3/14/2024 - skifree wrote:

Definite meniscus but dark garnet in the glass. P&P, notes are from the second day after it sat in my passive cellar overnight. Purchased on release. This wine is all about finesse and balance, just so tasty from the first sip. Nose of black fruit. Black fruit, some underbrush (as BRR noted), and olive in the mouth, and some fine tannins on the finish. Enjoyed it most while pairing with different foods.

2/11/2024 - theraredram wrote:

Bafflingly mace and nutmeg heavy on opening, little else. Eventually opens up with leather, strawberry and an almost Barolo like tar. Bitter chocolate on the finish. Returning five hours later, I see little improvement.
Clearly opened very early but even so, very unforgiving and rather lacklustre.

(Before you all have a strop, I use much more of a score range than your redundant 89-95)

11/8/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote:

Classy, soft, and elegant. This is already drinking in a very sweet spot. Amazing how open this wine is at this young age. Very well balanced between fruit and a deep mineral core, the wine shows black plums and sweet blueberry, bathing in graphite and earth. A well made and soft haut Bailey, very reminiscent of the 2000 at release. Drink or Hold

11/4/2023 - jmcmchi Does not like this wine:

Tasted blind

I was one of two who thought the nose horrible

Hot on palate, surprised to find what it was

7/14/2023 - skifree wrote:

Flawed. Cork was very dry and wine was oxidized, all stewed and over-ripe fruits. Nice color, but very distinct meniscus at the rim of the glass.
Could not finish even one glass. Darn.

7/1/2023 - skifree wrote:

The price sucked me in on a Garagiste offer, and the fact that the grapes came from Oregon did as well. The good news is that there was no smoke taint. Sadly, for me it had the classic Wa. chard pear and apple, flabbiness, and simplicity that I have come to expect from home-grown chard. Good, but there is so much better available.

6/25/2023 - Ibetian wrote:

Popped and poured at our party. Drinking well, and a good value for CA cab. But old world wines with a bit more age stole the show.

4/10/2023 - jmcmchi wrote:

More smoke than I am comfortable with, riding over what would be attractive spice

3/7/2023 - skifree wrote:

Very opulent for a Bdx, but oh so beautiful. So much black fruit and anise that jumps out of the glass.

11/23/2022 - T.E.D. wrote:

Consumed over 2-3 hours. Still very young and tightly wound. The structure and balance is definitely there. Very much showing Pauillac qualities of brushed earth, crushed stones and gravel, touches of chalky berry.

10/15/2022 - skifree Does not like this wine:

First bottle of five I purchased from Garagiste, absolutely has signs of smoke taint. Clipped, bitter, and hint of ash on the finish. Undrinkable.

10/1/2022 - skifree wrote:

No decant. Medium garnet, small but distinct clear meniscus at the rim. On the first sip, some sweet cherry, but lots of tar and mineral takes over. Good acidity shows, it really sings with cheese. Some drying tannins on the finish are noticeable, especially on day 2. Have 6, thought it time to try.

6/30/2022 - skifree Likes this wine:

Voted first out of 9 chards from around the world in a blind tasting by the Seattle Tasting group - my first as well. Light, flowery, lots of stone fruit, excellent acid, was drinking beautifully.

6/9/2021 - Shrewsram Likes this wine:

14.5% vol
Very near opaque

Compact, deep, youthful nose. Notes of tar and coal, very black fruit focused. Lovely freshness, and it feels plenty cool, with a touch of mulch, black cherry and raspberry notes.

The palate has an incredibly layered silky quality, great focus, intensity and concentration. That stony backbone is there, along with gravelly minerals. Dense and rich with good lift and freshness, super fruit levels, but the pleasing terroir-driven quality prevails.

7/27/2021 - Chefcar wrote:

Technically this is a nice wine. I just can't seem to like the chalky earthiness of Cayuse wines. This red blend is better than the God Only Knows, but still not a favorite of mine.

9/12/2021 - nywine68 wrote:

Not sure what all the critics were raving about. Third bottle and consistently unenjoyable. Effervescent hints after opening, cooked fruit, no hint of typicity. Flushed it down the drain.

8/9/2021 - skifree wrote:

Agree with recent tasting notes that this is drinking beautifully. Still notice the alcohol on the nose, but in the mouth it is a melange of black fruit, dried herb, and minerality that gives a nice balance to the wine.

8/15/2018 - skifree wrote:

First bottle of the case that felt like a true Right Bank with very ripe red fruit dominating. I guess this is finally softening!

4/7/2021 - skifree wrote:

This was so different from my last bottle I was taken back a bit. It was muted instead of fresh and vibrant. Nothing was out of order but wondered if this was cooked given how different it was.

