Purchased direct from winery & cellared since. PNP & that’s not what this needs. Had a glass & saved the rest for day 2 & this did the trick. The ‘08 is darker & more brooding than the ‘07 which we had 1st. Very tight & astringent day 1. Day 2 it blossomed.
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Decanted 2 hrs. Since my last go round with the 08 Frog in 2011 - this has aged splendidly and provided such a satisfying experience last night. An elegant Frog that packs a lot of classic Syrah traits - smoky blackberries but with a nervy edge, pronounced and appealing minerality, and a bit of saline / blood on a very long finish. Floral as all get out. Yet this is still a frog and does carry that wildness but in a more tame package. Many years left IMHO.
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Sweet nose of blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs and black pepper.
Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with sweet cherries, plums, blueberries, oak, light vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light vegetables, leather, earth, tobacco, vinaigrette, peppercorn, pencil lead, light bell pepper and dark chocolates.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.
This is a great Syrah from Washington State. Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Elegant, yet rich. Just Beautiful.
This 12 year old is drinking very nicely now and will continue to age nicely in the next decade.
Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.
Wine Enthusiasts 100 points. Robert Parker 97 points.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
Tasty and delicious.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$275.
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Decanted for an hour and a half, and continued to open during dinner. May need more time. Lots of sediment stuck to the underside of the bottle. Overall, a better experience than our previous bottle about 2 1/2 years ago. Maybe it just needed more cellar time. It certainly appears as if it could hold for a few more years. Lots of funk when initially opened. Took quite a while for this to dissipate and allow the nose to show lots of red, dark red, and some blue fruits, a dose of earthiness, and some spice. All of these followed on to the medium plus palate, with relative balance. The acidity was a touch more than enough to balance, and any tannins were completely resolved. Another of Christophe Baron's BIG "mouthful o' syrah" wines.
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2 hour decant. Another remarkable experience with The Frog. Touch of menthol over the top of the usually bloody, iron and gamy nose. Satiny over the tongue, with much more feminine qualities that when last tasted.
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Pnp Smoky briny mixed with stewed fruit, black licorice and dark berries There’s some chocolate and pepper on the finish. Doesn’t have the complexity I enjoy, even after hour two. Too primary
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Distinctive - a cherry cola element I wasn’t expecting, somewhat less aromatic than I had heard it would be - a fun, fun bottle. Not sure it has too many more years in it.
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Imagine a platter of charcuterie & olives surrounded by black cherries with a garnish of oak leaves & eucalyptus as you enjoy a few wafts of this wine. The palate follows the nose although the fruit is a bit brighter and accompanied by a smidgeon of spice.
A Matter of Taste: New York (The Conrad NY | Del Posto): This was really wonderful. Amazing what some age does to these wines (had next to the 2014 and it was good, but this was better). Some bloody, some red fruits. Lots of bacon fat, tobacco, a bit medicinal. This is a potpourri of flavors and all well integrated. I think it's still on the young side - will continue to let ours age - but man was it good. Really a great wine.
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Wife bought this on the secondary market for my birthday a couple of years ago. Though a gigantic Cayuse fan and owner of a fair amount this was my first Frog. Simply put, no better than a typical Cayuse. Of course loved it, just not sure if the QPR.
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Part of the 2008/2011 Cayuse Syrah tasting of the Seattle wine tasting group. Much smokier, than the other two [2008 Armada and En Chamberlin], with seaweed/saline and tar notes on the nose. Dark sour cherry, and a bit closed. Good acid, but this was not very deep, and seemed quite closed. Definitely needs more time.
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Deep garment color. No bricking on a wine this age! Raspberry jam, stewed fruit, and toast aromas. Tobacco, raspberry, leather, and spice flavors, lead to big body long finish wine. A little hot.
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Lots of funk when initially opened. Decanted for 1 1/2 hours resulting in the funk dissipating, and the wine opening up nicely. The nose was packed with dark fruits (red, blue, and a touch of black), earth, and some spice. All of these followed on the palate, with the earthiness showing more than I'd like, and the fruit not as much. The acidity was enough to more than balance, and the wine showed a bit alcoholic. This wine had a medium plus mouthfeel, and a medium finish. A nice wine, especially if you like this somewhat over-extracted, high alcohol style. May have seen its better days, so drink up.
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I was actually expecting more from the Bionic Frog. I did not decant for very long (45 minutes), and initially there was a little funk. It opened nicely but was still a little rough around the edges.
