2006 Cayuse Syrah En Cerise Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Bright ruby-red. Wonderfully complex nose offers redcurrant, cherry pit, lavender and pepper along with more exotic hints of apricot and peach pit and white flowers ("my most pornographic wine ever," notes Baron). Suave and juicy on entry, then wonderfully sweet yet vibrant in the middle, with superb thrust to the dark fruit, pepper, olive and gunflint flavors. Finishes very long and subtle, with sweet, building flavors of tapenade and pepper and a slight hint of youthful reduction. Boasts terrific energy but will need a couple years of additional bottle aging to fully express itself.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2006 Syrah En Cerise Vineyard is a glass-coating opaque purple color. On the nose liquid asphalt, bacon fat, olives, and garrigue-like aromas offer much to contemplate. Intense, balanced, and totally succulent, it boasts a finish that just won’t quit. It delivers impressive immediate gratification but those who can wait for 5-7 years will be well rewarded. Christophe Baron remains in fine form. His estate, just on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla AVA, consists of five small but distinct vineyards (41 acres in total – with more on the way). Syrah and the Bordeaux varietals are the principal focus but some of the finest parcels of Tempranillo, Viognier, and Grenache grown in the USA are on this estate. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically and much of the estate is planted on rootstock to prepare for the day when phylloxera works its way through Walla Walla. The wines are all fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The one most visible change since last year’s visit is that some of the plowing is now done by horse power. It was quite a sight to see a giant plow horse take tiny steps to turn from one row into the next. Cayuse is no longer a secret and it may be America’s toughest mailing list to crack (consider the prices compared to some of the other cult collectibles) but do whatever it takes to get your hands on a few of these gems. Tel. (509) 526-0686; www.cayusevineyards.com