March 12, 2024 - Tenth and last bottle. It's still outstanding but just starting to show some brown and doesn't have quite as much fruit as earlier bottles. Time to drink.
Ric
January 15, 2024 - This one lingers - long and memorable finish. On day 2, when I opened the cork, I smelled it and immediately remembered the taste from the night before. This is so earthy and sappy. By now, on Day 3, the funk is completely integrated and there is just outstanding dark fruits, rocks, some smoke and meat. This is my first real Cayuse experience (I've had the No Girls wines) and I have to say, I get it!
January 3, 2024 - 30 minute decant. Can’t fake the funk, and this has it to spare! Mushroom, grilled beef, stewed tomato, and loam glide into plum and dried bing cherry, presenting a long and energetic finish. Tannins completely mellowed. Wouldn’t hold much longer.
December 14, 2023 - Emergency PnP towards the end of our Holiday Party. Was never given a chance to open up as it was a hit that vanished into thin air. Typical Cayuse funk on the nose, tapenade and earth.
July 15, 2023 - 30 minutes in the glass and it did not change for hours thereafter. Cayuse can be over-the-top for many, but those looking for a more traditional northern Rhone style won't be put off by this bottling. Plenty of olive tapenade to go with black and red fruits, some touches of white pepper and sweet Oak. A 40+ second finish really seals the deal. Very smooth.
July 15, 2023 - Ninth time tasting since 2016. Aromas were elegant and complex, only a slight amount of the roasted meat-olive often in their syrahs. Flavors are smooth and round, medium body, medium-long aftertaste. It did not have the "Wow!" value it's had in the past. Time to drink up.
Ric
January 20, 2023 - Surprisingly approachable and ready to drink already. Cayuse funk is toned down and well integrated into a nice layer of fat. Delicious!
January 15, 2023 - No notes taken. Quite typical Cayuse with all the telltale dark fruit mixed with olives, earthy tones and some Caysue funk. A wall of fine tannins and a strong, good acidic backbone to cut through all the intensity. I like that style quite a lot. Not too intense, not too ripe but unapologetic new world. We had this next to the Sine Qua Non Five Shooter Syrah 2010, and the Cayuse took it home easily, as the wine showed much more earthy and olive character, better balancing all the fruit there is while the SQN was still all about fruit and will need to flesh out further.
January 1, 2023 - Eighth time tasting since 2016. This was the least impressive bottle, though still excellent. Aromas were elegant and complex, only a slight amount of the roasted meat-olive often in their syrahs. Flavors are smooth and round, medium body, medium-long aftertaste. It did not have the "Wow!" value it's had in the past. Time to drink up.
Ric
November 24, 2022 - Method: decanted for 25 minutes; Grassl 1855; about 61 degrees
Look: medium garnet with light bricking
Nose: violets, fresh mint, tons of bacon fat, light under ripe raspberry or cranberry, bay leaf
Palate: raspberry, black cherry, roast beef; long- finish garrigue, iodine, bay leaf, bacon fat, light roast beef; dry; medium to medium- body; medium- very fine tannin; medium acidity
Overall thoughts: Once I smelled the bacon fat, it was hard to smell anything else... not really a bad thing :). So interesting and so complex. Just enough fruit to contrast the savory, earthy and meaty notes. Fairly beautiful wine that waltzes over the palate rather than taking over. Intellectually stimulating and tasty. Excellent, world class wine!
Update: Paired wonderfully with lamb! With the lamb, the wine showed fairly bright raspberry with a nice mint undertone. A touch more acid to better cut through the fat wouldn't hurt, but excellent pairing regardless.