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If I had to select a wine to provide an example of "umami," this would be it. In spades. This is in an incredible place right now. Opened 30 minutes before serving.
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This was tasting a notch better than the last time out. A marvelous nose of dark earth and the customary olive brine. Deftly balanced with multiple layers of fruit with a medium body. Delicious.
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Not as bold as some other vintages, this is a medium bodied froggy. The typical brine and olives are more subdued but still nicely balanced and approachable. It does appear to be an early drinker.
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Easter with Steph and Perla. Lamb with anchovy garlic crust. moderate Cayuse funk not as overwhelming as usual, fruit prominent but not over the top. Delicious. full body, medium length of finish. If you want to knock the socks off someone with the funk, I would do another vintage of the Frog.
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It you have any 2008 Cayuse Syrahs left, drink up! Cayuse Syrahs generally age quite well, but this is the third 2008 Cayuse Syrah I've had in the past few months that were either peeking or past their peak. Early on, this were great wines when they were young, but they feel tired now. In contrast, the 2009 Bionic Frog, which I also tasted today, seems to be an infant with a very long life ahead. This and the 2008 Armada are among my least favorite 5+ year-old Cayuses I've ever had. Very disappointing.
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@ Tacoma El Gaucho To me, scoring a Bionic Frog at 93 means it fell well-short of expectation. Perhaps I stored this improperly in its first few years .. whatever the case, this was not the brilliant bombshell that the other half-dozen BF's I've tried were [including this vintage]. It had a slight astringency / vinegar mid palate, and weak back palate that was short on fruit. Well, at least the waiter seemed to love it.
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Popped with around 2 hours of slow o. This wine continues its streak of perfection. Amazing depth, loads of minerals, and even some trademark Cayuse funk. I could smell this wine for hours without even considering taking a sip. Pickle juice, nutmeg, celery seed, asian spice, forest floor, black as night blackberries, black tea, crushed rock, game meats, and smoked currants. There is so much going on that you literally feel punch drunk and this is without even taking a drink. Dense, but not overly so, leading to a palate filled with savory goodies. Blood, grilled meat, olives, and black pepper framed by generous amounts of dark, dark fruit. The liquid minerality suggests this will stun for many years to come. Can't say enough. 100pts.
A 100% Syrah bottling whose popularity has elevated it to cult status in a few short years. Reminiscent of the other single vineyard Syrah’s but packing more depth and concentration. Funky nose of dried herbs, meat, and moist soil. Massive earthy black fruit, bacon, gamey meat, minerals, and glycerine palate. Still very young and still hard for me to understand these wines. For the price I’ll take Sine Qua Non.
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/75954557902
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Color: medium ruby -> medium deep ruby rim; less dense/concentrated than anticipated. Decanted for 1 hour: massive olfactory attack of briny black olives, roasted meat, blackberries, minerals, smoke and bacon crushed into the bottom of a cattle farmer's workboot. For the palate, let's take all those items listed for the bouquet and throw in some cherry, soy, leather and iron for good measure. What really sets this wine apart is the impeccable balance and precision; flavours are beautifully integrated and harmonious. Silken smooth texture; long, lovely finish. Reasonable 14.4% alcohol is well integrated.
Decided to open this wine with Xmas dinner (duck l'orange) after the recent stellar showings of '08 Cayuse Cailloux and GoK. Was not disappointed; Christophe's '08's are quite simply awe-inspiring and not to be missed!
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KW Epic tasting/ mens best bottle (KW): tasted blind among 6 other wines in flight 2 Blind notes: young appearance, dark purple aromas of cola, forest floor, lighter fruit Fills up the mouth - "WOW" amazing texture, fruit and fine tannins. Long finish. I guessed it was a high-end aussie 2005 Shiraz
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Primal and smokey at this stage. Lots of rare meats, smoke, mineral, black and rainer cherries, red cabbage that blew off and angular tannins. After 3-4hrs of decanting this was so sauve and complex. Soy, worcestershire, umami, fresh crushed cherries sweetness, was perfect with Korean short ribs. Still young but not a shame to open now just needs a long decant. Nice to see it progressing from my last notes.
