Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Syrah 2017
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This showed captivating aromas of raspberry, smoke and underbrush and a silkiness of texture that reminded me of a big Burgundy.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The only Syrah that includes some Viognier, the 2017 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard (this is the same site used for the Viognier) is always a great representation of the vintage as well as the wines of Christophe Baron. Ruby/purple-hued, with a rocking bouquet of black raspberries, smoked game, black pepper, and spring flowers, it has plenty of classic Rocks funkiness and meaty notes, medium to full body, a core of sweet fruit, and a great, great finish. It ranks with the top two to three wines in this vintage. It opens up nicely with time in the glass and shows well today, and it’s certainly going to cruise for 15+ years or more.
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James Suckling
Lots of blackberry, tar and blueberry aromas with hints of dried earth. Full bodied, tight and focused with intensity and savoriness in the center palate. Plush and attractive at the end, but not overpowering. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard begins generous and inky in the glass, with black fruit at its core and floral aromas of violets and lavender followed by a soft smokiness with layers of olive tapenade and dust-covered black raspberry. Full-bodied, the Cailloux Syrah is intensely complex and reveals layers of crunchy minerality and silky tannins that frame the elegant notions of cherry blossom in the mouth. Ending with a long-lingering and sophisticated finish, the wine continues to reveal its subtleties, expressing umami and savory characteristics. Proving to be yet another stellar bottling from the Cayuse team, the wine dares me to keep my hands off the glass.
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Wine Spectator
Structured and impeccably layered, with rich and expressive blueberry and raspberry flavors, laced with licorice, bacon fat and crushed stone notes that pick up speed toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2030.
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Wine Enthusiast
Coming from the estate’s first vineyard planted in 1997, the aromas are reserved, with notes of soot, raspberry, dried herb, smoked meat, asparagus and plum. The palate brings a sense of elegance, purity and freshness that is captivating. A lingering finish caps it off. It’s a pretty, understated offering from this site.
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An adventure in the new world
Christophe Baron grew up among the vineyards and cellars of his family's centuries-old Champagne house, Baron Albert. His sense of adventure, however, led him to become the first Frenchman to establish a winery in Washington State.
While visiting the Walla Walla Valley in 1996, Christophe spotted a plot of land that had been plowed up to reveal acres of softball-sized stones. This stony soil, this terroir, was just like that of some of the most prestigious French appellations. The difficult ground would stress the grapevines, making them produce more mature, concentrated fruit.
He named his vineyard after the Cayuse, a Native American tribe whose name was taken from the French cailloux--which means, rocks. Hours of back-breaking work later, Cayuse Vineyards has become five vineyards encompassing 41 acres.
The majority is planted with Syrah, and the rest dedicated to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Tempranillo and Viognier. All of the vineyards are planted in rocky earth within the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Cayuse was the first winery in Washington State to use biodynamic farming methods.