3/29/2012 - Jared wrote:

Popped and poured. Haven't had this wine for a few vintages so was surprised that I used to like it as this wine was terrible. I hope it was an off-bottle because it seemed dominated by an unpalatable bitter component that rendered the fruit dead. Seemed oaky as well. Yikes. 77 pts.

3/29/2012 - Jared wrote:

Popped and poured. As with the 08, a terrific bottle of wine. Nice citrus and oyster shell combined with soft pear and apple. Can't imagine a better AOC chablis at $22. 90pts.

3/24/2012 - Jared wrote:

Yikes! Thank goodness this was a gift. Astringent and lacking fruit. 79pts.

3/24/2012 - Jared wrote:

Popped and poured. These are terrific wines for the price. I think I paid $30 on release. Dark berries and spice. Dark berries and spice. 91 pts.

3/16/2012 - Jared wrote:

From magnum. Decanted around 2 hours. Just like Parker and his 07 Chateauneuf, I only drink my No Girls Grenache from magnum. Trevor (from Cayuse, and now No Girls fame) must have been surprised I made it to 40 years old because he generously bestowed this mag to me for just that milestone. No hyperbole needed to convey the excitement I had to gulp this beauty down my gullet and to see if this wine's style was comparable to Cayuse.

Gorgeous ruby-red color out of the bottle. Initial aromas kind of blew me away as the nose immediately reminded me of an 06 Rayas that I had recently drunk. Kind of perfume-y with wild strawberries and a bit of bramble. After about 15 minutes, the nose transformed to a more Pegau typicity with notes of garrigue, liqueur, and dark berries. Another 15 minutes after that, we were squarely in the arena of Cayuse's GOK. The nose seemed to have more personalities than Robin Williams on crack! An hour in, the nose finally settled down to show beautifully fresh red and black fruit with a little earth in the background. The palate blossomed with pure and clean fruit. Think cherries, raspberries, a bit of strawberry, and black raspberries. A lurking spicy component not only kept the palate intense but also helped with the wine's overall balance. The meduim-plus finish left me thoroughly impressed with this bottle of wine. No Girls certainly should not be thought of as a little brother to Cayuse or Cayuse-lite. First cousins, perhaps...94 pts.

2/16/2012 - Jared wrote:

Popped and poured. What a splended bottle of chablis (I'm trying to be a more refined note writer!). A crisp and clean bottle of wine that was as refreshing as an after squash Perrier. The nose of unripe pear, apple, and specifically oyster shell reminded of the aromas I encounter sailing off the coast of Kennebunkport where I summer. This is precisely the perfect wine for many a lobster bake I've had on the beach with Chip and Muffy (Shhh, they think I'm serving Raveneau and Dauvissat). This wine exemplifies exactly what an AOC chablis should provide. What a fantasic QPR @ $15 from the local Costco (Please don't tell my "friends" I have a Costco card). Lovely. 90+ pts.

2/10/2012 - Jared wrote:

Popped and poured. Been in a CdR phase lately for my house wines. Really enjoyed the 09 vintage of this wine so was excited to give the 2010 a go. Very light ruby-red with aromas of fresh ripe fruit. This is the epitome of an easy-drinking wine. Delicious red and blue fruit with no tannins in sight. Not very complex but wouldn't expect much complexity (although some more expensive CdR's can be) with this wine. A fresh fruit finish leaves you satisfied for your $14. Not quite as good as the 09 but a very nice QPR. 87 pts.

2/6/2012 - Jared wrote:

Popped and poured. Very pedestrian bottle of wine. Not bad in any way but nothing to make it stand out. Fresh fruit but maybe a bit too sweet. No tannins or much acid to give it any zip or structure. Only $15 and was hoping for a nice QPR but would have to pass on purchasing any more bottles. 86 pts.

1/31/2012 - Jared wrote:

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.

9/5/2011 - Jared wrote:

Smokey Robinson, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Slipknot. 96 pts.

5/2/2011 - Jared wrote:

Popped and poured. This is the first wine from the Cailloux vineyard and suffice it to say, I was eager to see if it was still kickin'. Kickin' it was. Surprisingly very dark in the glass putting out whiffs of roasted plums and raspberries. Nicely textured mouthfeel as you swirl it in your mouth. Not complex by any stretch of the imagination but immensely pleasurable. Some meat, earth, and even a little pepper kind of lurk around the periphery to give it a nice depth. If this first commercial wine is any indication, Cayuse wines will certainly age well. Loved it for its place in Cayuse history. 90pts.