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My experience with this was absolutely nothing like those of the other CT tasters, apparently. Ordered at a restaurant and served after a 20-minute decant. Translucent magenta. Starts fairly muted on the nose with faint floral notes. Not at all extracted. With air, it begins to smell strongly of sweet, candied cherry-cranberry--like a dialed-down Kosta Browne or a redder-fruited Rhys. The wine has healthy acidity, but it's somehow disjointed, tasting syrupy on the attack and sour on the finish. I'll give it points for being transporting, as for some reason this makes me envision an open field on the first day of spring with bees buzzing around. But demerits for lack of typicity--I can't beLieve this is Syrah, and would have pegged it as California Pinot Noir with great confidence in a blind tasting. And a horrific QPR.
Blew it out last night at our last meal at the soon to be closed Rovers in Seattle. Amazing meal with amazing friends. Had along side 2003 Quilceda Creek cab. Both were out of sight and paired wonderfully with the duck and wagyu beef. Yum!!
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Rich, delicious, very smooth, elegant blackberry/blueberry fruit with black olive, earthy, meaty flavors, excellent structure, long finish, Walla Walla funk less robust than expected
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Biggest most massive wine I have ever drank. Loaded with minerality, bloody meat and the blackest of fruits. Again, Cayuse has baffled me witha wine I am at a loss to describe. How 'bout this, "AWESOME".
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Eating a nice piece of humble pie, 2008 Bionic Frog vs 2004 Chave Hermitage (Capital Grill at Tysons corner, VA): Decanted at the beginning of the meal and drank along with the 04 Chave Hermitage. I didn’t check the order of pour and upon smelling, thought this was the Chave. Crushed blackberries, white pepper, lilac and limestone. The palate is polished, silky and seamless without trace of heat. The nose and palate remain consistent til the end. I had the 04 Bionic Frog a few years back in DCWINO’s domestic syrah single blind and thought it tasted like a St Joseph. Perhaps it wasn’t as good as the 08 or perhaps it got lost amongst the big monsters which can happen in a blind tasting. I was so convinced that it was the Chave, I waited the second pour of the BF before taking the humble pie. This wine is expressive and has excellent balance. The power of suggestion is a big part of wine tasting and initially I told Greg O, how beautiful the Chave is compare to the BF which seem too sweet and shutdown. Oh well! Lovely showing and impressive. We decided to decant the Chave and it curtained opened up nicely but I still preferred the BF.
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HdR 2012 - The Return of the Bionic Frog (Paso Robles, CA): Meaty mineral with some Asian spices nose. Medium full bodied rich, somewhat savory but still feminine. Interesting. Christophe used some interesting descriptors that seem to fit: "ash tray," "teriyaki sauce," and he described the wine as "a little naughty."
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Decanted for a full two hours and then slow-o'ed for roughly 2 more. This wine was all business and I mean a mother bear protecting its young kind of business. Gangbusters out of the gate with aromas of pure liquid minerality. Smelling this wine literally made you think you were snorting a huge fat line of crushed minerals and you were Chevy Chase in Modern Problems saying, "Yes, I like it!!" Once you were able to put aside the junkie's sized dose of minerals, the nose offered terrific crushed black raspberry as well as a smoky, briny, olive component. Freshly ground black pepper started to emerge after 15 minutes which added another intriguing mix to the already complex nose. After 20 minutes or so it was finally time to see if the palate held up its end of the bargain and mother fu#ker we weren't disappointed. When you drink wine (my wife would say "too much wine"), you can tell when something special has passed your lips and that's the feeling we all had with this wine. Powerful without too much weight, nice core of fruit without sweetness, hints of tannin without dryness. This wine was perfectly in balance this night. The purity of the black raspberry and dark cherry fruit really elevated this wine along with the freakishly long and persistent finish. Notice I wrote an entire note on a Cayuse wine without mentioning the "Cayuse funk" and that's due to the fact it wasn't overwhelmingly present. Hints of the funk popped up every now and again but essentially stood by the wine's side and looked pretty like a good politician's wife. Syrah doesn't get any better for me. 100 pts.
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Drank with some heavy hitters i.e. Rayas Pignan, Beaucastle, Tempier Bandol and more. I thought it held it's own on the nose and the palate w/out food. But was outshinded when pair w/braised beef and rack of lamb by the others. Familiar nose of red cabbage, minerals and funk with those Rainer cherries. Not the complexed iron and sexy spices as with other BF but showing well in it's youth.
