2006 Cailloux Vineyard Syrah
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Tasting notes
The deepest colored of the lineup, as well as the most powerful and concentrated, the 2006 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard is Hermitage-like with its dark, meaty core of fruit, iodine, chocolate and mineral-laced aromas and flavors. Not harvested until mid-October and aged in 15% new French oak barrels, this full-bodied, decadent and concentrated Syrah has another handful of years before hitting full-maturity, and will have 25+ years of ultimate longevity. It’s a tour de force in Syrah from Washington State!
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Naughty heavy bottle. From one of the state's pioneers of fine Syrah. Sweet, super-spicy, very aromatic, almost burgundian nose – what sort of barrels, I wonder? Extremely flattering wine that and hides its alcohol pretty well. I probably wouldn't really pick it as a Syrah until the dry, savoury finish but it's a good wine – if you can take the alcohol! (JR)
(15.3% alcohol, the only one of these 2006 syrahs that's over 15%; includes 4% co-fermented viognier; aged 18 months in all-new oak) Deep ruby-red. Head-spinning aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, raspberry, black olive tapenade, Szechuan peppercorn, gunflint and beef jerky. Deep, sappy and saline, with superb energy to the flavors of dark raspberry, musky brown spices, dark chocolate, black olive and pepper. Finishes with big, broad, dusty tannins and outstanding lift and length. Real wine-class syrah, expressive from the start but gaining in energy with extended aeration. This was better after 24 hours in the recorked bottle, with flavors of blackberry, black olive and pepper dominating. Winemaker/owner Baron points out that this is his flagship wine, with a production of 750 cases.