It is my distinct honor to share some of the finest wines in North America. Cayuse Vineyards was founded by vigneron Christophe Baron back in the 1990s. 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. He made the brilliant decision to plant his first vineyard back in 1997 on the cobblestone-laden lands outside of Milton-Freewater. Baron 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.
It was such as pleasure taking an afternoon to taste through these wines. 2022 was somewhat of a miracle vintage that was very cool vintage that had a warm fall that really helped push ripeness levels. These were some of the most incredible wines that I have tasted from this vintage as they are quite simply an otherworldly range of wines. The 2023 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose (OB, 95) is the finest Rose wine that I have tasted in the past year. There is nothing quite like this in terms of texture, flavor range and stony terroir.
Don’t miss out on the perfect 2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine (OB, 100) which is arguably the finest Grenache wine in North America. There is quite honestly nothing like this wine in terms of flavor range, stony character and underlying finesse. Learn more about these incredible future release wines at https://cayusevineyards.com Here are the incredible wines by Cayuse Vineyards (release fall 2024).
2023 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Viognier- Sourced from the famed Cailloux Vineyard which was planted back in 1997, the sensational 2023 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Viognier was stored in a combination of stainless steel and concrete eggs before bottling. Vibrant honeysuckle and freshly cut limes combine with shades of papaya, mango and baking spices on the nose. The palate is fresh and viscous, with serious texture and tension. Wait for the near-minute long finish! A total stunner, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2025-2033- 96
2023 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose- The dazzling 2023 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose is entirely made from Grenache grapes sourced from the Armada Vineyard. The wine was aged for 10 months in a combination of stainless steel and concrete. A salmon hue greets you in the glass, as this delivers lifted red rose petals and orange blossom tones on the nose, alongside shades of nectarine skin and damp earthy accents. The palate is round and generous, yet maintains a sterling sense of tension throughout the drinking experience. Showing its true stony essence, with red florals and a rich core of melon and pretty red fruits, this may just be the finest Rose you will taste in North America. Enjoy while you can as only 163 cases were made. Drink 2025-2032- 95
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine- This 2022 edition of this famed bottling stands considerably more translucent than the ’21. A small amount of Syrah has been added to the otherworldly 2022 ‘Gold Only Knows’ Red Wine. Stored for 21 months in neutral French oak, this comes from vines planted all the way back in 2001. The nose is marvelously floral with pink and red rose petals that parade with Satsuma orange zest, white truffle shavings, strawberry Starburst candy and suggestions of Oyster sauce that all meld in the glass. The heady aromatics bring you back for more enjoyment. The palate is quite different than the ’21, being considerably more nervy — more reminiscent of the 2017. Without a doubt this edition flirts with perfection, as this beautiful bottling is arguably the finest Grenache made in North America. Enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. But why wait? Drink 2025-2033- 99
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Flying Pig’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Flying Pig’ has less Cabernet Franc (43%) than the ’21 edition with 48% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. Stored in mainly natural oak barrels for 18 months, this delivers wet stone and sweet pipe tobacco aromatics that combine with boysenberry compote, and smoked pork shoulder. The palate is soft and refined, showing marvelously stony essence that combines with bright red fruits, orange peel and shades of beef drippings on the palate. Complex and delicious, enjoy now and over the next ten years to come. The novelty is there, as this is really unlike anything you will taste in North America. Drink 2025-2035- 96
2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘The Lovers’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘The Lovers’ is nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (89%) with the remainder Syrah. Stored for 21 months in 30% new French oak this delivers Provencale herbs and beef brisket notes on the nose with black cherry compote and suggestions of anise and black licorice that all combine in the glass. The palate is brimming with tension and bright acidity. Delightful to enjoy right now, with its smooth texture and beautiful length, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years to come. Drink 2025-2035- 95