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This came off slightly sweet tasted alongside a bunch of Frenchies. The funk was there but dialed down. Olive, blueberry, sweet raspberry, vanilla, and veggies on the nose. A young but well integrated palate of pepper, game, veggies, violets, orange rind, sweet red berries, and olive tapenade, and moist smoked earth.
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Decanted 90 minutes. I recall Christophe mentioning that his 08 lineup was especially mineral driven, and voila, here is a perfect example to that effect. Initially, the nose and palate carried the usual wildness associate with past Frog vintages: meaty blackberry, ginger bread, smoky mint, soy, and just a touch of new oak. But as the glass was swirled a few rotations, a slow but steady stream of iron and earth grew from a back ground player to a major force, implanting a sharp focus and clarity to the palate that was a real treat to both the intellect as well as the pleasure seeking side of the balance sheet. A large scaled wine for sure, very young but suave tannins, but this already is showing very well thanks to an impeccable balance as well as harmony. As many of the Cayuse fan boys and gals have observed with each new vintage, Cayuse wines just seem to be getting better and better, and this 08 Frog was clearly a beverage meant for grownups. Pure, unadulterated Syrah bliss.
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As the Som uncorked it he said, "I can smell it from here!" This is one juicy bottle of wine...young but approachable now, with probably a big pay-off in a few years. Surprisingly elegant, almost understated...velvety mouth feel with bright raspberry flavors. Missing the strong tapenade component of the En Cerise for instance, but has a nice spice element, with hints of tar. Hedonistic.
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Holy shit. This puppy is surprisingly open for business and it's 24/7. First whiff was of blood and iron. Concentrated dark fruit and wild game meat laced with minerals and stone. Has the potential to rival the 03 and 05 as the best Frog ever.
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Bottled two weks prior to tasting. Smelled like the Frog the minute the cork popped out. Maybe the most approachable young Frog I've had. The minerals were amazing. The huge florals, funk, black tea, red and blue fruits, herbs, and peppered meat were extremely balanced for a young tadpole. Can't wait to try in 5 years! What a treat! The 08s tasted have me really excited about the 08 vintage from Cayuse.
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I was surprised at how approachable this was. Most of the time, the barrel samples of the Frog are fairly tight. Huge ripe fruit, hints of scorched earth, bacon fat, iron, funk, fur, dried blood. Everything to keep a growing boy happy. I think this wine possess greatness. 97-100pts.
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Barrel sample; Just a huge wine. Sweet fruit, black tea, florals, marionberry, herbs, wet animal fur, pepper, meaty, strawberry, olive, and a long tannic finish. In 5 to 7 years this going to be flat out amazing.
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2/10/2024 - gbbwino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purchased direct from winery & cellared since. PNP & that’s not what this needs. Had a glass & saved the rest for day 2 & this did the trick. The ‘08 is darker & more brooding than the ‘07 which we had 1st. Very tight & astringent day 1. Day 2 it blossomed.
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12/23/2023 - rhalbert wrote: 98 Points
Had with meats and cheeses from Delaurenti in Pike Place. Absolutely in a killer place.
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5/24/2021 - Dale M wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. Since my last go round with the 08 Frog in 2011 - this has aged splendidly and provided such a satisfying experience last night. An elegant Frog that packs a lot of classic Syrah traits - smoky blackberries but with a nervy edge, pronounced and appealing minerality, and a bit of saline / blood on a very long finish. Floral as all get out. Yet this is still a frog and does carry that wildness but in a more tame package. Many years left IMHO.
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8/29/2020 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful mineral and earthy aromas with blackberry, floral and spice notes on the silky smooth palate with layered complexity on the long finish.
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2/5/2020 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.
Sweet nose of blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, herbs and black pepper.
Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with sweet cherries, plums, blueberries, oak, light vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light vegetables, leather, earth, tobacco, vinaigrette, peppercorn, pencil lead, light bell pepper and dark chocolates.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.
This is a great Syrah from Washington State. Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Elegant, yet rich. Just Beautiful.
This 12 year old is drinking very nicely now and will continue to age nicely in the next decade.
Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.
Wine Enthusiasts 100 points. Robert Parker 97 points.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
Tasty and delicious.
14.4% alcohol by volume.
93 points.
$275.
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1/5/2020 - VlgJeff wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour and a half, and continued to open during dinner. May need more time. Lots of sediment stuck to the underside of the bottle. Overall, a better experience than our previous bottle about 2 1/2 years ago. Maybe it just needed more cellar time. It certainly appears as if it could hold for a few more years.
