Today we have a very special announcement and it is my great pleasure to name our 2021 Winery of the Year — Cayuse Vineyards. It is a remarkable feat that Walla Walla wine pioneer Christophe Baron and Cayuse resident vigneron Elizabeth Bourcier have now won this award a staggering four years out of five!
Christophe Baron continues to be one of the world’s eminent innovators in the wine industry with his new vineyards not only set in the stony terroir of Milton-Freewater but also his Hors Categorie Vineyard which creates an incredible Syrah with terroir that is unlike anything in the Pacific Northwest.
This year the 2018 wines by Cayuse Vineyards were utterly phenomenal and my reviews will be posted on the Vinous website in January as part of my Washington report. It was a magical vintage for his massive and dense 2018 ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah as well as his pillowy 2018 ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine which is not only arguably the best Grenache wine in North America but rivals anything in the world — particularly when you consider price. We wanted to offer our deepest congratulations on the great accomplishments by the superstars of Cayuse Vineyards. Wishing you all much joy the remainder of the holiday season.
With gratitude,
Owen Bargreen
