Bottle Notes, Syrah

2003 Cayuse Syrah En Chamberlin – Bottle Notes

2003 Cayuse En Chamberlin

Cayuse was founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, a native of France who grew up in family of winemakers in Champagne. Baron studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne, and had ambitions to make Pinot Noir in Oregon. However, on a visit to Walla Walla he found property that he believed would be perfect for growing grapes and decided to purchase the land.

En Chamberlin is a 10 acre vineyard that was planted in 2000. This vineyard produces The Widowmaker Cabernet Sauvignon, Impulsivo Tempranillo and En Chamberlin Syrah.

The wine is a gorgeous ruby red in color. Intense aromas of cherries, soy sauce, iron and grilled meats. The palate has so much going on: cabbage, bacon, blood, meat, herbs and a ton of black fruits. There is a fabulous sweetness to this wine that underlies all the funky complexity you expect in a Cayuse Syrah. Drinking this wine is like curling up with a great book – the finish literally lingers for well over 60 seconds. Brilliant wine.

My rating: 96 points.

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!

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6 thoughts on “2003 Cayuse Syrah En Chamberlin – Bottle Notes

  1. Cool bottle note, Tom! I like how you open with the background of the winemaker and winery, follow with a discussion of the vineyard, and then conclude with the tasting notes. After reading your notes, I can hardly wait to try my 2005 Cayuse Syrah En Chamberlin and then compare and contrast with your notes on the 2003.

  2. Nice post! Glad to hear it’s aging well! The first EC I had was ’06 and it really caught my attention. Happy to have an allocation…! :)

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