ wrote: 92 Points
Classic Northern Rhone aromas of smoked meats, game, pepper, and black fruits. A touch of browning at the rim suggests entering maturity. Very concentrated and ripe (sweet/candied??) on the palate with savory flavors framing a deep core of black fruits. Not as fresh as I was expecting especially for 2008. A little clumsy at times. Might be going through a sleep phase right now as this wasn't very expressive on the nose. I would advise against decanting as we did - better to drink from the bottle. 92-94pts
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2013 - canan wrote: 95 Points
BYO - US wines (Skovridderkroen): Great wine.. Compact and fresh fruit..
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2013 - AllRed wrote:
Aromas of roasted game, dark fruit, pepper and herbs. Medium-bodied, with loads of red and dark fruit, meat and pepper. Long finish. Guessed WA Syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2013 - ledwards wrote: 94 Points
When poured right away, it was burgundian and fresh. After a few hours, it put on weight to more resemble the Northern Rhone. Fascinating to follow. Focused, concentrated flavors and finishes long.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2013 - RPerro Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened for Kelsey's birthday at Caffe Mingo in Portland. A nice funky, meaty nose, with some blue and black fruit underneath. Grilled meat, blackberry, smoke and pepper on the palate. Just an amazing wine that continued to evolve over our 2 hour dinner. Paired with a calamari and choritzo risotto with Calabrian peppers. Delicious!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2013 - curtispomeroy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with others that this is a bit lighter than other vintages. Popped and poured and it was ready to go. It may have benefited from air but didn't seem necessary and was delicious from the start.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2013 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drank @ An in Cary
Loved this wine. On par with 2006 Saxum JBV. Went great with Kobe Beef steak that night. So complex, great fruit
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2013 - ewsds wrote: 93 Points
Lighter on its feet than the 2007, the 2008 has a bit bit better structural balance and brightness. It's less ripe and extracted, but very satisfying, if a bit less "classic" Cayuse than the big/bold warmer vintage wines that we've had in the past couple of vintages. I just had a chance to try some of the 2010 and 2011 Cayuse wines at the winery (both very cool vintages) and I must say, I liked and appreciated the lighter, brighter and more clearly delineated styles of those wines than some of the more extracted versions from recent warmer vintages like 2007 and 2009.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Souper avec amis du bureau (départ M-M): Le vin se montre le plus mûr du trio, sans surprise. Beaucoup de richesse, de matière, sans excès d'alcool, avec une certaine minéralité. J'ai aussi eu au nez une impression d'y trouver l'infuence de la vendange entière, qui aide à établir un rapprochement avec le Rhône Nord. Un vin impressionnant, qui a de la structure et un très bel équilibre, mais aussi tout de même une sucrosité qui le fait paraître un brin plus mou que ses compagnons de table rhodaniens. Une belle vision de la syrah américaine, parfaitement maîtrisée. Du bel ouvrage. J'aime, mais avec une certaine ambivalence, car je trouve qu'à ce prix, je préfère encore une grande Côte Rôtie. 92+ pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2013 - RMundell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really amazing wine. Loved this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2013 - Ex-Ray wrote: 98 Points
Magnificent and very drinkable! Typical pronounced toasty French oak nose, some smoke and black fruits, hint of mushrooms and earth. Medium-full body but perfectly balanced, again with black fruits, anise, and smoky oak. Very little noticeable tannin. Very long smooth aftertaste. It will certainly hold for years and may develop more complexity, but wonderful now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Let this decant about an hour. At that time the aromas were muted and the palate was a bit tart, sour and even bitter. Awkward.
After another two hours the juice starting to sing more, but still not as much as past Cayuse Cailloux bottlings. You can detect dirty raspberries and black cherry, blueberries too. But this wasn't the dominant aroma. The earth and spice were up front.
