Dark color, ruby at the rim, moderate + extraction. On the nose fruit dominates with mixed black (blueberry and blackberry)>red fruits… a good amount of tar and meat… no herbality… still some hints of yet to be integrated new French oak spice. On the palate moderate + acidity, a very fleshy midpalate that transitions nicely into a slightly scratchy, moderate +, ripe level of tannins… moderate + alcohol. Good balance, length, complexity… high intensity. Not a ton of finesse, texture suffers a tad from tannin scratchiness… good expression of place as it is very Central Coast in nature. As the night went on this wine didn’t hold up so well and got a little more out of balance texturally at the front and end with the alcohol becoming more apparent. Drink now. Hard to score as it went from "very good" to "average..." will take average making it "good."

Moderate depth of color, ruby to red at the rim, less extracted than #1. On the nose quite a bit of complexity with red dominated fruits (cherry), slightly herbal and dusty notes, very floral… earthy notes as predominant as the fruit and wood spice very well integrated (less vanilla than #1). On the palate moderate acidity, a moderate amount of midpalate weight and a little bit sharper than #1. An awkward transition into tenser, less lush tannin finish than one… moderate + alcohol. Good balance, length, intensity and very nice complexity. The wine has finesse but texturally has issues for me… good expression of place… felt very Washington (big acid/tannin “skeleton,” short on the flesh… more savory spectrum of Syrah). I admire Cayuse wines for their aromatic complexity but like many wines from Washington the structure of the wine limits its overall impression for me... better with food. Drink now.

Very dark color with purple still at the rim… moderate + extraction. Very fruit dominated with a slightly “cheap” volatile mix of raspberry and grapey aromas… minimal earth and the oak is still there with more vanilla than elegant spice. On the palate very high, pitchy, artificial feeling acid that strikes me as being an error, a very broad midpalate that transitions quite nicely into a rich, smooth and fleshy finish… moderate alcohol. Adequate balance, shortish length, high intensity, and not a lot of complexity though seemingly very young. Not a wine of finesse… texturally flawed at the beginning but nice towards the end. Would be hard to guess this as Syrah and would never be able to place it… rotten expression of varietal and place. Drink now.

Dark color, ruby to purple rim, moderate + extraction. On the nose very young with tons of dark > red fruits… blueberry and blackberry… moderate chalk-like minerality, and moderate subtle, sophisticated oak spice that shows restraint. On the palate high acidity that is a little high in pitch, a nice, broad midpalate that transitions very slowly into a very nicely textured, moderate +/ ripe tannin finish…strangely there is green steminess here aroma-wise that doesn’t show up a ton on the tannin profile… alcohol seems .5 less than the previous wines, about 14% at most. Good balance, length, intensity… not real complex but very young. Certainly a wine of finesse with a fine texture… felt very Central Coast in nature, felt very restrained and well crafted… a sweet more than savory Syrah that has time to round out and improve over the next few years... interesting to read my note from before... same wine tasted in a less blind format than before.

Darkest color of the night… ruby rim, the most extracted of the night. Tons of fruit that has tons of depth and is serious as opposed to flashy or fleshy… low minerality… moderate + oak that is very well done and showing as much spice as vanilla. Moderate + acidity, a very broad, seriously structured midpalate that transitions nicely into a firm and strong, high, moderately ripe tannin finish… about .5 more alcohol than the first few wines, feels 15%. Good balance, length… intensity to spare and lacking a bit in complexity (other than fruit) though it is young. A wine of power more than finesse… a powerful texture… good Syrah-ness though more Pax in nature than its revealed origin (their house style is unmistakeable). The wine has all of the elements to age well, though as is a common thought of mine with Pax wines, while they’ll hold up I think you may trade fruit complexity for minerality/tertiary aromas that may never show up or equal the loss of fruit complexity... your call drink or hold... does well with some air time in a decanter.