Ratings & Tasting Notes:
97 points Int’l Wine Review
Review Date: 03/2023
The 2020 Cailloux Vineyard Syrah is a combination of 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier that is co-fermented and then aged in 15-20% new French oak barrels for approximately 18 months. I love the lift that the small addition of Viognier adds to this wine – think white wildflowers on top of the meaty essence that only wine from this area can have. Dark purple cored with a bluish rim, ti boasts lovely notes of boysenberry, dried pink grapefruit zest, black-peppered charcuterie, and crushed olives. Wonderfully lush and robust, it finishes with that stony minerality and saline aspect that I adore from the wines of Cayuse. 829 cases were made of this stunning Syrah. Highly recommended. (JY)
95 points Jeb Dunnuck
Review Date: 06/2023
The only Syrah from this great estate that’s co-fermented with Viognier, the 2020 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard reveals a translucent ruby hue as well as classic Rocks (or as Christophe likes to call the region, the Stones) aromatics of red and black cherries, sous bois, smoked earth, rose petals, and ground pepper. It’s another more medium to full-bodied, very pretty, graceful, balanced release from this team offering fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. As with many 2020s here, it doesn’t have the density of the great vintages but shines for its beautiful balance and purity.
95 points James Suckling
Review Date: 05/2023
Such expressive and earnest syrah character, with swathes of peppery aromas here. White pepper, rosemary stems, salted olives, wild raspberries, licorice, smoked meat and grilled herbs on the nose, with a hint of peach. Focused and tight on the palate, with medium body and very tight tannins. Mineral and peppery. 96% syrah and 4% viognier, co-fermented. From biodynamically grown grapes.
Cult Wines International Notes:
Cayuse Vineyards is the brainchild of Christophe Baron, a visionary Frenchman who in 1996 recognized the untapped potential of the Walla Walla Valley’s “cobblestones”—basalt stones deposited by ancient floods that mirror the terroir of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Founded in 1997, the estate became the first in the region to utilize biodynamic farming, a practice Baron considers essential to capturing the “funk” and mineral grit of the soil. The Cailloux Vineyard, planted in 1997, was Baron’s first vineyard in the stones. It is renowned for producing a Syrah typically co-fermented with a small percentage of Viognier, a nod to the Côte-Rôtie tradition. This site is the ultimate expression of the Cayuse mission: transforming a seemingly inhospitable field of rocks into a world-class wine that prioritizes savory complexity, saline minerality, and floral aromatics over simple fruit.
The 2020 growing season in the Walla Walla Valley was marked by significant climatic variability and late-season challenges. The year began with a cool, wet spring that transitioned into a warm and consistent summer, providing ideal conditions for steady ripening and flavor development. However, the vintage was famously impacted by regional wildfires in September. While many producers in the Pacific Northwest faced smoke pressure, the “stones” of the Cailloux Vineyard, with their unique heat-retention properties and early-ripening Pinot Noir and Syrah clones, allowed for a timely harvest that largely mitigated these risks. The 2020 Cailloux Syrah emerged as a triumph of the site’s resilience, offering a wine with remarkable concentration, plush tannins, and the classic “umami” profile of olive tapenade and wet stone that defines this legendary vineyard.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Outstanding condition.
Please note: The condition of the bottle you will receive is accurately reflected by the one shown in the images.
