3/23/2024 - oenanthe Likes this wine:

A deep coppery gold, like molasses. So much going on with the nose it is hard to know where to start. Apricot, honey, marmalade, smoke, charcoal, vanilla, caramel.... It's not as sweet as you might expect, nor as intense as the colour might suggest. Right in the zone, the acidity is holding up very well and this has a density that is without any sense of thickness. Totally delicious. Excellent with Rhubarb Pie! From a half.

3/16/2024 - AlexPS Likes this wine:

Really tight and rather acidic right after opening. Reading others' notes, decanted (some sediment) and aired for 4 hrs. Really great at hr 6. Nose: Great 9/10. Palate: 9/10. Medium-full bodied. Soft and elegant. Velvety tannin. Smooth. Finish: 8/10. Price: 8/10 ($150 2023). Enjoyment: 10/10. Would buy again: Probably (still one left). @ good drinking window now.

2/28/2024 - thesternowl wrote:

Popped and poured; enjoyed over three days. Delicious on Day 1; sensational on Day 3. In the glass, the 2021 “Vesprée” pours a stunning blood orange color nearing a brilliant fuchsia at the core, which is transparent. Medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with fascinating notes of strawberry, kiwi, those glazed candied citrus slices you see in the European sweet shops, rose water, and wet stone. On the palate, the wine is dry with low tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the addition of red plums. Juicy. There’s a long mineral finish and a killer texture. Wow…this is easily the most exciting rosé that I’ve had since the Tondonia Rosado. But while the Tondonia makes you think, the Vesprée melts your heart with its sheer beauty. I think you could age this? I have another bottle…I might just do it for science. Drink now (with a decant if possible). I was great on the pop and pour but it was even better with air. Lovely.

12/19/2023 - Djfermentation Likes this wine:

This first of theee bottles was excellent last night with slow cooked beef ragu over polenta. My favorite PNW Tempranillo by far. I would love to give my other bottles more cellar time but it will be hard

1/30/2024 - jmcmchi Likes this wine:

Skin contact makes for orange tint and less of the typical viognier lusciouness

Initially a conundrum, time and air opens this to a beautiful paringwith delice de Bourgogne and (to a lesser extent) with sheeps cheese

Takeaway; best between cellar and room temperature with a good 45 minutes air

1/5/2024 - Storms38 Likes this wine:

Opened 3hrs, better at the 4th. My general feeling is I’m drinking 2010 far too early. If you have a few of these, pop one of course to check it out. But this vintage is proving to be a bit longer than most are saying. I’d say peak for most 2010s is 10 years out. Of all I’ve tasted from this vintage, 2nd and 3rd growths rated 94 or higher are amazing, but still not ready. If you dropped $70 or above for these wines at release, don’t do a disservice to your hard earned dollars by opening these too early. Patience rewards the prudent.

11/24/2023 - garymouton wrote:

At the beginning of a long 10-15 year drinking window for my tastes. No bricking, but beginning to develop the secondary characteristics of leather and tobacco with refined tannins. More elegant than some of the other 05s I have had. No reason to hold off, especially if you like your Bordeaux younger, but no rush either. Well balanced wine with a Mediterranean stew. Six hour slow ox prior to drinking (Thanks to Kevin/Derek for that tip!). Will easily be mid-90s for me in a few years. Bought on release.

7/22/2023 - michael.stumpf@placedynamics.c Likes this wine:

This is a stunner of a wine that can show just how good Mourvedre can be as a varietal. There is certainly some orange peel on the nose, with roasted pig. The color is lighter than I expected, but the flavor is there, with black fruit that goes on and on, and perfect levels of acidity and tannin. It would be very versatile in pairing with food.

10/12/2023 - gorlox18 Likes this wine:

Co-fermented field blend of
Aglianico (70%)
Nebbiolo (30%)
13.4% abv

From memory, I believe this was a 100 case production.

I am hardly a wine enthusiast, I know very little so bear with me here: I created a cellar tracker account after trying to find information about this wine to see if I should pair it with steak and coming up short. I visited the Grosgrain tasting room a few weeks ago and this bottle piqued my interest because I’ve never had a bad italian red. Due to it being a limited run, I couldn’t try it before buying a bottle, but was promised that if I usually liked Italian reds I would enjoy it.

Medium-light red color, medium bodied, red fruit cherry/raspberry, pleasant astringency. The tasting room associate did not lead me astray.

