Today we share some of the finest wines in North America. Famed Cayuse Vineyards is a story about singular terroir. Christophe Baron was raised in Champagne and was was the youngest heir of the famed Champagne house, Baron Albert. His ancestors had worked the land at Baron Albert since 1677. As a young boy Christophe worked harvests 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.
While I regularly sit with Christophe and Bionic Wines director of winemaking, Elizabeth Bourcier, to taste their wines, this year I took my time with the wines in my home over many hours. 2021 is turning out to be a beautiful vintage for red wines. Elizabeth Bourcier makes some of the finest Rose you will taste in the New World. I was blown away with the 2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose (OB, 95) which is texturally elegant and very layered with serious nuance. Don’t miss out on the perfect 2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine (OB, 100) which is very Chateau Rayas in its mouthfeel, silky texture and pure red fruits. Equally good is the 2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah (OB, 100) which is a total masterclass, with gobs of stuffing and mouth-watering acidity. Learn more about these incredible future release wines at https://cayusevineyards.com Here are the incredible wines by Cayuse Vineyards (release fall 2024).
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Viognier- This stunning 100% Viognier was soured from the stony Cailloux Vineyard, planted in 1997 and set outside the town of Milton-Freewater, Oregon. The 2022 Viognier was aged in both concrete eggs and stainless steel prior to bottling. The wine is aromatically stunning with star jasmine and honeysuckle tones that combine with Macadamia nut and wet rocks. The palate is silky smooth throughout the drinking experience, with impeccable balance in terms of weight, verve and texture. It is best consumed on the warmer side. Rich honeydew melon, starfruit and shades of mango, with copious stony minerals all combine on the palate. A wow-factor white wine from this story terroir, consume this beauty now and over the next seven plus years. Drink 2024-2031- 96
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose- Another knockout Rose release, the 2022 ‘Edith’ was sourced from the Armada Vineyard and is 100% Grenache that was aged for10 months in a combination of stainless steel and concrete. A gorgeous pink hue, this opens with wet stone, juicy nectarine and bright red fruits, with light red rose petal and white grapefruit blossom tones. The palate is remarkably smooth and textured, with fabulous underlying finesse. Very pretty strawberry and guava fruit flavors combine with pomegranate, tangerine zest, with stony essence. This may just be the finest edition of this wine made as this is arguably the finest Rose from the Pacific Northwest that I have ever tasted. Only 149 cases made. Drink 2024-2032- 95
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine- Showing a deeper core than the 2020 bottling, the stunning 2021 ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine has a small amount of Syrah blended in. Coming from the stony Armada Vineyard , planted in 2001, the Grenache was stored for 21 months. Once on the nose this exudes class with its dizzying array of aromatics, ranging from red currants, wet stone and Hoisin sauce to black truffle shavings, Nori and shades of tangerine zest. The palate is deep and concentrated, as well as exceedingly stony. Not for the weary, this produces a silky texture and has serious weight yet reminds very light on its feet. Very fresh, showing great underlying finesse, this is generous in its core of downright sexy red fruit flavors, with copious minerals. Reminiscent of the 2018, this is nothing short of perfection in a bottle. You could buy Chateau Rayas and pay five times the price of this bottle. Save your money and purchase this stunner while you can. Only 538 cases made. Drink 2024-2034- 100
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Flying Pig’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Flying Pig’ is a stunning blend of mostly Cabernet Franc (59%) with the remainder Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is marvelously stony, as it was aged in 30% new French oak before bottling. Garrigue and wet stone parade around chocolate, allspice dusted black currants and bacon fat tones on the palate. Gorgeous and full of life, with bright underlying tension, enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 96
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘The Lovers’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘The Lovers’ has a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) than the previous 2020 bottling. Thyme and crushed mint flavors mingle well with bright Bing cherry, wet stone, anise and shades of steak tartare on the palate. Refined and generous with its broad mouthfeel, richness and length, this is a fabulous effort that is drinking marvelous now and will continue to produce enjoyment for another ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 95
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Camaspelo’ Red Wine- The brilliant new 2021 ‘Camaspelo’ is a silky combination of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller portions Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was aged for 19 months in 30% new French oak. The wine shows off oyster sauce notes on the palate alongside scorched earth, coffee grounds and Umami notes on the palate, alongside pure red fruit flavors. The mouth-watering acidity is really impressive as this beautiful wine will show well for another decade. Drink 2024-2034- 96
