Cayuse Vineyards

There is something enchanting about pure terroir. You inhale it, you taste it in the glass and it can be haunting beyond belief. Such is true with the wines by superstar vigneron and Walla Walla wine pioneer Christophe Baron. An amazing story in wine, famed vigneron, Christophe Baron, was the youngest heir of the famed Champagne house, Baron Albert and his ancestors had worked the land at Baron Albert since 1677. Christophe learned about harvests and wine as a young boy and eventually studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne. After some travels he was drawn to the Willamette Valley, and was set on making great Pinot Noir. One day he was outside of Walla Walla and saw terroir inspired by the stony galets of Chateauneuf du Pape. We are all thankful that he decided to plant his vineyard back in 1997 and the rest has been history. Christophe has had unparalleled success in the Walla Walla Valley since that time, crafting stony wines that show an incredible combination of tension, range and terroir. 

Each year I sit down with Christophe and vigneronne Elizabeth Bourcier to taste their wines but this year due to the pandemic that wasn’t an option. I deliberately took my time with the wines sent to me and was completely floored with what they have achieved in 2017 — one of the great vintages of Cayuse wines that I have tried across the board. The freshness and tension in the wines is extraordinary. While these may not have the weight of the 2016 wines, there is plenty of stuffing and the ’17s are extremely light on their feet. 

There are many highlights in this incredible new lineup. A dazzling new Rose, the 2018 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose (WWB, 94) is amongst the best Rose wines in North America that I have sampled in the past year. Make sure this beauty opens up after an hour and you will be treated to nothing short of an extraordinary aromatic and flavor range. One of the great Grenache wines in North America, the  2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine (WWB, 99) flirts with perfection with its insane aromatic and flavor range. Bright and dazzling on the palate, the wine is sumptuous to enjoy now. Just as good was the 2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah (WWB, 99) which shows a seamless, pillowy texture and absolutely gorgeous range. This is one for any serious collector of Cayuse wines.Learn more about these incredible wines at https://cayusevineyards.com Here are the dazzling new wines by Cayuse Vineyards.

2018 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose- The 2018 ‘Edith’ Rose is a highly refreshing and gratifying new wine that has benefited that is amongst the best in North America. Sourced from the ‘Armada Vineyard’, once on the nose this takes on pretty red rose petals that mingle with cantaloupe and wet stone and smoky tones that all meld in the glass. The palate is wonderfully fresh and vibrant with great acidity and a seamless texture. Layers of Gravenstein apple, watermelon, nectarine and kumquat zest collide with minerals and smoky undertones on this complex palate. As the wine warms up, it becomes even more nuanced and complex. Scintillating in its youth, this stunning new Rose will enjoy another eight plus years of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2028- 94

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine- Primarily Grenache based, the 2017 ‘God Only Knows’ is a spellbinding, one of a kind effort by superstar vigneron Christophe Baron. The nose shows remarkable range from pretty red rose petals to green olive tapenade and charcuterie alongside wet stone and roasted figs that all meld in the glass. The palate shows an incredible verve and tension. Layers of bright guava and orange zest collide with smoky minerals, Umami, peat moss and salted prosciutto ham. The exceedingly long finish lingers. A complete wine, the 2017 ‘God Only Knows’ is absolutely scintillating in its youth and will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another decade to come. Drink 2020-2030- 99

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah- Showing some incredible range, the 2017 ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah is a stunning wine by vigneron Christophe Baron. Smoky tones combine with Hoisin sauce, Umami, green olive tapenade and wet stone with wild blackberry cordial tones that all take shape in the glass. The palate is fresh and vibrant with an incredible veil of tension that creates the lovely mouth-watering acidity. Satsuma orange rind and guava compote combine with salted charcuterie, and bacon fat with dried Provencale herbs and a dusting of white pepper all round out this monumental wine. This is the closest you can get to Hermitage in Washington. Outstanding in its vibrant youth, I can imagine this cellaring well for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2030- 97

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2017 ‘En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah is a captivating wine that has beautiful finesse, texture and range even at the three year mark. The wine is seamless, effortlessly gliding across the mid-palate. The Syrah takes on a beautiful purity of fruit alongside the outstanding range on the palate. Layers of green olive tapenade, bacon fat, white pepper and shades of wild mushroom and peat moss combine with the deep core of dark fruits and light veil of salinity that falls upon this complex wine. Viscous, with a soft mouthfeel and a wonderful sense of length, the 2017 ‘En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah will enjoy another decade or life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2028- 96

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah- Stony, savory and downright sexy, the 2017 ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah is a sensational new release by Cayuse Vineyards. Once on the nose the gorgeous Pink Grapefruit blossom tones artfully combine with Umami, white pepper, green olives and shades of smoked brisket with wet stone tones on this highly intoxicating nose. The palate shows incredible freshness and verve with a great sense of minerality. Layers of wild blackberry and huckleberry combine with Hoisin sauce, green peppercorns, black truffle shavings and shades of peat moss on this gorgeous palate. Complex, with great length, viscosity and tension, the 2017 ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah will enjoy a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2030- 96

