Cayuse Vineyards : Armada Vineyard Syrah 2014

The Complex Bouquet of a Biodynamic Syrah from Washington

Founded by Cristophe Baron, originally from the Champagne region, in 1997, Cayuse Vineyards was named after the French word for "stones," which refers to the characteristic stony terroir of the property. Today, this Washington State estate includes 5 vineyards, totaling 60 acres in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The entire property has been certified biodynamic since 2002. Cristophe planted the 7-acre Armada Vineyard in 2001, at a high density of 1815 vines per acre. In fact, this vineyard was the most densely planted in Walla Walla until 2008. The soils are rich in iron, magnesium and calcium, a combination that contributes a fantastic minerality to the estate's wines. The vines stretch their roots deep into soils of cobblestone, which provide good water drainage and few nutrients for the plant. This forces the vines to dig deeper and fight to produce a small yield of fruit, which is concentrated and aromatically complex. The Armada Syrah 2014 by Cayuse Vineyards is a small production wine, of which only 489 cases were produced in this vintage.

The Armada Syrah 2014 by Cayuse Vineyards stuns with its depth and complexity, revealing on the nose delicate touches of smoky bacon, charcuterie, peppers and gun flint on a core of red fruit. The palate is remarkably smooth, with fine tannins layered on deep cherry and blue plum flavors. A truly impressive biodynamic Syrah from Washington State, which is ready to drink but will age nicely for another decade.