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- One of the great Cabernet Sauvignon wines from this region, the 100% varietal ‘Widowmaker’ was stored for 18 months in 30% new French oak before bottling. Initially alluring with violets and black tea as well as tar and kirsch with sandalwood accents all line the noes. The palate is deep and rich, loaded with rich black fruits, stony essence, orange peel and exotic spices. A stunner in this warm vintage, as the seamless texture makes this beauty glide, enjoy this fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon bottling now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2038— 96
2020 Cayuse ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah- A world-class wine from the stones, the 2021 ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ has only 3% Viognier blended in. Stored for 18 months in large format oak barrels (15% new) this site was first planted all the way back in 1997. An inky color, this opens with a gorgeous bouquet of Mandarin orange blossom, gunpowder, smoked brisket and seaweed notes. The palate is fresh and refined with a silky texture and great sense of underlying tension and weight. Showing some serous stony character, this is a beautiful wine that will cellar well over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 98
2020 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2021’En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah comes from this location that was formerly a cherry farm that was planted to Syrah by vigneron Christophe Baron back in 1998. Stored for 18 months in 15% new French oak, this opens with wet stone and Nori notes that combine with pretty pink grapefruit blossom and shades of bulls blood, garrigue and charcuterie. The palate is vibrant and deep with a silky texture, showing no rough edges. A joy to consume now in its fresh and full-throttle youth, savor this beauty over the next decade. What a wine! Drink 2024-2034- 99
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Syrah- The incredible 2021 Cayuse ‘En Chamberlin was first planted to phyloxera resistant rootstock in 2000 as this ten acre site is set on ancient cobblestones. The nose is beautifully fragrant with pink florals that combine with smoke, Herbs de Provence, white pepper dusted bacon and shades of green olive tapenade. The palate is seamless and wonderfully stony, as this flirts with perfection showing a very pure black and red fruit profile, loaded with stony and Umami nuance. Everything is in marvelous balance here in terms of weight, texture and underlying freshness. Drink 2024-2034- 99
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah- A total stunner, the 2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ is a bigger, bolder edition than the outstanding 2020. Aged in 20% new large format French oak before bottling, the heady aromatics hit you with roasted dates, black currants, Nori, smoldering stones, iodine and shades of menthol that all meld in the glass. The palate is plush, round and generous with an opulent texture and great sense of underlying tension. The push-pull between richness and verve is perfection and pure silk to consume. A sensational wine to indulge in now, this has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2036- 100
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah- The intoxicating 2021 ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah is an otherworldly effort from this warm vintage. Planted at roughly 1800 vines per acre, this 7-acre vineyard, created in 2001 was the highest density planting in the Walla Walla Valley until 2008. Weighing in at 14.1% alcohol, this opens with an intense bouquet of iodine, chorizo and red rose petals that combine with orange blossom, tar and sweet pipe tobacco. The palate is viscous and smooth with a marvelous sense of mouthfeel, weight and finesse. This bottling is considerably better than the outstanding 2020, as this is utter perfection in the glass with its oyster sauce and rocky soil accents on the palate. Loaded with mouth-watering acidity and weight, what a pleasure this is to consume now. Drink 2024-2034- 100
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Wallah Wallah Special #15 Syrah (1.5L)- This ebullient, magnum-only ‘Wallah Walla Special #15’ Syrah is sourced from a range of Christophe Baron’s vineyards which he and director of winemaking Elizabeth Bourcier have chosen to make this blend. This may be the finest edition of this wine to date. Stored in roughly 15% new French oak for 18 months, the wine is highly refined and a stunning combination of savory, stony and black fruits. Tar and tobacco leaf mingle well with Umami and charcuterie notes on the palate, as this is beautifully textured and flirts with perfection. An incredible wine made in a great vintage, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen years. But why wait? Drink 2024-2038- 99
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Impulsive’ Tempranillo- Coming from the En Chamberlin Vineyard, the 2021 ‘Impulsivo’ is a hedonistic, beautiful wine from this outstanding vintage. On the nose this takes on layers of hoisin sauce and bacon fat that parade with wet stone, dark currants, crushed wet stones, huckleberry compote and beautiful black florals. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and beautiful sense of elegance. Finishing long with stony, chocolate and herbal accents, this is a stunning new wine that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2038- 98