No Girls La Paciencia Vineyard Syrah 2009
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Wine Spectator
Juicy plum, blackberry and mineral aromas and flavors leap from the glass, balancing a mass of flavor on a remarkably open texture with amazing finesse. Displays tremendous focus, depth and charm, offering hints of exotic spice and black olive. Drink now through 2025. 163 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Baron’s 2009 No Girls Syrah – from his young Paciencia Vineyard and an officially separate winery (for more about which see my review of the corresponding Grenache) – sojourned in older barriques but was moved to tank early. “I think we would have lost some of the aromatics and freshness if we would have left it in barrel,” notes Baron’s assistant, Elizabeth Bourcier. Scents of red meat, basil, hibiscus, cherry, and blueberry along with a whiff of wood smoke establish the themes for a satisfyingly juicy and expansive but in no way heavy palate presence. A bite of black pepper, invigorating crunch of berry seeds, and saliva-inducing salinity add to the fruity exuberance and savory meatiness of a memorably long, luscious finish. If you want to taste proof of Baron’s assertion that there need be no dip in quality after the third leaf of young vines, look no further! This ought to be worth following for at least half a dozen years.
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No Girls Wines was originally founded as a collaboration between Cayuse Vineyards' owner and vigneron Christophe Baron and general manager Trevor Dorland. As the project has evolved, we are very pleased to include other Cayuse employees including Cayuse assistant vigneronnes Elizabeth Bourcier and Laura Pursley, and controller Nancy Nestler.
These team members prove that No Girls represents an appreciative nod to one of Walla Walla's richest and most colorful eras—it doesn't literally mean no girls. It means that by creating wines true to our valley, we're celebrating our history.
The grapes come from the Cayuse La Paciencia vineyard, which means patience—appropriate since the project was ten years in the making. The vines are tightly spaced and planted on an angle, giving No Girls a personality all its own.
These are serious wines, not Cayuse seconds. They're focused and pure—food friendly creations that eloquently express the rocky terroir from which they spring.
Real Wine. No Tricks.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.