Overall a great package and maybe this was just a more subtle showing overall. Vintage, bottle?...who knows.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2013 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
With New Year's Eve tenderloin roast. Absolutely wonderful; pronounced complex aromas, Northern Rhone style, of mushrooms, earth, a bit of bacon. Medium-full flavor to match. Medium tannin but definitely in the background. Long full aftertaste. Not sure it will improve but should certainly hold for several more years, but very drinkable now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - gbbwino wrote: 93 Points
1st bottle ordered from winery and cellared since. Pop and pour. This is a more restrained wine (if that is possible for a Cayuse wine) very earthy with all spice, tons of mineral, flowers, some garrique, licorice and red and blue fruit. Not as much funk and has a leaner feel to the wine. The finish lingers for a LONG time. Wife didn't seem to like this stating that it was too alcoholic. Some heat, but not offensive. Love the cofermented viognier...just a touch, but oh so good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2012 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big and bold syrah with bright acidity and bold mushroom flavors. I liked it but I can see how this wine could be polarizing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2012 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had at a X-Mas lunch, a nose of dark fruits and spice, dark black purple in color. A full bodied and dry single vineyard Syrah, with blackberry, black cherry, licorice and a long layered spicy finish. Still very young, needs a long decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2012 - soyhead wrote: 94 Points
nose - savory, cola, root, root beer, impressive and unusual nose reminds me of the 08 Armada
mouth - starts out like a dart root inflected pinot on the attack, with root beer, sassafras, allspice which transitions into a savory yet sweet berry saline midpalate with minimal structural tannins of the savory finish. leaves with the taste of soy sauce. These 08 Cayuse are exotic, unusual, and exciting wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2012 - Sovinator Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent wine, but I found this 2008 wine (or at leat the bottle) to not be as good as previous vintages. Meaty, dark fruits and some spice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2012 - cybergod wrote:
Incredible wine. Old World Syrah meets New World. Meaty, dark fruit and whole cluster stems aromatics. Masses of rich berry fruit on the palette, with iron/graphite notes and a core of tannic density on the mid-palette. A long, elegant finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2012 - Le_Gaspesien wrote: 95 Points
Mes notes ont été de 96 - 97, je vais donner 95, pour remettre dans le droit chemin, c'est p-e un de mes meilleurs vins que j'ai jamais gouter :) Bref, j'adore ce vin
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2012 - brianngibson wrote: 96 Points
Recently popped the 2009, and by comparison noticeably less funk on the 2008. Not sure how much that is the extra year in bottle or the vintage, as I made no significant notes about funk in the 2008 a year ago. Tonight, I did a quick aeration with a Vinturi into a small decanter. Served over an hour and a half with dinner of medium rare filet mignon. I think getting a burst of air helped, though definitely a longer decant is justified.
Violets, lavender, blueberry, smoked bacon. Ripe plum and pepper on the finish.
Lucky to have a friend to share his allocation with me at cost while I patiently wait on the waiting list. Hoping this year enough of his Wish List is filled to pick up a few other offerings.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2012 - copdyke wrote: 95 Points
Holy bacon fat! Bacon and funk is all that is on the nose initially. Given some time to breath it really started singing to me. There is a reason these wines are hard to come by. They are fantastic. Drinking well in its youth but if you forgot about it for 5 years it could really change your life.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2012 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
HdR 2012 - The Return of the Bionic Frog (Paso Robles, CA): Somewhat translucent dark garnet in the glass. Iron/Mineral nose, somewhat high toned, delicate and Northern Rhone-like. Christophe suggested paper, which seems apt. Ripe plum and berry fruit, mineral laden, rather seamless. Interesting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2012 - Le_Gaspesien wrote: 97 Points
Nous rendons à César ce qu'il se doit - Je ne décrierai pas ce vin puisque je l'ai assez bien fait la 1ere fois, je dirai simplement que ce vin est sans doute l'un des meilleurs vins que j'ai bue depuis longtemps, un seul cépage et autant de complexité nous pourrons nous laisser bercer par une seule gorgée !!! C'est de toute beautée !!!!! UN VIN INCROYABLE !!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2012 - bajayngo wrote:
in a funky (cayuse funky) phase. A lil extracted right now and huge funk. HUGE Raineer cherries and roasted veggies. Intersted to see how the 08's age. At release they were amazing, in a bit of a dumb phase to me right now. Will see how they are doing in a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2012 - rhalbert wrote: 94 Points
Have not had an early Cayuse in some time. WOW, this is fantastic with a 3 hour decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2012 - jmull wrote: 95 Points