Lots of funk when initially opened. Took quite a while for this to dissipate and allow the nose to show lots of red, dark red, and some blue fruits, a dose of earthiness, and some spice. All of these followed on to the medium plus palate, with relative balance. The acidity was a touch more than enough to balance, and any tannins were completely resolved.
Another of Christophe Baron's BIG "mouthful o' syrah" wines.
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12/16/2019 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
2 hour decant. Another remarkable experience with The Frog. Touch of menthol over the top of the usually bloody, iron and gamy nose. Satiny over the tongue, with much more feminine qualities that when last tasted.
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9/24/2019 - Kevnzworld wrote: 93 Points
Pnp
Smoky briny mixed with stewed fruit, black licorice and dark berries
There’s some chocolate and pepper on the finish.
Doesn’t have the complexity I enjoy, even after hour two. Too primary
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7/6/2019 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Distinctive - a cherry cola element I wasn’t expecting, somewhat less aromatic than I had heard it would be - a fun, fun bottle. Not sure it has too many more years in it.
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6/30/2019 - eszencia Likes this wine:
Imagine a platter of charcuterie & olives surrounded by black cherries with a garnish of oak leaves & eucalyptus as you enjoy a few wafts of this wine. The palate follows the nose although the fruit is a bit brighter and accompanied by a smidgeon of spice.
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11/10/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A Matter of Taste: New York (The Conrad NY | Del Posto): This was really wonderful. Amazing what some age does to these wines (had next to the 2014 and it was good, but this was better). Some bloody, some red fruits. Lots of bacon fat, tobacco, a bit medicinal. This is a potpourri of flavors and all well integrated. I think it's still on the young side - will continue to let ours age - but man was it good. Really a great wine.
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10/2/2018 - jeffmudd wrote: 93 Points
Wife bought this on the secondary market for my birthday a couple of years ago. Though a gigantic Cayuse fan and owner of a fair amount this was my first Frog. Simply put, no better than a typical Cayuse. Of course loved it, just not sure if the QPR.
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3/11/2018 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
This a mouthful of jam, leather, olive and dirt. Tasted with 2 older Bordeaux's and it was definitely the boldest of the 3.
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11/9/2017 - Ron Slye wrote: 92 Points
Part of the 2008/2011 Cayuse Syrah tasting of the Seattle wine tasting group. Much smokier, than the other two [2008 Armada and En Chamberlin], with seaweed/saline and tar notes on the nose. Dark sour cherry, and a bit closed. Good acid, but this was not very deep, and seemed quite closed. Definitely needs more time.
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7/21/2017 - redzins Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep garment color. No bricking on a wine this age! Raspberry jam, stewed fruit, and toast aromas. Tobacco, raspberry, leather, and spice flavors, lead to big body long finish wine. A little hot.
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7/6/2017 - VlgJeff wrote: 90 Points
Lots of funk when initially opened. Decanted for 1 1/2 hours resulting in the funk dissipating, and the wine opening up nicely. The nose was packed with dark fruits (red, blue, and a touch of black), earth, and some spice. All of these followed on the palate, with the earthiness showing more than I'd like, and the fruit not as much. The acidity was enough to more than balance, and the wine showed a bit alcoholic. This wine had a medium plus mouthfeel, and a medium finish.
A nice wine, especially if you like this somewhat over-extracted, high alcohol style. May have seen its better days, so drink up.
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6/17/2016 - rfras Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was actually expecting more from the Bionic Frog. I did not decant for very long (45 minutes), and initially there was a little funk. It opened nicely but was still a little rough around the edges.
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3/20/2016 - Fugu Me Likes this wine:
If I had to select a wine to provide an example of "umami," this would be it. In spades. This is in an incredible place right now. Opened 30 minutes before serving.
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12/14/2015 - BMCKIE99 wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic wine. Earthy hint of cola.
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12/7/2015 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
This was tasting a notch better than the last time out. A marvelous nose of dark earth and the customary olive brine. Deftly balanced with multiple layers of fruit with a medium body. Delicious.
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8/3/2015 - nywine68 wrote:
Love this wine. Great complexity. Light on its feet but with lots of fruit intensity
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7/12/2015 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
Not as bold as some other vintages, this is a medium bodied froggy. The typical brine and olives are more subdued but still nicely balanced and approachable. It does appear to be an early drinker.