5/2/2011 - Jared wrote:

From magnum. Pumped to try this wine as it was a beautifully etched bottle with an orange wax cap. Very vibrant ruby-red color with aromas of dark roasted fruits, saline/soy, mint, and a touch of woodsmoke. Still very concentrated in the mouth loading you up with blackberry, black raspberry, and black cherry. Nicely balanced with some earthy and mushroomy characteristics playing foil to the ripe fruit. Slides down the throat quite nicely and leaves lingering fruit and a touch of sweetness. I think this wine most certainly benefited from being bottled in magnum as it possessed a nice freshness of fruit. Tasty. 93 pts.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. Shocked at how good this was for being only 5 months old. Beautiful ruby-red color with wild strawberries, huckleberries, basil, and earth on the nose. Explosion of red licorice and bright red cherries on the palate with fine gritty tannins that you could feel on your tongue. I think this is going to be a truly special wine and vineyard. Christophe has done it again!

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. Wow, super tight. The 07 was much further along at this stage. Gorgeous color but not much on the nose. Hints of Armada funk, meat, coffee, both red and black fruit. Very quiet on the palate as well with muted dark fruit, smoke, cinnamon, a little pepper and some decent tannin. Needs another year to rest but has the stuffing to hopefully continue the streak of terrific Armadas. Incomplete.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. Da bomb diggity! Definitely my favorite of the barrel samples. Nose of violets, black olive tapenade, asphalt, ripe dark fruit, meat, pepper, spices, smoke. Surprisingly silky mouthfeel with a nice tight core of dark fruit accented with heavy doses of minerality, smoked meat, iron, blood, everything a growing boy needs. I don't think I've had a more complete Bionic Frog at this stage. Everything for me was in total balance. Can I pick up my 6-pack right now? 97-99 pts.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. Crisp and clean cabernet. My friend Tim sometimes complains that the Widowmaker has too much funk in some vintages and that he only likes his cabernet "clean." Well Tim, here is your "clean" cabernet! Deep and dark nose of cassis, tobacco, fresh mint, and even some light toasty oak/smoke. Bright black cherry and black raspberry fruit in the mouth. Full-bodied with a good dose of tannins that balance nicely with the fruit. A classic Cayuse cabernet! 94-96 pts.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. Always the funkiest and bloodiest of the syrahs and the 09 is no exception. Pure Cayuse funk on the nose with a nice combination of rare meat and crushed dark berries. Kind of like a sandwich where the rare meat acts as the bread and the dark berries as the meat. Full-bodied on the palate with more meat, dark berry fruit, pepper, roasted red pepper, and that minerality that seems to lurk around in the background. This wine is a meal. 94-96 pts.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. One of the "wow" wines for me. I know I'm sounding like a cd that's skippin' (see what I did there? new school phrase!), but this wine just keeps getting better and is downright filthy. Co-fermented with 10% viognier and you notice right away with the gorgeous floral notes and dried pineapple that waft through your nostrils. Laser focused palate with dark raspberries, dark cherries, smoked meat, bacon, minerals, and asphalt. Long finish filled with flecks of freshly cracked pepper. Absolutely loved this wine! 95-97 pts.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. Finally put this wine on my wishlist and am glad I did. Another wine that I think is improving with each successive vintage. Deep nose of bright cherries, moist earth, mushroom, and a bit of pork. Very clean palate of cherry liqueur, meat, dark fruit, and a nice undercurrent of minerality. I think this wine will be terrific in 3-5 years. 92-94pts.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. As with previous vintages, very red in color. Pretty nose of crushed wild strawberries, pomegranate,and herbs de provence. Very silky mouthfeel with light references to red cherry fruit and red raspberries. Not as much funk as the 05 and 06 and it renders this the lightest feeling of the three GOK's. Needs some time to develop. 92-94 pts.

4/30/2011 - Jared wrote:

Barrel sample. This wine just continues to improve each vintage. Lot less of the green notes that have plagued earlier years. Gorgeous nose of dark cherries and raspberries with a briny green olive in the background. Lush palate with ripe dark fruit, spices, and some earthy notes. I now wish that I was still allocated this wine. 91-93pts.