This is the fourth consecutive vintage of this wine that I've been fortunate enough to try, and this is consistent with past vintages. As always, this is defined by the Viogner-driven (floral, red/blue fruits) nose and the savory, peppery, darker-fruited palate. At times, this almost tasted like a peppercorned blackberry. Fascinating stuff. As always. spectacularly light mouthfeel in fascinating contrast to powerfully concentrated flavors and a long, lingering finish. Spectacular, as always.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2011 - Gargamel wrote: 96 Points
wow what a change from a year ago! the palate started with green tobacco on the front, followed by mixed berry, blue fruit, blackberry, pepper and some funk all riding over a bed of chalky mineral. deftly balanced acid provides a smooth finish. this is what i hoped for from cayuse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2011 - Le_Gaspesien wrote: 96 Points
Wow... Au début lorsque j'ai ouvert la bouteille le bouchon de liege sentait déjà la confiture on aurait dit que le vin avait couler par un bouchon pas assez étanche... mais une fois que j'ai retiré le bouchon et j'ai analyser le liège il était bien dur, probablement causé lors de l'embouteillage, il ne semblait pas avoir coulé du tout ! Bref j'ai eu peur pendant un instant... Le nez se révèle sous une couche pateuse de fruits murs et sucrés. Toutefois je le laisse carafé pendant 1h..... Plus tard une fois mis au verre pour le déguster, le nez se révèle beaucoup plus intéressant sous une épaisse humidité floral, un côté terroir semble avoir envahie le nez de ce bijou. Le petit côté mineral de ce vin m'attire, la réglisse, l'olive, les épices bien dosé mais brulé qui donnent à cette syrah la liberté d'expression. À l'aveugle il pourrait sans doute vous convaincre que c'est un vin du Rhône et un grand vin ! ce vin est une grande réussite, je suis bien content d'en posséder encore quelques bouteilles pour les prochaines dégustations de ce vin qui se dérouleront d'ici 5 a 10 ans assurément. La bouche est ample et les tannins sont imposants mais gracieux qui une fois bien intégrer en bouche nous laisse une qualité sans pareil pour des heures et des heures !! Bravo encore une fois pour ce vin qui nous a donné des frissons moi et ma copine !! Je le comparerai maintenant aux grands vins de ce monde et encore une fois cela c'est mon opinion ! Joyeux Noël =)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2011 - ZARDO wrote: 92 Points
big young wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2011 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Nez animal, avec aussi un coté floral (violette) classique des vins du Rhône Nord. On perçoit également de nettes traces d'élevage, avec caramel, caoutchouc brûlé, qui heureusement s'estompe avec le temps.
La bouche est ronde, avec une jolie texture, grasse. Il a cependant un coté sucré prononcé, un peu too much, qui le fait paraitre un peu mou. C'est le seul aspect qui évoque les vins du nouveau monde, le reste pouvant aisément passer pour un vin rhodanien. Très bien, quoique sans doute pas à la hauteur des attentes suscitées par les critiques américaines. 91 pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2011 - ERx wrote: 95 Points
Always amazed! Beautiful minerality. Clear, bright ruby coloring; smoked meats, raspberries, cherries, pre-loamy, kirsh(?), leather(?).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2011 - manonthemoon wrote: 94 Points
Had at a dinner.
This bad boy was singing after being in the decanter for 3 hours or so.
Strong nose of blackberries, smoked bacon, florals, and a little green olive.
Palate showed lots of blackberries, a little black cherry, seared meat, mnerals, green olives.
The finish was long in length and the mouthfeel was great and there was noticable acidity that cleansed the palate nicely.
Went very welly with the roasted pork dish it was paired with and the typical silky mouthfeel.
Will definately get better with age, but so good now as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2011 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious, full-bodied blackberry fruit with peppery, meaty, smokey, and earth flavors, excellent structure, long finish, classic Cayuse Syrah
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2011 - brianngibson wrote: 95 Points
Violets, blueberry, and smoke. Mineral on the finish. Very, smooth tannins. This is good stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Dark maroon. Reductive nose with pine needles and black fruit. Full bodied and layered mid palate with black fruit transitioning to savory components like cured meat and even a briny flavor. This picks up weight very quickly as it takes on air and gets a bit too flabby for me. Very soft mouthfeel, but no apparent acidity and the tannic structure is silky soft.
As always, interesting to taste these and marvel on one hand at such a unique wine, but at the same time wish for a bit more elegance. The lack of acidity was really quite jarring on this bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2011 - bajayngo wrote:
The 07 was so much further along than this at this stage. This baby needs more cellar time. Drank over 3days and it went from tar, manure, a good Cayuse funk with some pineapple florals peaking through and pretty aggressive tannic finish on day 1. Cured meats, flowers, pineapple juice, earth and some heat on the back end on day 2. Day 3 there there was a distinct brownie note and some noticable oak with earth, black and blue fruits, anise, pineapple candy and slight pepper. The mouthfeel was a bit clumsy but came around by day 3. Hold my friends......
