2004 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard- USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (5/21/2010)
The nose was full of burnt rubber, raw meat and a sexiness that just drew your nose to the glass. On the palate, the entry was smooth, full of cherry, and a smokiness that I would associate with a fireplace inthe winter in Stowe VT as ooposed to the smoke from a Marlboro light. There was a vegetal greenness that I had trouble getting my arms around. A bit of green pepper as well as pine tress and moss. This wine is a thoughtful wine: every sip forces you to stretch your sensory limits. I think the extra bottle age helped smooth out the front end. Maybe with a little more time, the back end will come through as well. I would also descibe tis wine as chewy, unctuous and primal. This was my last bottle of this vintage. A funeral for a friend that I wish I had gotten to know better before the last one ran out. (93 pts.)
Had the '01 of this wine last night. First time I had a Cayuse and I was impressed with the balance underlying the richness. More complex than I expected either.
Damn. Thanks to CT, I discovered I had the '01 Cailloux before, about 5 yrs ago. The mocha (oak) and too-rich fruit I had noted before have been fully integrated. Most interesting.
Andrew, this doesn’t surprise me all that much as I feel most of the wines in the Cayuse portfolio really shine at about the eight year mark. As good as the older vintages are, its the newer ones that could really get scary, with each passing year gaining in both complexity and refinement – and yet not at the expense as coming off as being over manipulated or extracted. Dale
Couldn’t agree more Dale.I am just now popping the 03s and they are fully integrated and very refined with years ahead of them.Like you,I think that from 06 on Christophe has taken Cayuse to even greater heights and he believes the 08s are his best yet.
Thanks for the note Rich. Agree with Dale and Mike about the wines getting better with age, especially the Cailloux. Also agree with Dale about how scary good the new vintages have been and look forward to trying in a few years. I had the priviledge of trying some recently bottled 08s and they were so balanced and mineral driven and IMHO may turn out better then the 07s. The 09 barrel samples continued this theme…