4/26/2011 - Jared wrote:

I knew this wine would be tight so I decanted for roughly an hour and every ten minutes aggressively swirled it. I was excited to try this wine as Grand Reve has been getting lots of love from friends and after spending an evening with Ryan Johnson, this seems to be the exact type of cabernet based wine that I'm currently enjoying. Still a bit tight on the nose even after the decant but noticed some hints of tobacco, sage, dark cherry, and an intriguing note of rosemary in the background. Once the wine started to open up, we were treated with some tightly wrapped dark fruit, cassis, currants, and some formidable tannins. Obviously, being Red Mountain fruit you are going to get big and bold tannins but the key is to have enough of a fruit core to battle these tongue grippers long enough until they fully integrate and this particular wine definitely has the fruit core to last. Both power and finesse on the finish with the power (tannins) slightly ahead of the finesse (fruit). After being on fruit overload from most WA bordeaux blends, this is the type of wine I'm digging on right now. While very enjoyable now, I think once everything fully integrates my score could increase two or three points. 93 pts.

4/25/2011 - Jared wrote:

Was very excited to give this a go, especially after seeing Gary V and FMIII like it so much. Gorgeous nose of almonds, beautifully ripe pears, lemon zest, and a nice dose of minerality. I was caught off guard when I took my first swig as the past 10 vouvrays I've had were all Huet secs so I was absentmindedly expecting a big acidic cut laced with first picked fruit. Once I was able to recalibrate my brain, nose, and mouth, the wine made much more sense. Definite continuation of the ripe pears from the nose as well as an underlying chalkiness and honey-ed minerality. Medium-bodied with a nice palate weight that projected a nice richness without crossing over the line into flabby. Just enough acid on the back end to balance out the sweetness from the ripe pears which allowed the finish to linger for more time than you expect. Very good bottle of wine. 92 pts.

4/18/2011 - Jared wrote:

Drank with the other two 09 Huet Secs. My third favorite of the three which is kind of like picking between a blond Angelina Jolie, a brunette Angelina Jolie, and a red-headed Angelina Jolie. Obviously everyone is happy. A bit more acidic than the other two but with not as much minerality or roundness. Very good wine, just may need a bit more time to round itself out. 90+ pts.

4/18/2011 - Jared wrote:

Drank with the other two 09 Huet Secs. Damn fine wine. A little richer and rounder in the mouth than the Le Mont and the Le Haut Lieu but not quite as much bracing acidity. Of the three, this is my second favorite. The Le Mont just does it for me a bit more. Sort of like picking between a blond Angelina Jolie and a brunette Angelina Jolie. No losers here. Medium to full-bodied with a nice richness balanced with tart lemon and pear. These wines are a steal. 91+ pts.

4/18/2011 - Jared wrote:

Had this in a threesome of Huet 09 Secs. Drinking this with the other two 09 Secs confirms for me that this is my slight favorite over the Clos du Bourg which a a favorite over the Le Haut lieu. Crisp and clean with no caffeine. Just as the previous note, lots of acid with nice doses of minerality and pears. Such a freakin' value. Terrific. 92pts.

4/18/2011 - Jared wrote:

Decanted for around 2 hours. My first go'round with Rayas and all I've got to say is holy f#ck. The aromatics of this wine were so intriguing that as with the Cayuse 05 NB, I just smelled it for at least an hour before I took my first sip. As we drank some tasty whites, I just kept going back to this wine with equal parts love and confusion. The emotion of love was easy as this light-colored beauty just slowly leaked dried flowers, herbs de provence, wild strawberries, and honey-covered cherries. The crinkled brow started as I began to realize that I'd never had a CdP that was so feminine and beautiful. Such a contrast to the 06 Clos des Papes that was also at the table (this wine was no slouch, either). After an hour of savoring the nose, I finally took the plunge and unlike the time I gave in to the peer pressure and smoked pot, I did not come away disappointed. Light to medium-bodied with a sexy, silky mouthfeel. Bright red fruit (think cherries, strawberries, and huckleberries) enveloped in a floral handbag that just left you reaching for the glass time and time again. Such a sneaky long finish that you honestly thought you still had wine in your mouth minutes after you swallowed. This wine was so intoxicating that we would yell RAYAS throughout the dinner and then drop whatever we were doing and take a huge sniffy-sniff. Wow! 98 pts.