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2011 - twelch wrote: 92 Points
Drank late in the evening after a multitude of other wines so probably didn't have it's due respect this night. With that being said the nose on this was fantastic; without going into all the descriptors it was classic Cayuse funk. A little lighter in color and seemed a tad thinner than previous Cayuse I have had but then again this is a baby. Nice mouthfull of red and blue fruits, meat, olive although all still very primary. Only a 92 for me right now but lots of upside as this hopefully gains some weight in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.1% ABV. Notes from memory. Decanted and immediately consumed. Translucent garnet in the glass with a hint of a purple tawny in the dim lighting of the wine bar. Complex nose, somewhat reminiscent of the Northern Rhone with a funky melange of rubber, leather, earth, and a little floral sweetness I couldn't quite put my finger on. Medium full bodied with a fairly round, velvety palate, but not lush or hedonistic, primarily displaying light black fruit. An interesting wine, to be sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2011 - rhalbert wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely wonderful bottle of wine. Very integrated after 4 hours of decant time. This really came across as a Northern Rhone and I have not usually felt that way about Cailloux before. Normally don't drink this young but have a few so said what the heck. Damn I love Cayuse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 92 Points
Wine Club: Epic Syrah Smackdown (The Abarnment): I'm quickly growing to recognize the Washington Syrah style - this is it to the core. Compressed flavors, light on the ripeness spectrum without being lean or green, and elegant without being flashy. I wish I could come up with a better word than "pool" to describe that distinctive flavor I get for these wines, but I'll use it here as a placeholder. Nice stuff.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Big up-front fruit and nice minerals. Long finish and tannins there but not over-powering. Will just get better with time. Try again in 3-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2010 - Gargamel wrote: 93 Points
double decanted 2 hours and returned to bottle, drank 5 hours later. nose has typical funk and smoke with plenty of game, and is vegetal with bay leaf and white pepper. with some swirling in the glass the nose get richer with a bit of blackberry. the palate is similar with herbaceous funk, roasted game, and vegetal notes over a base of light blackberry and minerals. picked up a hint of blueberry in time. finish was not long but was smooth. the wine really didn't budge after decanting but then after it was poured to glasses it started changing with more fruit coming out. hope this bodes well for where this wine is heading. much too vegetal at this point for my palate but has great complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2010 - austinbeeman- austinbeeman.com wrote: 98 Points
WORLD CLASS!
Revelatory how good this wine is for being so young.. Smoky mineral explode into a rich meaty plum extravanganza. It was awesome seconds after I pulled the cork and only got better over the next hour. I wish I'll had the patience to let this wine age. Beautiful, I'll be drinking many more bottles of this producer.
$94.99 OH Retail
www.austinbeeman.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2010 - mmusselman123 wrote: 95 Points
Had this tonight and lived up to expectations. Started with el felino malec, 2005 la roqete chat du
Pape n terra valentine Cabernet to start the night and the cayuse stole the show. Great fruit. Surprised the 08 wasn't too young and drank great. Best syrah I've had that I can remember. Exceptional quality of finese fruit from start to long finish. Well worth it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2010 - LeatherPalate wrote: 92 Points
Consumed over two nights- pop and pour. Lots of fruit up front with violets loads of pepper and a little heat on the nose.
Clearly this needed some time to settle down and with air it really did settle into a nice modern syrah. Loads of red, black and
blue fruit. Raw leather,smoked meats, and floral nose. Mouthfeel did show heat early but like the nose it was gone by night 2.
This is gorgeous stuff. Modern but plenty of earthiness for those that got's to have it. I found this very approachable
after getting lots of air. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2010 - Weston3220 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cayuse Vineyards, Biodynmaic Workshop (Cayuse Vineyards, Walla Walla): Had the 07 for Dinner the night before this was even better!
A: Med+ Intensity
Meat, Spice, Fat
T: Sweet Tannins, still young and tight but oh so good
Would love to see this in a couple of years at least!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2009 - Jared wrote:
This vineyard probably has improved the most year to year. Big punch in the face of dark ripe fruit, earth, violets, smoky spice. Lush and velvety with balanced layers of earthy goodness and roasted fruit. Pretty damn good. 94-96pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2009 - Vinsant wrote:
Barrel sample; The strangest note of root beer on the nose along with smoky plum, dirt, huge pretty florals, huckleberry, and spice. Big pretty fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2009 - bajayngo wrote:
barrel sample notes - banana, floral, rootbeer, spicy finish, mineral, perfumy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment