Tom Garland

9.2

What a suprise!! A free bottle shipped to all on Christophe Baron mailing lists(Cayuse, Hors Categorie, Horespower, No Girls) and a zoom tasting with the bionic frog himself, for this new wine from No Girls winery. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Tempranillo, from younger vines.

1 hour decant. An exquisite medium dark purplish garnet color. On the nose: big nose of cherry, grilled meat, a slight Cayuse funk(luv it), leather, dark chocolate, pencil lead. Taste: juicy, fresh medium body wine with plum, baking spice, milk chocolate, grapefruit, leather, and a nice looonnnggg finish. A fun, easy to drink wine now or over the next 4 years. You know you want some!!! — 4 years ago

with Brenda

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This wine seriously has more bacon fat and pork than I've experienced in a bottle. The fruit is one of the last things I will have in this description. It's why there is a pig in the picture collage! I had to do it because right now that is the dominating flavor of the wine. I am going to come back to this in a bit. Let's see what happens after some time in the decanter. This starting to calm down a bit. On the nose, bacon fat, pork, grilled meats, BBQ sauce, olive, loads of milk chocolate, brine, brown sugar, dried blood, pepper, black plum, dark cherries, blackberries, faint strawberries, dry stones, loamy clay soil, scorched earth, soy sauce and decayed dark florals. The mouthfeel is thick and brooding. Everything on the nose is on the palate. The acidity is round. The finish is thick, rich with intense flavors that stick to the palate and linger endlessly. If I had more bottles of the 06 En Chamberlin, I'd wait another 8-10 years to open them. It's still a monster. Photos of; the front of their tasting room in downtown Walla Walla that is generally always closed, the stone vineyard of Cayuse that needs to be horse plowed, Christophe Baron (owner), ready to pick grapes and a field pig...just because their is so much pork in this wine. Producer notes and history...while visiting the Walla Walla Valley in 1996, Christophe Baron spotted a plot of land that had been plowed up to reveal acres of softball-sized stones. He became ridiculously excited. This stony soil, this terroir, reminded him of vineyards he had visited in France (Rhone Valley) and Spain. The difficult ground would stress the grapevines, making them produce more mature, concentrated fruit. Christophe Baron had found a new home. He named his vineyard after the Cayuse, a Native American tribe whose name was taken from the French cailloux–which means, of course, rocks. Hours of back-breaking work later, Cayuse Vineyards has become five vineyards encompassing 50 acres: Armada, Cailloux, Coccinelle (Ladybug), En Cerise (Cherry), and En Chamberlin. The majority of the vineyards are planted with Syrah, and the rest dedicated to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. All of the vineyards are planted in rocky earth within the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Cayuse was also the first winery in Walla Walla to farm using biodynamic methods. These highly stressed vineyards average a yield of only two tons or less per acre (30 hectolitres per hectare), resulting in wines true to each vineyard’s unique terroir. Cayuse specializes in four estate-vineyard Syrahs, along with Bionic Frog Syrah, Impulsivo Tempranillo, Widowmaker Cabernet-Sauvignon, two Bordeaux blends named Camaspelo & Flying Pig and Viognier. Look for their other partnership wines; Horsepower & No Girls if you haven't already. Nearly 100% all mailing list, restaurants and secondary markets. — 7 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.5

Color - dark purple garnet. A bold expressive funky perfume fruit nose so classic of Cayuse with mineral-meat, smokey and mint notes lingering with a vanilla toast scent. Juicy and elegant; rich with dark plum-cherry flavors intertwined with a smokey soil bacon bitters taste—the mineral-iron characteristics follow with a tobacco long finish. Looking forward to seeing how the flavors change with different foods and as the wine opens up. Bionic Frog is favorite and definitely a wine to try and store in your cellar. Christophe Baron does it again! — 4 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Paul A

9.3

In magnum — 5 years ago

with Cassie, Jay and 1 other

Shay A

9.4

I opened this alongside a 2012 Cedric Bouchard Bechalin BdN, Krug 167, Vilmart Coeur, and a 2014 Christophe Baron.

After having the 2013 Laherte Empriente about 6 weeks ago, I was curious to try this. This took the best parts of the Empriente (aromatics of spiced Granny Smith apples, honeysuckle, Carmex?, and chamomile), and improved on the parts that were lacking (more robust, fleshed out palate of lemon confit, herb crusted yellow fruits, lemon cream spread over English biscuits, and truffle honey). This leans oxidative (on the palate) without the sherry notes aromatically. The lean and racy style in regards to dosage is much more in harmony than the Empriente (which came across as too dry and in need of added dosage). This improved as the night went on (expected for a 2015 champagne), so enjoy now if you have multiple or hold for a few years. Definitely buying more. — 4 years ago

Keith Fisher

9.7

Shows it’s Christophe Baron pedigree. More restrained than Bionic Frog, but still with a long finish. Probably will benefit from a couple more years in the bottle. — 5 years ago