Ratings & Tasting Notes:
98+ points Jeb Dunnuck
Review Date: 07/2022
The 2019 Syrah Armada Vineyard comes from a higher density planting just beside the estate, and it’s always a more dense, backward wine. Darker, black fruits, smoked meat, ground pepper, iron, and just subtle bloody, meaty nuances emerge from this beauty, and it’s medium to full-bodied on the palate, with building, firm tannins, wonderfully integrated acidity, and a great finish that makes you salivate due to its sense of salinity and minerality. It needs plenty of air if drinking any time soon but is another tour de force in Rocks Syrah! It has 20-25 years of prime drinking ahead of it. (JD) 98+
97 points Int’l Wine Review
Review Date: 10/2022
The 2019 Armada Vineyard Syrah is sensational in this vintage. Already expressive, this opens to seductive aromas, with ripe dark cherries and blackberries woven together with savory herbs, bacon fat, charcoal, pepper, salted meat and hints of floral undertones. On the palate this possesses a gorgeous texture with sleek tannins that result in a gorgeous mouthfeel. What really brings this wine to the next level is the impeccable balance and concentration along with the beautiful combination of saline minerality and underlying acidity that provides a wonderful sense of freshness leading up to the mouthwatering finish. Simply put, the 2019 is a stunning wine that will deliver drinking pleasure for many years to come. (JD)
97 points Wine Advocate
Review Date: 10/2022
Rich, juicy and lush with a ripe dark red and black-fruited core of fruit, the 2019 Syrah Armada Vineyard offers dusty purple flowers and savory elements with notions of smoked meat. Medium to full-bodied, the Syrah is firm, focused and refined while offering wonderful savory and umami essences as the generous wine gains in complexity. Still firm and with a taut mineral tension, the wine subsides with a spicy and lingering finish that will benefit from a couple more years of bottle aging to release its tight grip. Be patient and give it time. (AM)
Cult Wines International Notes:
Cayuse Vineyards, founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, is a singular force in the Walla Walla Valley, defined by Baron’s obsession with stony, “Galets”-rich terroir reminiscent of his native France. After discovering an ancient, cobble-strewn field that reminded him of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Baron founded the estate to prove that vines must struggle in harsh conditions to yield their most profound expressions. The Armada Vineyard, planted in 2001, is among the highest-density vineyards in the region, featuring exceptionally stony soil that forces deep root penetration. The Armada Syrah is crafted through a philosophy of minimal intervention—employing biodynamic farming, 100% estate-grown fruit, and slow aging in used Rostaing puncheons—resulting in a wine that is frequently cited as the most “Northern Rhône-like” Syrah produced in the United States, known for its intense savory, animal, and mineral character.
The 2019 growing season in the Walla Walla Valley was characterized by a long, cool spring that delayed bud break, followed by a temperate summer that allowed for steady, healthy vine development. While the early season was marked by moisture, the autumn remained stable and dry, granting the Syrah a necessary extended “hang time.” This gradual ripening period was critical for the Armada Vineyard, as it allowed the fruit to reach full phenolic maturity while preserving the vibrant, mouthwatering acidity and “nervous” tension that are the hallmarks of Baron’s style. The 2019 vintage is widely praised for its balance, offering deep, concentrated fruit notes alongside the estate’s signature earthy, savory complexity, making it an exceptional expression of a year that favored patience and precision in the 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.
