Ratings & Tasting Notes:
97 points James Suckling
Review Date: 03/2020
Soft and luxurious with plums, smoke, spice and hints of earth. Some chocolate, too. Full body, round and caressing tannins and a seductive finish. It’s a wine that develops beautifully on your palate.
96 points Wine Advocate
Review Date: 08/2020
Made only in magnum, the 2017 Syrah Wallah Wallah Special #11 comes from some of the exceptional vineyards that go into making some of the bottlings for Cayuse and Horsepower. Displaying with a pale ruby-colored edge, the wine unfolds its wings in the glass showing the elegance of Pinot Noir but with the savoriness of Syrah. Elements of crushed violets, sweet raspberry, lavender and rose petal all capture the attention first before showing subtle savory notions of black pepper, crushed rock and worn leather. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is framed by a well-balanced structure, with energetic acidity and mouthwatering tannins, before ending with a long, lingering finish. A brilliant idea to only bottle in magnum, which forces you to select the appropriate time to open and consume the bottle. Regardless, this is a winner. (RP)
Cult Wines International Notes:
Cayuse Vineyards, established in 1997 by French vigneron Christophe Baron, is a foundational force in the Walla Walla Valley, renowned for its radical devotion to biodynamic viticulture and stony terroir. Intrigued by a cobble-strewn field that mirrored the famous “galets” of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Baron set out to prove that vines forced to struggle in harsh, rocky soils yield the most complex, Old World-style wines in America. The “Wallah Wallah Special Series” represents one of the estate’s most elusive and coveted traditions. Sourced from elite, proprietary combinations of Baron’s top estate vineyards—including Cayuse and Horsepower parcels—the exact vineyard composition is never revealed by the winery. Bottled exclusively in magnums (1.5L) and crafted with the soulful, savory elegance of a Côte-Rôtie in mind, this rare series is celebrated for transforming robust Washington fruit into an incredibly sophisticated, mineral-driven masterpiece.
The 2017 growing season in the Walla Walla Valley was a welcome, temperate departure from the blistering heat of previous years, offering a cooler and more measured pace. A snowy, wet winter and a cool spring delayed bud break, but a steady, moderate summer provided the vines with ideal development without forcing rapid sugar accumulation. This extended hang time allowed the Syrah parcels chosen for the Wallah Wallah Special #11 to develop deep phenolic maturity while preserving a remarkably vibrant, mouthwatering acidity. Harvesting took place in late September under ideal conditions, yielding fruit of immaculate health and precision. The resulting 2017 Special Series is a triumph of balance, seamlessly interweaving classic Cayuse notes of woodsmoke, bacon fat, and crushed stone with an ethereal, violet-laced red fruit profile that possesses the structure to age effortlessly for decades.
Bottle Size:
1.5L Magnum
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.
Outstanding condition.