1/28/2021 - WKC Likes this wine:

Nose of floral bouquet, very fresh minerality with elements of lemon and apricot. Light on the palate with good length. Very charming, subtle and refined. Paired beautifully with seafood, pasta even chocolate wagyu. This is now my favorite Condrieu.

2/24/2021 - skifree wrote:

Very dark in the glass, almost no meniscus. Red fruits, sea breeze, and hints of briny olive on the nose. Cassis and tart berry in the mouth, and then a long saline and mineral finish to close things out. Yummy.

1/29/2021 - VinoGeeko wrote:

It was our first cayuse in recent memory. And possibly our first ever non-Syrah Cayuse. I drank this Friday with a filet roast, and though I was expecting a funky meatiness, it did not surface (we only gave had an hour before reaching the bottom of the decanter, so perhaps just not enough time for it to show its best. That said quite good varietal representation with blackberry fruit, chips of cedar, and a flake of graphite. With those three came a nice bouquet of violet. Exhibited well-integrated tannins with an excellent finish. 91 now, and will improve over the next few years.

11/1/2020 - BRR Likes this wine:

Not decanted. Wow! My last bottle was in 2013 and this has improved even since that great showing. Beautifully sweet fruit (raspberry, cherry) is the focal point, with perfect balance. Zero heat, nice structure, but tannins are an afterthought at this point in its evolution. This is maturing slowly, but I think it's into its peak window and will stay there for, dare I say, 10 years or more. Absolutely delicious. THIS is why one ages Betz Bdx blends!

8/8/2020 - skifree wrote:

This bottle lacked a cork! I was sure it must be flawed, but it held tight with the aluminum capsule - perhaps I found a way to age Loire Chenin Blanc. This was lovely, had gained a nuttiness to go along with the stone fruit. It was quite creamy in the mouth, delicious. Normally Chenin ages like an Ent.

6/6/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Tasted blind. Dark garnet and opaque. Definite cabernet characteristics of cassis, slightly herbal, but one-dimensional. On the palate, very full-bodied, but out of balance. There's plenty of fruit but it's one-dimensional. Too much tannin for the fruit, and too much "burn" from too high alcohol. Very nice, but a 90, not 100. Overrated and definitely overpriced, and I don't think either of those will be mitigated by time.
Ric

6/13/2020 - skifree wrote:

Very consistent with my other bottles. Ripe strawberry, salinity, and minerality all balanced to make a very enjoyable pairing with spicier dinners.

5/23/2020 - skifree wrote:

Decanted and drank over 3 days. First day, this was very tight, with lots of bright red fruit and cassis. Over the next two days (left the decanter in cellar) the wine gradually opened up, with lovely black fruit, hint of menthol, and beautifully integrated tannins. This is the first 2010 I have opened that was not close to being ready.

4/20/2020 - skifree wrote:

Quite tasty, purchased in Dec. of 2019. Nice bubbles, yeasty, some lemon-lime, almond skin, and mineral. Agree, for $20 yes.

2/1/2020 - short and confused wrote:

Light gold. Honey, truffle, peach and citrus on the nose. Rich with some real weight in the mouth but still with some freshness. This is excellent stuff. The tariff I payed was a bit steep ($65) but I think I am going to get a few more if I can. Truly delicious wine - low yields, late harvest, no manipulation. Yummy.

12/26/2019 - kr522 wrote:

I’ve owned this since release and check in occasionally to see how it’s doing, and while it’s fine i have to confess i don’t get the excitement. It benefits from the great vintage - deep fruited - but it’s burly and a bit ponderous. Heavy-handed wine making here.

3/12/2020 - skifree wrote:

Very tasty with loads of sweet white fruit and some almond skin on the finish. Would guess this has some Viognier in it.

1/23/2020 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine:

Union des Grand Cru de Bordeaux: Seattle: Syrupy sweet honey, apricot, quince and tropical fruits. A classic Sauternes that performed well.

1/16/2020 - zylmanj wrote:

I thought this was just ok. Please forgive my palate if I am missing the greatness. I just didn't think this was worth the price tag. I will try again in a few years and rate again....

5/21/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:

Rich and concentrated poached pear with pineapple tones and a hint of peach, which is probably about the ripeness of a year like 2015. Very good, but a total failure for QPR: $74 at the winery.

4/3/2019 - skifree wrote:

This came across for me as a gigantic wine that was putting its best foot forward. The tannins, alcohol, and oak are all integrated, so there was intense, beautiful fruit that dominated. Have no idea what 20 years will do for this wine.

