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2016 Cayuse No Girls La Paciencia Vineyard Syrah

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Latest Sale Price

May 26, 2024 - $62

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RATINGS

97The Wine Advocate

... The nose is silky and elegant, with a focus on quality and precision that is instantly recognizable, with hints of black truffle, orange peel and a soft smokiness to the expression. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, the wine's mineral tension evolves into a petrichor note... The palate continues to grow with red and dark fruits...has an extraordinary length and texture...and the aftertaste lingers for days.

96James Suckling

This has ethereal purity and depth with very fragrant, floral and red-fruited notes on the palate. Some berry pastry and a meaty, fluid edge, too. The palate has a super fine texture with a wealth of rich red fruit. Lacy and elegant. Hauntingly long finish.

96Jeb Dunnuck

... Blackberries, smoked earth, cured meats, violets, and orange rind notes all flow to a beautiful, seamless, thrillingly refined effort that reminds me of a top traditional Côte Rôtie.

95Wine Enthusiast

Complex aromas with heaping amounts of black pepper, potpourri, earth, funk, nori, black olive brine, peat and wet stone are followed by an elegant, yet rich, flavorful palate. It shows a compelling sense of deftness along with a hyperextended finish, filled with savory and floral notes. There is a mouthwatering sense to it that heightens the appeal. A knee buckler.

94Stephen Tanzer

Complex, highly nuanced nose offers scents of red raspberry, smoked meat, olive tapenade and red licorice; I would have guessed northern Rhône. Boasts terrific sweetness of fruit (red cherry, raspberry, boysenberry) complicated by notes of charcuterie and rose petal. Wonderfully silky, slightly high-toned Syrah with an almost Pinot-like texture, showing a near-perfect harmony between primary red fruit and savory smoked meat elements...

93Wine Spectator

Bold, yet refined and expressive, with vivid raspberry, smoky meat and rusty iron aromas that open to a full-bodied structure, accented by stony mineral notes.

PRODUCER

Cayuse

Cayuse, in Walla Walla Valley, was founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, a native of France. He grew up in a family of vignerons in Champagne and could have had a life making elegant Champagnes. Instead, Baron today is known as a brash trailblazer with an instinct for undiscovered terroir and a talent for producing big, delicious Syrahs. Baron studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne, and had ambitions to make Pinot Noir in Oregon. But on a trip to the U.S. in the late 1990s he happened to stop in Walla Walla, where south of the city he discovered property he believed would be perfect for growing grapes. The dry soil was partly composed of rocks the size of potatoes, and it reminded Baron of Châteauneuf -du-Pape. Though there had been no vineyards in the area since 1956, Baron purchased land and planted vineyards. He now owns 60 acres in what recently became Washington’s newest AVA, the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Baron grows mostly Syrah, along with some Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. Baron is an advocate of biodynamic, or chemical-free agriculture, and Cayuse is biodynamic. Cayuse’s signature wines are Syrahs, which often come with fanciful names, such as Bionic Frog Syrah, and outstanding ratings. Cayuse Syrahs are considered among the most collectible Washington wines. Baron also is involved with several other unorthodox winemaking ventures in Washington. He owns Horsepower, a Walla Walla estate where he uses Belgian draft horses instead of tractors, and he is one of the owners of No Girls Wines, which is a collaboration between Baron and some of his Cayuse employees. The name No Girls comes from a hand-painted sign found on the side of an historic building that Baron and his partners acquired in downtown Walla Walla. The building was once home to a brothel, but the sign went up to signal the end of that era.

REGION

United States, Oregon, Walla Walla Valley

Walla Walla Valley AVA likes to call itself the Napa Valley of Washington, and given the concentration of well-reviewed wineries in the appellation, the comparison is understandable. The Walla Walla appellation is comprised of 340,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are vineyards. Walla Walla is located in the southeastern corner of Washington and it extends slightly into northeastern Oregon. It is named after the Walla Walla River Valley, and the city of Walla Walla is the commercial center of Washington’s wine industry. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post, but as early as the 1850s farmers were planting grapes for winemaking. Prohibition shuttered winemaking in the early 20th century, but a winemaking renaissance started in the 1970s when Leonetti Cellars, still one of the state’s most acclaimed wineries, started producing acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Walla Walla’s AVA status was awarded in 1984 and today there are more than 100 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese Chardonnay and Viognier.

TYPE

Red Wine, Syrah (Shiraz)

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.