Cayuse Vineyards is one of the few in Washington that literally needs no introduction. En Cerise Vineyard was planted in 1998. Translated from French, it means cherry – appropriate as the site was a former orchard.
Smelling and sipping a Cayuse Syrah evokes more descriptors than any other wine I can think of. Cherries (duh!), blood, iodine, meat, sausage, cabbage, tea, iron, minerals, smoke and rock. Savory and exquisite. Many wine lovers think Cayuse does not age well. We need to dispense with that notion.
The waiting list for the Cayuse mailing list is huge, and you need to be well-connected to get a bottle via retail. Either way, current vintages are worth the hunt!
My rating: 94 points