10/14/2018 - dagij Likes this wine:

This is a very good Cantemerle in a very fresh edition, very typical of the 2010 vintage. Still extremely young, Deep ruby colour, intense aromas of dark cherries and black forest berries. More on the fresh sidem than on the sweet. The nose is confirmed in the mouth:bracing acidity gives a very fresh impression aslmost on the raspberry side. Good concentration and length, medium tannins, high acidity in the finish. A wine for food now. Will it get better? I don't know. I feel that many '10s lack fruit to match the acidity, and this is exactly in this vein. I'll open my next bottle in two years or so.

8/15/2018 - skifree wrote:

I think this was the best showing yet for this wine for me - real depth to the black raspberry and sandalwood. It will never be a blockbuster IMHO, but this bottle showed well against several other 2000 Medoc's in a 2000 horizontal tasting.

6/19/2018 - skifree wrote:

Brought to double-blind tasting of "random wines" for CT Seattle group, it was the group's favorite and my second place wine out of 9. Dark garnet in the glass, lots of tobacco and dark fruit in the glass. Add some cedar and firm tannins on the palate and finish. Did pick this out as my wine during the tasting.

4/9/2018 - Bordeaux 2013 wrote:

This was very disappointing given the excellent reviews from others. The wine didn‘t offer much flavours and in adition the acidity seemed too low to balance the heavy sweetness. Hope it was only this bottle (375ml) and that the others will be better. Anyone else who has experienced the same?

4/7/2018 - skifree wrote:

Seemed very popular as part of the "pre-function" wines at our wine group event focused on a Penner-Ash horizontal. No detailed tasting notes however.

10/18/2017 - skifree wrote:

Sun-ripened raspberries & strawberries plus anise on the nose, noticeable herbal element mixed with the fruit in the mouth, almost like garrigue. Noticed the anise again, plus earth and the herbal element on the finish. The tannins are in the background.

5/26/2017 - Take Two wrote:

Poured through vinturi and decanted for two hours. Drank with a simple, unsophisticated dinner. The positives -- I love a French wine who doesn't want to punch you in the face the way Americans think wine should be. Beautiful color, good body, short finish, medium texture. The negatives -- little taste. Instead, all you get is dull juice with little flavor. I thought long and hard what is it that I taste in this wine. The only word that comes to mind is rubber, but I think that's unfair to the wine.

2/16/2017 - skifree wrote:

This was scrumptious from the first sip. Honey, nut, and dried apricot on the nose. In the mouth is where you go "wow", this wonderful balance of sweet dried fruits, touch of honey, and spice. Again noticed that great balance of sweetness and acidity. The finish goes on and on. After reading Neal Martin's recent tasting notes on a Rieussec vertical in WA, I am wondering if these wines show best younger? This certainly was superb.

3/25/2017 - skifree wrote:

Tasted as part of the "50 Years of Ch. Ste. Michelle" seminar at 2017 Taste of Washington. (Four Seasons Seattle): Tasted as part of the "50 Years of Ch. Ste. Michelle" seminar at 2017 Taste of Washington. Very dark garnet in the glass. Nose shows menthol and too ripe fruit (big turnoff for me). Palate is much better, with bright fruit, tobacco, and good acidity evident. Finish is long, with cedar, tobacco, and tannins. 2014 of course was a very hot year in Washington.

1/26/2017 - skifree wrote:

Cork seemed fine, wine color was fine - very dark garnet with a very slight meniscus at the edge. The wine was not fine - big blast of vanilla oak and sweet fruit on opening, and as it aired an herbal, bitter, drying finish dominated. Score in the 70's, which means "not very good" for me. Did not finish the bottle. Opened another bottle (2006 Feather) to make sure my palate was not off, now that was excellent! Hopefully my other bottles from this estate are better.

12/22/2016 - skifree wrote:

Lovely bottle. Nose of beeswax, honey, and spice. White fruit and spice in the mouth, quite rich and low acid, thought it was best when first opened.

11/26/2016 - dkortukov Likes this wine:

Пьяное

1/2/2015 - mgriffith wrote:

- Garnet color.

11/2/2016 - mye wrote:

I'm not sure how i feel about this wine. Seems like a cabernet but with the Cayuse twist. With syrahs, that twist is delish.. with a cab maybe i'm too much of a purist. it was delicious with big doses of fruit, but not sure i'm a huge fan?

9/20/2016 - skifree wrote:

CT Seattle Merlot and Merlot blend Tasting (Amoroso Room, Bellevue Wine Storage): Dark garnet in the glass. Alcohol, bramble, and chocolate on the nose. Quite acidic in the mouth, with simple generic fruit blend dominating. Then the acids dominate the finish. Overall impression was of a simple wine. Tasted single blind at CT SEA merlot and merlot blend tasting. My eighth of nine, group's ninth of nine by a lot (it lost to a flawed wine!). The person who brought this was vocally adamant that they hated the wine, and were quite surprised to see it was the wine they brought upon reveal.