4/18/2011 - Jared wrote:

Decanted for roughly 30 minutes. Still pretty damn dark in the glass which gave an indication of the youthfulness we were going to experience. Gorgeous Margaux aromas of sweet tobacco and cedar followed by intense graphite and cassis liqueur. Definitely full-bodied with freshness of power that was intriguing. Plenty of dark berry fruit set against still formidible tannins that glided past and tickled your tonsils and left you with a nice balance of tannin and sweetness on your tongue. I'm starting to get worried as my fondness for bordeaux grows. 92 pts.

2/14/2011 - Jared wrote:

Other than the Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschhek and the Weinbach Cuvee Theo, I challenge you to find a better, more regal white for $28. This wine was finger lickin' lip smackin' good. More honey than lemon in color, it commanded my attention from the first whiff with elements of lemongrass, ginger, tea, chalk, and concentrated apple/pear. It didn't disappoint on the palate either as each taste bud was tickled with the most balanced form of honeyed ginger, quince paste, citrus zest, and some spice. Medium weight with a thirst inducing finish left me reaching for my glass over and over again. 93 pts.

2/14/2011 - Jared wrote:

Decanted for roughly 30 minutes. I can't even begin to explain how much this wine blew my mind. I have been a fan of this bottling from Vinny D for several vintages (00, 04, 07), but this 08 was completely rockin' from the get go. I found the 07 to be kind of a beast -- tons of citrus and acid -- and in need of some time sideways. The 08 possessed the citrus and acid we crave but layered with that was a richness and mouthfeel that just kept me saying, "Damn!" Gorgeous honey/straw color with aromas of the ocean and lemon zest. Think of yourself standing on the beach inhaling that inviting ocean breeze as someone zests a lemon right in front of your face. Hints of almond and honey kind of poke around the periphery, as well. Nice weight on the palate with a plushness at a level that I've never really noticed with white wines before. Loads of honeyed-citrus (not a sweet honey but just enough to balance out the lemon) fill your mouth with drinking pleasure which leads to a finish that lasts longer than any white wine should. Every aspect of this wine was in total harmony. I am buying more! 94+ pts.

1/5/2011 - Jared wrote:

Very mellow wine. Soft and pretty. Velvety in the mouth. Very well made but nothing to make it stand out. 90 pts.

1/5/2011 - Jared wrote:

The best Leonetti I've tasted. Usually not a fan as these puppies need so much time to integrate the oak and tannin. This wine certainly had the oak but plenty of fruit to at least almost make me forget about it. Lots of spice, vanilla, oak on the nose but also heavy doses of dark berries. Chocolate, mocha, and more dark berries on the palate. I'd say give it 5 years and it could be really good. 91 pts.

1/5/2011 - Jared wrote:

From magnum. This was a very intriguing wine. I don't have a ton of older bordeaux experience so not sure how good my evaluation will be, but I liked it. Still a nice ruby red in the glass, not much bricking at all. It was cloudy but the nose was so interesting. Camphor, spice, and sandalwood with of cassis and huckleberry, maybe. It did die rather quickly once you swallowed but it went down nice with a regal quality. Most found it uninteresting, but like Blaine in Pretty in Pink I found it to be my Molly Ringwald in homemade clothes. 90pts.

11/10/2010 - Jared wrote:

Very nice nose of rocks, citrus, and minerals. Wouldn't have believed it was almost 10 years old. Absolutely no petrol to speak of. Not quite as full on the palate. Would have thought maybe there would be more depth especially on the mid-palate. Nice richness on the finish that lifted my rating a bit. 90pts.

11/10/2010 - Jared wrote:

I hadn't had this wine since Dec of 09 and after Dale drank it a few weeks back and proclaimed it in his Cayuse All-Time Top 5, I was eager to drink this bottle. Not quite in my Top 5 but damn, he wasn't kidding. The 07 Cayuse syrahs have continued to impress me with their, dare I say, elegance and refinement (it's all relative!). If the En Chamberlin is the wild and crazy brother with the t-shirt tuxedo, this wine is the overachieving brother with the Armani tuxedo. Sleek and seamless, this wine was both powerful with black pepper, liquid rock, and lift and juicy with concentrated black fruit. The sommelier even registered a knowing look when he brought his lips to his glass, pure pleasure. 95 pts

11/10/2010 - Jared wrote:

Oh man do I love Pegau and this bottle was pimpin'. Shocked at the amount of structure still left in this puppy. Easily 15 years left. Initial bit of brett on the nose which I also love. it blew off after awhile and what was left was a pot of cherry liquerer, herbs, flowers, concentration, and grip that wouldn't let go of your tongue. Loved this bottle. 94pts

11/4/2010 - Jared wrote:

When I first put my nose into the glass of this wine, my brain immediately thought of a scene from Jerry Maguire. No you nimrods, not the infamous "You had me at hello" scene, but the shoplifting pooty from a single mom scene. I felt like I was shoplifting the pooty as I drank, yet again, someone else's Cayuse. I felt sheepish at first just like Jerry Maguire, but then realized that no one was holding a gun to their head and if they wanted to share their pooty, who was I to turn them down! Deep purple with a ruby red rim, this screamed a Cayuse pedigree. Initial aromas of freshly paved road, gunpowder, restrained funk, pulverized black fruit, iron/blood, nicoise olives, and a healthy dose of rocks and minerality. Once I finally garnered enough courage to take a swig, my mouth was filled with the juice of blackberries and raspberries like they were ground down in a mortar and pestle releasing all of that love. Other flavors like charred meat and savoy cabbage kept flying at me that worked to balance out the juicy fruit. The intensity of the rocks/minerality was also apparent on the palate as that led to an explosive finish that coated the inside of your mouth with goodness. Never once was I worried about the tannins or alcohol as this was a balanced and seamless wine. The wildness that one often finds in some Cayuse wines (En Chamberlin...everyone) is only hinted at here which makes this wine especially intriguing. It easily has 10 years of life still in it. Loved it!

10/29/2010 - Jared wrote:

To be honest, kind of disappointed in this bottle. Had two of the 05's that were fantastic. There is nothing wrong with this bottle at all, very well made, just didn't rev me up. Lots of fruit and a bit of toasty oak on the nose. A definite Wa state syrah on the palate with ripe blue/black fruit. Like I said, good but not special. 88pts.

10/28/2010 - Jared wrote:

From magnum. Decanted for roughly 30 minutes before consuming. Very nice cab from Buty. Ruby red and light to medium bodied. Certainly not an in your face cab from a fruit standpoint and more importantly from an oaked stadnpoint. Restrained and refined in a good way with bright fruit and a luxurious mouthfeel. Good wine. 90pts.

9/21/2010 - Jared wrote:

I went against all of my instincts and listened to my friend Dale "Mr Decant" McClaran and decanted this young whipper snapper for roughly an hour before drinking. I actually think it did this wine a great service (who knew Dale could be right...ever?) as it was beautiful from the outset. This wine can seem intimidating from the very regal label, to the 15 names in its title, to the actual wine in the bottle. But when you sit down and get to know it a bit better and more intimately, it's definitely refined yet also down to earth and approachable. Immediate aromas of crushed rock, lemon and lime, and drips of honey. I was surprised there wasn't more depth on the nose but after about 30 minutes in the glass clear and distinctive aromas of peach and pineapple began to surface which were a great compliment to the rock. In the mouth, there was so much minerality going on that I thought I was back in college freshman year sitting in Kane 220 not quite believing that I was taking 'Rocks for Jocks'! As with the nose, there was a perfect marriage of richness and dryness/minerality/acidity. A wine like this just exudes class. I know it was consumed too young, but it sure tasted damn good going down. Oh yeah, I paired it with Kraft Mac n' Cheese! 94pts.

8/30/2010 - Jared wrote:

Not sure how long this was decanted but it wasn't enough, or maybe it just needs some more time. This puppy was loaded with structure and not giving up much fruit, although I still found it pleasurable in a anti-flavor wine elite kind of way! It has all of the stuffing for it to turn into a special wine in the long run and I can't wait to drink another one in 5-10 years (hint, hint...Dale). One of the characteristics that dominated for me was a bitter chocolate flavor that I dug. Tons of dark fruit, root beer, and tannin in the mouth. Drink the 01 and 06 while you wait for this to blossom. 92 pts.

8/30/2010 - Jared wrote:

The second bottle of this I've had in the past few months (thank you Frank Tre and thank you Wells for opening up the library!). It was just as good this outing as the first. A deep and dark purple that gives way to a distinct nose of olives, black licorice, concentrated fruit, and roasted meat. Love the complexity and a kind of mean streak that whole cluster brings. Black raspberry, currants, and blackberries keep the mouth happy as you try not to drink this Cayuse/Copain hybrid too fast. Another fine bottle by Wells that further entrenches Copain as one of my top Californian wineries. 93 pts.