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Camaspelo’ Red Wine- The astonishingly good 2022 ‘Camaspelo’ is a mouth-watering amalgamation of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller portions Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was stored for 18 months in roughly 30% new French oak. Umami and Nori combines with black truffle shavings, compost, orange peel and suggestions of bulls blood on the nos. The palate is silky smooth and refined, as this elegant bottling is already drinking beautifully. Enjoy over the next eight plus years to come. Drink 2025-2033- 96
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 ’Widowmaker’ was stored for 18 months in 30% new French oak prior to bottling. Alluring black rose petal aromas combine with beef tartare alongside umami, white pepper dusted orange peel and Middle-Eastern spices all meld in the glass. The palate is plush and beautifully structured, with marvelous stony undertones. Not as dense but marvelously nervy compared to the ’21, this is medium-bodied, very stony and beautifully-evolved stuff that has another eight to ten years to go in the cellar. Drink 2025-2035- 96
2022 Cayuse ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah- Another otherworldly bottling, the 2022 ’Cailloux Vineyard’ has 6% Viognier blended in (up from 3% in the ’21). This comes from 1997 Syrah and was aged for 18 months in mainly neutral oak puncheons. This bursts out of the glass with gorgeous high-tones from the Viognier, as alluring honeysuckle and pink grapefruit blossom notes mingle alongside shades of BBQ beef ribs, seaweed and rich roasted figs. The palate is plush and seamless with serious verve and texture. Very stony, floral and complex, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 98
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2022 ’En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah comes from this site that was formerly a cherry orchard. Stored for 18 months in 15% new French oak, this delivers beautiful stony tones that combine with iodine, milk chocolate, horse manure and suggestions of black truffle that all take shape in the glass. The palate is utterly seamless and soft with a vibrant sense of tension that runs through a beautiful core of black fruits, black florals and Umami character. Medium to full-bodied, this is every bit as the 2021 edition — and a touch more mineral-laden. What a wine! Drink 2025-2035- 99
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2022 Cayuse ‘En Chamberlin’ comes from vines that were first planted back in 2000.Stored in mainly neural oak puncheons, this offers creosote and beef drippings on the nose alongside dark florals, fresh sage and suggestions of Oyster sauce. The palate is elegant and refined, with great tension and a good sense of weight. Delicious and dense, with an ebullient core of dark fruits, this is already beautifully evolved stuff that has a decade or more ahead of it. Drink 2025-2035- 98
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah- The glorious 2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ is a gorgeous wine that shows tremendous power, depth and tension. Stored for 18 months in only 15% new French oak, this delivers a beautiful melange of red and dark florals on the nose with Satsuma orange zest, wintergreen and shades of Hoisin sauce. Like the ’21 edition, there is a marvelous push-pull in terms of weight, depth and underlying nerve. Very stony and savory, this is nothing short of a perfect wine that will live on for at least another ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 100
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah- The world-class 2022 ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah come from this tight-spacing site that was planted at 1800 vines per acre. This location in the stones is now over 20 years of age. Green peppercorns and allspice dusted pork shoulder notes combine on the nose alongside Satsuma orange rind, soy sauce and shades of wild blackberry combine on this ultra-complex nose. The palate is refined and luxurious in terms of tension, depth and tension. Very rocky and mineral-laden, enjoy this beautifully bottling over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 99
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Wallah Wallah Special #16 Syrah (1.5L)- A stunning wine from the ’22 vintage, the mag-only ‘Wallah Walla Special #16’ Syrah comes from a range of vineyards that were blended together to make this very special wine. Stored in a small amount of new French oak barrels, this offers seaweed, wet rock and boysenberry cordial on the nose alongside bright black florals. The palate is rich and vicious considering the coolness of the vintage. This is very stony, with loads of non-fruit in terms of its Umami and seaweed character. Round and generous, with serious mouth-watering acidity, this still has a long way to go in the bottle. If enjoying now, give this 30 plus minutes in the decanter prior to enjoying. Drink 2025-2040- 99
2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Impulsive’ Tempranillo- The 2022 ‘Impulsivo’ comes from the En Chamberlin Vineyard that was planted back in 2000. On the nose this takes on layers of soy sauce and Umami with wet stone, short-rib and black cherry compote that all take shape in the glass. The palate is silky and refined, with marvelous stony character and loads of freshness. Full-bodied and very nervy, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2025-2035- 98