2012 Cayuse Syrah En Chamberlin Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (44) Avg Score: 94.0 points

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  1/21/2024 - DrELW Likes this wine: 94 Points

  This is a deep violet colored wine with hazy clarity. The nose is pronounced with aromas of pencil shavings, toast, and leather. The flavors are of blueberry, plum, clove, pepper with some gamey notes. The body is muscular with a rich and soft consistency. The finish is persistent. The tannins, at this age, are fine and well integrated. It's been worth sitting on this bottle for a decade. Overall this is good masculine wine of its own breed. It went quite nicely with a pepperoni and sausage pizza.

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  8/8/2023 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points

  Fabulous wine.

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  5/29/2023 - Goofienewfy Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Nose is olive as and green pepper with mild barnyard funk. Gave this 2 hours of airtime before tasting. Mouthfeel is oily and viscous. This is a big gamey wine where bacon fat gives way to subtle dark fruit and earth profile. Complex is an understatement.

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  8/12/2022 - StevePDX wrote: flawed

  It had an unusual taste.

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  7/28/2022 - RhoneWho wrote: 97 Points

  It's time to dig into cellar to do some 10-year theme vertical tasting: 2018, 2008 and 2012 relative to this year 2022. I have 2018 Cailloux, 2012 En Camberlin and 2008 En Cerise. They all rated 96-98 range by JD.
  
  Overall, i think 2012 is in a sweet spot to enjoy right now. 2018 is approachable surprisingly but will benefit for bottle aging for later enjoyment. 2008 is so ready to consume now with more "old school" style.
  
  Ageability:
  2008 En Cerise is still in the primary zone without noticeable secondary notes at age 14! I think it can cruise to 20. It has improved and more enjoyable since 2018 when I tried it. 2012 En Chamberlin at year 10 is more ready to drink than I had 2008 En Cerise in 2018. 2018 Cailloux is pleasant surprise that it's so approachable at year 4.
  
  Flavor:
  They (including Horsepower and No Girls) all share the unique so-called "funk" (toward green/vegetal). Their intensity varies depending on vintages, vineyards and varietals (including grenache!). However, I notice the "funk" has mellowed down last few years (particularly more noticeable in their grenache). I tend to associate the "funk" flavor of those locally organic farmed little pink-hearted guava fruit from Southeast Asia. Some claim it's the soil effect; but I think using whole clusters with stem in maceration and harvest when the Brix resulting in less than 14% (i.e winemaking style and philosophy) could be even more important factor.
  
  They all have brighter red tone with balanced acidity. It hits the palate with great tension and salinity lingering for seconds, which is great for food pairing. In general, the Cayuse syrahs are more "feminine" and elegant style than the big and darker profile of Northern Rhone-style Horsepower syrahs. The flavor profile is not berry-based driven but more complex and multi-dimensional.
  
  Aroma:
  Aside from having the "funk" aroma, its aromatic is very complex and unique for most North American / European drinkers. It has complex tropical fruit/flower profile (like those sauvignon blanc) intermixed with Northern Rhone syrah profile.
  - 2018 Cailloux: More white pepper and bell pepper tone. The bouquet is more uplifting because of the 5% blending with viognier.
  - 2012 En Chamberline: More bacon and sweet herbs driven.
  - 2008 En Cerise: more earthy and mushroom driven.
  
  Texture:
  The texture of the wine tricks you into thinking syrah from cool climate; but they are not grown in Winkler Zone II. The winemaking decision of biodynamic farming and keeping the ripeness in check with less than 14% alcohol for most of the time. They all pretty weightless gliding down the palate fairly seamlessly with the balanced acidity striking tension and excitement. Both 2018 and 2012 still have pretty vibrant; whereas 2008 is more matured.
  - 2018 Cailloux: great finish as the palate is coated with lingering sweet flower notes
  - 2012 En Chamberlin: The acidity has mellowed down and evolved to red cherry finishing
  - 2008 En Cerise: Matured and full body with earthy tone as acidity has integrated. For those who love aged Bordeaux wines may like drinking this wine at this drinking window.
  
  Rating Range: 96-98; 96+

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