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2017 ‘En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Syrah is a gorgeous effort from this famed estate in the Walla Walla Valley. Once on the nose the gorgeous rose water and Umami tones really entice, combining with wet stone, guava puree and shades of blood orange zest on this complex bouquet. The palate is beautifully textured with a silky mouthfeel. Layers of bright red fruits are woven together with Umami, wet stone, salted parma ham and seaweed tones on this complex palate. The flavor range is absolutely stunning as this beautiful wine will cellar well over the next ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 96

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Wallah Wallah No. 11’ Syrah- A blend crafted from a host of Cayuse Vineyards sites, the ‘Wallah Wallah No. 11’ is a spellbinding new release that has incredible terroir and tension. Once on the nose this takes on bacon fat with dried Provencele herbs and bulls blood with wild blackberry compote and Umami tones that all march on parade. The palate shows great tension and viscosity with a silky mouthfeel. Beautiful layers of bright black fruits meld with blood orange zest, smoked Kielbasa sausage, Kalmata olive tapenade and shades of white truffle shavings. The stony undertones really add to the enjoyment, as does the exceedingly long finish. Drink 2020-2030- 97

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah- The 2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah is a simply magical bottling by superstar vigneron Christophe Baron. The evocative nose takes you constantly back to the glass with glorious roasted duck, bacon fat, white pepper and shades of huckleberry compote with Umami tones that all sing in unison. The palate is seamless and profound, effortlessly gliding throughout the tasing experience. Densely packed kirsch notes collide with minerals, charcuterie, green peppercorns, seaweed and shades of bulls blood and kumquat zest. This rivals the best in Cote Rotie with its glorious range and texture. Utterly seamless and flirting with perfection now at the three year mark, the 2017 ‘Bionic Frog’ is truly one of the great wines of the vintage. Drink 2020-2032- 99

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Impulsivo’ Tempranillo- One of the iconic Tempranillo bottlings in North America, the 2017 ‘Impulsivo’ Tempranillo is a spectacular effort by superstar vigneron Christophe Baron. Sourced from the ‘En Chamberlin Vineyard’, the Tempranillo takes the lead with layers of Umami, bacon fat, cigar ash and green olive tapenade woven together with shades of blackberry compote and salted meats on this complex bouquet. The gorgeous aromatics bring you back to the glass for more indulgence. Once on the attack, the silky mouthfeel effortlessly glides across the mid-palate. The elegance of this wine is truly profound, as wild blackberry jam and Satsuma orange zest flavors meld with shades of Umami, bacon fat, tar and Yakima cherry on this complex palate. Wait for the exceedingly long finish that adds a brilliant crescendo to top off this masterpiece. Drink 2020-2030- 97

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘The Lovers’ Red Wine- The 2017 ‘The Lovers’ is a gorgeous blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Syrah. The nose shows wonderful smoky tones with wet stone and smoked brisket that are woven together with Asian spices and rose water tones that all mingle in the glass. The palate is fresh and downright vibrant showing a great veil of tension that falls on the core of dark fruits, with coffee grounds, wet stone, Umami and black olive tapenade flavors. This finishes extremely long. Gratifying to enjoy right now, this scintillating new bottling will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 95

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Flying Pig’ Red Wine- Always a one of a kind bottling, the 2017 ‘Flying Pig’ is a gorgeous Right Bank style blend of 50% Cabernet Franc with 39% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. The Provencale herbal tones really impress on the nose, with roasted dates, seaweed and creosote aromatics that all take shape in the glass. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a soft texture. Bright red currants collide with Umami, bacon fat, wild blackberry complete and shades of black licorice with smoky pipe tobacco all brilliantly combine on the palate. I love the finesse here. Long and generous, this has another ten plus years to go. Drink 2020-2030- 95

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Camaspelo’ Red Wine- A proprietary blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from t the En Cerise and Cailloux vineyards the 2017 ‘Camaspelo’ shows sage and black pepper tones alongside wet stone that all mingle together. The palate is soft and vibrant with wild blackberries and black cherry flavors with wet stone undertones alongside incredible freshness and verve. The brilliant freshness will make this sing over the next decade. Drink 2020-2028- 94 

2017 Cayuse Vineyards ‘The Widowmaker’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Downright awesome, the 2017 ‘The Widowmaker’ is a sensational new wine by eminent vigneron Christophe Baron. Once on the nose the Hoisin sauce and Asian spices really impress alongside wet stone, Umami, bacon fat and salted Kalamata olive tones. The palate is fresh and vibrant with wonderful tension. Layers of pretty dark fruits collide with minerals, Umami and smoky undertones on the palate. Seamless, with its incredible verve and texture, this beautiful wine has another ten plus years of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2032- 95