Ratings & Tasting Notes:
97 points Jeb Dunnuck
Review Date: 05/2021
Blended with a good chunk of Viognier (from the same vineyard and co-fermented), the 2018 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard offers a sweet nose of red and blue fruits, lavender, spring flowers, and bacon fat, with subtle classic Rocks notes of mulch and charcoal emerging with time in the glass. Incredibly complex, medium to full-bodied, and seamless, it reminds me of an old-school Côte Rôtie with its exotic, floral, yet meaty style. This cuvée is always one of the more up-front Syrahs in the lineup, yet it ages just as well as the others, possessing a solid 20- to 25-year drink window. This is a hard mailing list to crack, yet winemaker Christophe Baron continues to deliver the goods, releasing singular, exotic, incredible wines from his bevy of single vineyards in the Rocks region of the Walla Walla Valley.
97 points Vinous
Review Date: 10/2021
The 2018 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard is the only Cayuse Syrah that is co-fermented with Viognier (5%). The beautiful honeysuckle aromas from the Viognier mingle with ripe red currants, hoisin sauce, umami and black olive tapenade with smoked brisket undertones. The palate is sinfully good and seamless in texture. Dense dark fruits collide with shades of black truffle, white flowers, umami and bacon fat. Bright and full of verve, with outstanding length and texture, this has a long way to go in the cellar. (OB)
96 points James Suckling
Review Date: 06/2021
This has a fantastic range of savory aromas with smoked meat, herbs, grilled aubergine, bark, dried flowers, shells and blue and black fruit. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and fresh acidity. Intensely flavorful with earthy, peppery character. Very long.
96 points Wine Spectator
Review Date: 06/2021
A real knockout Syrah, structured and refined yet bubbling over with personality, offering expressive raspberry, garrigue, warm pebble and smoky beef tones that build tension and polish toward fine-grained tannins. *Top 100 Wines of 2021, Highly Recommended* (TF)
Cult Wines International Notes:
Cayuse Vineyards, established in 1997 by Christophe Baron, is defined by its revolutionary discovery of the “Stones” of Walla Walla. Baron, a native of Champagne, France, was captivated by an ancient riverbed littered with basalt cobblestones—territory local farmers considered worthless for anything but orchards. Recognizing the striking similarity to the galets of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, he planted the Cailloux Vineyard as his first estate site. The estate is a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in the region, focusing on a philosophy of “vines that struggle,” where the radiant heat from the stones and poor soils force the roots deep into the earth. The Cailloux Vineyard Syrah is particularly notable for being co-fermented with a small percentage of Viognier, a classic Northern Rhône technique that lifts the wine’s aromatic profile, resulting in a signature “funk” of savory, floral, and mineral notes.
The 2018 growing season in Walla Walla was a textbook “solar” vintage, characterized by a hot, dry summer that produced wines of immense power and concentration. After a mild spring, the region experienced a steady accumulation of heat that pushed ripening forward, yet the basalt stones of the Cailloux Vineyard helped regulate the vines’ energy, preventing the fruit from becoming overripe. A cooling trend in September was the season’s saving grace, slowing down the sugar accumulation and allowing the Syrah to develop its complex phenolic structure and savory nuances while retaining vital acidity. The 2018 Cailloux is celebrated for its muscularity and velvet-like texture, showcasing a year where the heat of the Washington sun was perfectly harnessed by the mineral precision of the estate’s legendary terroir.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Overall outstanding condition. Minor label issue.
Please note: The condition of the bottle you will receive is accurately reflected by the one shown in the images.