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4/5/2015 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 93 Points
Easter with Steph and Perla. Lamb with anchovy garlic crust. moderate Cayuse funk not as overwhelming as usual, fruit prominent but not over the top. Delicious. full body, medium length of finish. If you want to knock the socks off someone with the funk, I would do another vintage of the Frog.
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12/25/2014 - ewsds wrote: 85 Points
It you have any 2008 Cayuse Syrahs left, drink up! Cayuse Syrahs generally age quite well, but this is the third 2008 Cayuse Syrah I've had in the past few months that were either peeking or past their peak. Early on, this were great wines when they were young, but they feel tired now. In contrast, the 2009 Bionic Frog, which I also tasted today, seems to be an infant with a very long life ahead. This and the 2008 Armada are among my least favorite 5+ year-old Cayuses I've ever had. Very disappointing.
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8/10/2014 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Rich, delicious blackberry/blueberry fruit with black olive, musty, earthy flavors, sweet, focused, penetrating depth, long finish
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7/19/2014 - fitchbuck wrote: 93 Points
@ Tacoma El Gaucho
To me, scoring a Bionic Frog at 93 means it fell well-short of expectation. Perhaps I stored this improperly in its first few years .. whatever the case, this was not the brilliant bombshell that the other half-dozen BF's I've tried were [including this vintage]. It had a slight astringency / vinegar mid palate, and weak back palate that was short on fruit. Well, at least the waiter seemed to love it.
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5/19/2014 - redzins Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep garnet, jammy nose, stewed fruit and spice, long finish
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5/2/2014 - Jimywags wrote: 100 Points
Popped with around 2 hours of slow o. This wine continues its streak of perfection. Amazing depth, loads of minerals, and even some trademark Cayuse funk. I could smell this wine for hours without even considering taking a sip. Pickle juice, nutmeg, celery seed, asian spice, forest floor, black as night blackberries, black tea, crushed rock, game meats, and smoked currants. There is so much going on that you literally feel punch drunk and this is without even taking a drink. Dense, but not overly so, leading to a palate filled with savory goodies. Blood, grilled meat, olives, and black pepper framed by generous amounts of dark, dark fruit. The liquid minerality suggests this will stun for many years to come. Can't say enough. 100pts.
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2/7/2014 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
A 100% Syrah bottling whose popularity has elevated it to cult status in a few short years. Reminiscent of the other single vineyard Syrah’s but packing more depth and concentration. Funky nose of dried herbs, meat, and moist soil. Massive earthy black fruit, bacon, gamey meat, minerals, and glycerine palate. Still very young and still hard for me to understand these wines. For the price I’ll take Sine Qua Non.
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/75954557902
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12/28/2013 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
lots of WW funk
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12/25/2013 - BVal Likes this wine: 95 Points
Color: medium ruby -> medium deep ruby rim; less dense/concentrated than anticipated. Decanted for 1 hour: massive olfactory attack of briny black olives, roasted meat, blackberries, minerals, smoke and bacon crushed into the bottom of a cattle farmer's workboot. For the palate, let's take all those items listed for the bouquet and throw in some cherry, soy, leather and iron for good measure. What really sets this wine apart is the impeccable balance and precision; flavours are beautifully integrated and harmonious. Silken smooth texture; long, lovely finish. Reasonable 14.4% alcohol is well integrated.
Decided to open this wine with Xmas dinner (duck l'orange) after the recent stellar showings of '08 Cayuse Cailloux and GoK. Was not disappointed; Christophe's '08's are quite simply awe-inspiring and not to be missed!
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12/7/2013 - jinks Likes this wine: 98 Points
KW Epic tasting/ mens best bottle (KW): tasted blind among 6 other wines in flight 2
Blind notes:
young appearance, dark purple
aromas of cola, forest floor, lighter fruit
Fills up the mouth - "WOW" amazing texture, fruit and fine tannins. Long finish.
I guessed it was a high-end aussie 2005 Shiraz
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9/21/2013 - bajayngo wrote:
Primal and smokey at this stage. Lots of rare meats, smoke, mineral, black and rainer cherries, red cabbage that blew off and angular tannins. After 3-4hrs of decanting this was so sauve and complex. Soy, worcestershire, umami, fresh crushed cherries sweetness, was perfect with Korean short ribs. Still young but not a shame to open now just needs a long decant. Nice to see it progressing from my last notes.