8/30/2010 - Jared wrote:

First and foremost, I have absolutely been bitten by the chateauneuf bug, especially Pegau. The 5 or 6 times that I've had the pleasure to drink the Reseve have left a profound effect on me and has literally shaped some new feelings about wine. This bottle was pure and clean old world grenache. Gorgeous ruby red color, immediate aromas of fig, kirsch, deep red plum, pepper, and the most alluring high class garrigue fill your personal space. I could sit and sniff this wine for hours. This wine was starting to blow my mind. Lush, velvety, sweet, and superbly concentrated with accents of meat and herbs to keep the balance in check. I just wanted to sit there and feel the plushness of the tannins in my mouth. Once swallowed, the richness of the fruit and the seamless tannins leave you lifting the glass back to your lips almost reflexively. Dynamite wine! 96 pts.

8/30/2010 - Jared wrote:

I was geeked to drink this wine. I've become obsessed with chablis and always welcome an opportunity to drink Dauvissat. A brilliant electric honey color had my eyes telling my nose to get ready to be dominated. Unfortunately, this baby was aromatically stingy at the outset. Reticent, even. I think a decant is necessary as it finally started to open up and give up the goods about 30 minutes in. Aromas of limestone, lemon zest, rocks, and a distinct chalkiness (even to the point that my nose could feel it!). No butter, oak, or popcorn to be found. I don't understand how anyone could drink their chardonnay that way when this high toned and pure expression of the grape is just a couple clicks away. Definite feel of weight on the palate without the clumsy creaminess. Concentrated citrus and a nice dose of minerality deliver a powerful blow to your tongue, but ultimately makes you beg for more as the crisp finish lingers in your mouth. Paired extremely well with a classic gazpacho. 93 pts.

8/17/2010 - Jared wrote:

Gorgeous straw-honey color lent the way to aromas of fig, limestone, hints of crushed rock, tea, ginger, and dried honey. As you can see, the nose was popping from the get go. To be honest, it was hard for me to even swirl this wine as my antcipation was palpable with the glowing reviews this wine has received lately. The mouthfeel was silky and medium-bodied giving way to a palate of lemon zest sprinkled minerals, unripe white peaches, pine resin, honey, and almond dust. Much more complexity than I was expecting from such a young Loire white. Each swallow revealing new flavors and thoughts. The Clos du Bourg had more richness, but that's not necessarily better for me. Absolutely a terrific wine that is a must buy for anyone who is looking for an alternative to domestic butter bombs. European whites are where it's at...just ask Beck. 93+ pts.

8/9/2010 - Jared wrote:

Poured this gorgeous beauty into the decanter and agressively swirled for a minute and then let sit for roughly 30 minutes. Medium ruby-red, it immediately assaults your senses with wild strawberries, herbs de provence, bright red cherries, a nice smoky quality, and even hints of olive. As with the 05, this is a much more feminine wine than any other wines in the Cayuse portfolio. Medium weight on the palate brimming with red twizzler action (which I love), perfectly ripe raspberries, the cherries again, and the cool garrigue style component that I find in Pegau. The transition to the finish is polished and smooth and although the wine is medium in power, it actually surprises you with sneaky length. This wine will certainly benefit from an additional 3-5 years on its side, but it's pretty damn good now. 94+

5/25/2010 - Jared wrote:

My third experience with this wine. You've got to be kidding me. The 2nd time I had this wine I bestowed upon it my first ever 100 points. Maybe I need to adopt Parker's new scoring system and give it 102 points this time as it was that good. Funkdified on the nose with herbs, sour fruit, bacon wrapped pork (double pig, baby!), and that dried pineapple thing that is so intriguing. Layers and layers of syrah goodness on the palate. This is essentially, for me, syrah as its best.

5/25/2010 - Jared wrote:

The one syrah that I don't have a ton of experience with (probably only drank 4 or 5 bottles). This exhibited the trademark dark cherry fruit with grilled meat. Balanced and pretty polished. These wines are just getting better.

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.

5/25/2010 - Jared wrote:

The third vintage of this wine and it keeps getting better. Christophe seems to be most proud of this wine. So delicate but possessing so much intensity. Think of a pot of wild strawberries, cherries, and raspberries with a bouquet garni. Can't wait to receive my 6 of these!