Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black cherries and a slight burn rubber note. On the palate, light tannins. Thinner in texture and body. Black raspberry fruit. Some spice. Easy drinking. This retail for under $20 and is a very nice value. Should be good for a few years.
In a tasting, two bottles were tasted side by side. They showed differently. Was it because the wines were in a different place in the line-up or the bottles came from different stores and had been treated differently? Hard to say, but tasted in a group, we had different reactions. There is an inherent bias that blind tasting removes prejudices and it probably does, but it also introduces its own set of biases that can not be discounted. Bottle #1 was the first glass tasted while bottle #2 was the 9th.
This is 100% Syrah from Washington state. Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is boysenberry, black pepper, slight roasted meats and a hint of burnt rubber. Medium to full bodied. Delicious. On the palate, lush black raspberry fruit with underlying char. Also some black pepper. Very smooth. Long finish. This is still young and will no doubt continue to improve for another five to seven years. It should drink well for ten to fifteen more after that. Drinks well on its own and will work with bigger foods especially roasts or off the grill.
One of the best Syrahs being made anywhere. Purple in color with a slight ruby hue, opaque and bright. The nose is great with black raspberries, slight burnt rubber, black olives, black pepper and slight bacon fat. Full bodied. Velvety texture. Juicy acidity. On the palate, lots of black raspberry fruit with some black olive notes and char. Deep and complex. Light tannins. Long finish. This is just getting near maturity. It drinks great on its own and would work well with beef stew or chili. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.
Another top wine from Cayuse. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, burnt rubber (in a good way), black olives and iron. What a great texture. Juicy and velvety. On the palate, the black raspberry dominates with some underlying minerality and a hint of funk/musk. Long finish. This is still young but chugging along. It may still improve a bit over the next few years and then be good for another 15 after that.