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6/8/2013 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
My experience with this was absolutely nothing like those of the other CT tasters, apparently. Ordered at a restaurant and served after a 20-minute decant. Translucent magenta. Starts fairly muted on the nose with faint floral notes. Not at all extracted. With air, it begins to smell strongly of sweet, candied cherry-cranberry--like a dialed-down Kosta Browne or a redder-fruited Rhys. The wine has healthy acidity, but it's somehow disjointed, tasting syrupy on the attack and sour on the finish. I'll give it points for being transporting, as for some reason this makes me envision an open field on the first day of spring with bees buzzing around. But demerits for lack of typicity--I can't beLieve this is Syrah, and would have pegged it as California Pinot Noir with great confidence in a blind tasting. And a horrific QPR.
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4/27/2013 - rhalbert wrote: 96 Points
Blew it out last night at our last meal at the soon to be closed Rovers in Seattle. Amazing meal with amazing friends. Had along side 2003 Quilceda Creek cab. Both were out of sight and paired wonderfully with the duck and wagyu beef. Yum!!
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1/17/2013 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Rich, delicious, very smooth, elegant blackberry/blueberry fruit with black olive, earthy, meaty flavors, excellent structure, long finish, Walla Walla funk less robust than expected
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11/26/2012 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is classic cayuse and walla walla. This is all pepper and spice northern rhone style.
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7/18/2012 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Biggest most massive wine I have ever drank. Loaded with minerality, bloody meat and the blackest of fruits. Again, Cayuse has baffled me witha wine I am at a loss to describe. How 'bout this, "AWESOME".
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5/22/2012 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Eating a nice piece of humble pie, 2008 Bionic Frog vs 2004 Chave Hermitage (Capital Grill at Tysons corner, VA): Decanted at the beginning of the meal and drank along with the 04 Chave Hermitage. I didn’t check the order of pour and upon smelling, thought this was the Chave. Crushed blackberries, white pepper, lilac and limestone. The palate is polished, silky and seamless without trace of heat. The nose and palate remain consistent til the end. I had the 04 Bionic Frog a few years back in DCWINO’s domestic syrah single blind and thought it tasted like a St Joseph. Perhaps it wasn’t as good as the 08 or perhaps it got lost amongst the big monsters which can happen in a blind tasting. I was so convinced that it was the Chave, I waited the second pour of the BF before taking the humble pie. This wine is expressive and has excellent balance. The power of suggestion is a big part of wine tasting and initially I told Greg O, how beautiful the Chave is compare to the BF which seem too sweet and shutdown. Oh well! Lovely showing and impressive. We decided to decant the Chave and it curtained opened up nicely but I still preferred the BF.
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4/27/2012 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
HdR 2012 - The Return of the Bionic Frog (Paso Robles, CA): Meaty mineral with some Asian spices nose. Medium full bodied rich, somewhat savory but still feminine. Interesting. Christophe used some interesting descriptors that seem to fit: "ash tray," "teriyaki sauce," and he described the wine as "a little naughty."
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1/31/2012 - Jared wrote: 100 Points
Decanted for a full two hours and then slow-o'ed for roughly 2 more. This wine was all business and I mean a mother bear protecting its young kind of business. Gangbusters out of the gate with aromas of pure liquid minerality. Smelling this wine literally made you think you were snorting a huge fat line of crushed minerals and you were Chevy Chase in Modern Problems saying, "Yes, I like it!!" Once you were able to put aside the junkie's sized dose of minerals, the nose offered terrific crushed black raspberry as well as a smoky, briny, olive component. Freshly ground black pepper started to emerge after 15 minutes which added another intriguing mix to the already complex nose. After 20 minutes or so it was finally time to see if the palate held up its end of the bargain and mother fu#ker we weren't disappointed. When you drink wine (my wife would say "too much wine"), you can tell when something special has passed your lips and that's the feeling we all had with this wine. Powerful without too much weight, nice core of fruit without sweetness, hints of tannin without dryness. This wine was perfectly in balance this night. The purity of the black raspberry and dark cherry fruit really elevated this wine along with the freakishly long and persistent finish. Notice I wrote an entire note on a Cayuse wine without mentioning the "Cayuse funk" and that's due to the fact it wasn't overwhelmingly present. Hints of the funk popped up every now and again but essentially stood by the wine's side and looked pretty like a good politician's wife. Syrah doesn't get any better for me. 100 pts.
