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 Vineyard was planted in 2000. This vineyard produces The Widowmaker Cabernet Sauvignon, Impulsivo Tempranillo and En Chamberlin Syrah.
Blood red in color. 14.6% ABV. Savory nose of red fruits, olive brine, charcuterie and minerals. Big, brooding and complex. Perfect acidity. Cherry liqueur, saline, grilled meats and a little cracked black pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish with some pronounced tannins. Deceptively young for a wine with 10 years of bottle age. What a stunner. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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!
Last year Christophe Baron finally made the cover of the Wine Spectator. Cayuse, Horsepower and No Girls make some of the top wines in Washington. Christophe recently launched a new project, Hors Categorie. Christophe also has a new vineyard in the works. Expect to hear more about Fiddleneck Vineyard in the next year or so. Lastly, Christophe at long last is hard at work on making a vintage Champagne. Details on this project are still a couple years out.
I blogged about Cayuse previously in The 2017 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings, Winery Mailing Lists: The Fab 5 and Cayuse Vineyards – Better than Ever.
I think that 2008 is my favorite vintage for Cayuse. PS had a taste of the Hors Catagorie and it was burley, delicious and pure Syrah.
07 and 08. Cayuse funk in balance with dense fruit. Did you try the Hors Catagorie at the open house?