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12/13/2011 - bajayngo wrote:
Drank with some heavy hitters i.e. Rayas Pignan, Beaucastle, Tempier Bandol and more. I thought it held it's own on the nose and the palate w/out food. But was outshinded when pair w/braised beef and rack of lamb by the others. Familiar nose of red cabbage, minerals and funk with those Rainer cherries. Not the complexed iron and sexy spices as with other BF but showing well in it's youth.
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12/10/2011 - Vinsant wrote:
This came off slightly sweet tasted alongside a bunch of Frenchies. The funk was there but dialed down. Olive, blueberry, sweet raspberry, vanilla, and veggies on the nose. A young but well integrated palate of pepper, game, veggies, violets, orange rind, sweet red berries, and olive tapenade, and moist smoked earth.
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11/8/2011 - bonedocnine wrote: 94 Points
stunning and complex. Fruit and tannin in balance. delicious!
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6/20/2011 - Dale M wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 90 minutes. I recall Christophe mentioning that his 08 lineup was especially mineral driven, and voila, here is a perfect example to that effect. Initially, the nose and palate carried the usual wildness associate with past Frog vintages: meaty blackberry, ginger bread, smoky mint, soy, and just a touch of new oak. But as the glass was swirled a few rotations, a slow but steady stream of iron and earth grew from a back ground player to a major force, implanting a sharp focus and clarity to the palate that was a real treat to both the intellect as well as the pleasure seeking side of the balance sheet. A large scaled wine for sure, very young but suave tannins, but this already is showing very well thanks to an impeccable balance as well as harmony. As many of the Cayuse fan boys and gals have observed with each new vintage, Cayuse wines just seem to be getting better and better, and this 08 Frog was clearly a beverage meant for grownups. Pure, unadulterated Syrah bliss.
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6/17/2011 - pakabear wrote: 88 Points
Great Grapes for a Great Cause Pre Event (Mandarin Hotel, Washington DC): This is such a weird wine that falls apart with time.
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6/17/2011 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
Great Grapes for a Great Cause SQN Tasting -- 4th Annual; 6/17/2011-6/18/2011 (Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC): very interesting. tomatillo jam. long finish. stood out in comparison to the other wines stylistically. still not sure i 'get' the cayuse hype but i'll keep trying them
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2/10/2011 - Deb293 wrote: 93 Points
As the Som uncorked it he said, "I can smell it from here!" This is one juicy bottle of wine...young but approachable now, with probably a big pay-off in a few years. Surprisingly elegant, almost understated...velvety mouth feel with bright raspberry flavors. Missing the strong tapenade component of the En Cerise for instance, but has a nice spice element, with hints of tar. Hedonistic.
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6/29/2010 - Weston3220 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cayuse Vineyards, Biodynmaic Workshop (Cayuse Vineyards, Walla Walla): Med Intensity
Clean Precise, Pure Beautiful Fruit
Still a baby but the Focus and Purity on this is amazing
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5/25/2010 - Jared wrote:
Holy shit. This puppy is surprisingly open for business and it's 24/7. First whiff was of blood and iron. Concentrated dark fruit and wild game meat laced with minerals and stone. Has the potential to rival the 03 and 05 as the best Frog ever.
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5/19/2010 - Vinsant wrote:
Bottled two weks prior to tasting. Smelled like the Frog the minute the cork popped out. Maybe the most approachable young Frog I've had. The minerals were amazing. The huge florals, funk, black tea, red and blue fruits, herbs, and peppered meat were extremely balanced for a young tadpole. Can't wait to try in 5 years! What a treat! The 08s tasted have me really excited about the 08 vintage from Cayuse.
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11/13/2009 - Jared wrote:
I was surprised at how approachable this was. Most of the time, the barrel samples of the Frog are fairly tight. Huge ripe fruit, hints of scorched earth, bacon fat, iron, funk, fur, dried blood. Everything to keep a growing boy happy. I think this wine possess greatness. 97-100pts.
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11/9/2009 - Vinsant wrote:
Barrel sample; Just a huge wine. Sweet fruit, black tea, florals, marionberry, herbs, wet animal fur, pepper, meaty, strawberry, olive, and a long tannic finish. In 5 to 7 years this going to be flat out amazing.
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11/7/2009 - bajayngo wrote:
barrel sample notes - marion berry, tannins galore! floral, green olive, eucaluptis, hint of meat. More more open then previous barrel samples.
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