Since starting this review, I did a bit of googling and it looks like both varietals can easily handle a decade of aging. My bottle won’t last that long, it went too well with the steak. I uploaded a picture of the label and some basic details for posterity.

6/11/2023 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Sixth time tasting this wine and vintage since June, 2019, last bottle. There has been some variation, with my scores from 94 to 100. Still garnet and opaque, now with a slight amber edge. The aromas are pronounced right from the start. Very complex and elegant, blackberries, plums, black pepper; the charred meat and smoky wood no longer present, but unlike their other syrahs, a definite herbal component making it more interesting. Flavors are full-bodied but not as big and concentrated as Armada. Still, it's smooth and rich on the palate, perfectly balanced, with plenty of dark fruit but tannins completely resolved. This is Baron's best Cayuse syrah because of how it combines power with some elegance, has the most complexity. Just the slightest hint of bitterness on the aftertaste. This can't get any better. Time to move on to the younger vintages.
Ric

3/21/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Espresso, black cherry, licorice, coffee bean, chocolate and plum liqueur fill the perfume. The wine is rich, opulent, deep and fresh on the palate with layers of lushly-textured, black plums, chocolate, blueberries and blackberries. Perfectly balanced, hedonistic, concentrated and vibrant, with a long, expansive finish, this is in contention for the best vintage produced at Laroque yet. Drink from 2023-2042.

1/19/2023 - Clark W Griswold Likes this wine:

Double decant. Black and blue fruits. Nicely textured. A big wine. Needs time. A bit harsh at the moment. Will try again after being open overnight.

Second night smoothed out and was better. It’s big and concentrated. Fruit is jam packed in there. Boozy. Long finish. Still dont absolutely love it at the moment.

6/27/2023 - ZachR55 wrote:

Incredible.


Edit due to questions: I decanted for 3-4 hours (Drank over another 3 hours and it kept developing), and I served around 60F consistently. Drank with grilled marinated beef skewers, land paella, and summer salad. Complimented very nicely. No flaws, but could definitely cellar longer for things to harmonize (acidity). Thoroughly enjoyed this though.

6/8/2023 - Radboy wrote:

This is really tasting good. Drink up!

1/19/2023 - RhoneWho wrote:

Updated May 2023:
At last, I have completed a horizontal 2017 vintage grenache tasting from Horsepower Sur Enchalas (HSE), Cayuse God Only Knows (GOK JD99) and No Girls (NG JD95); and also provide a vertical notes on 2017 HSE (JD 97) and 2014 HSE (RP 99 by JD). Please refer to 2017 Horsepower Sur Enchalas Grenache.

Original Notes:
This 2017 vintage GOK (JD 99) is definitely a step up over its 2016 (JD 96). Drank them side by aide along with 2017 No Girls Grenache. I suspect the 2016 vintage has too much stem during maceration and fermentation. Note: JD reported 2016 used 60-80% stem! This could explain why 2016 vintage has much more acidity and tannic structure as well as vegetal flavor than the 2017 ones. I suspect that 2017 is riper (13.8%) with warmer summer than 2016 (13.6%) but slightly behind 2018 vintage (14.1%).

Cayuse tends to harvest their fruits before too ripe (resulting in alcohol mostly below 14%) based on lunar (biodynamic) calendar. The bright and red fruit and berry flavor reflects the terroir (climate and soil). I read somewhere that the soil (pebble rocks) tend to contain higher sulfur content. The combination of the lower brix and soil may explain why across all Cayuse wines have the unique funky (H2S) nose. Thus, there is a cult following for this style of wine different from those from CDP and Central Coast (SB & Paso).

GOK is made with redder tone with Burgundian-style grenache. Specifically, 2017 GOK reminds me of drinking some of CDPs grown on sandy soil (lieu-dit) such as Dom. Charbonniere cuvee Vieille Vignes and R. Usseglio cuvee Imperiale. It has ruby color but not as translucent as Rose or darker than Burgundian pinot (except those ripe years).

The 2017 GOK has a smoother and higher viscosity texture than 2016 GOK and 2017 NG Grenache; but they have acidity and energy which can pair well with food. Both 2017 has less green / vegetal flavor than the 2016 GOK with flavor tend toward bright strawberry and rhubarb. 2017 GOK has less funky nose with more floral notes than the other two wines resulting in a more old-world style instead. The funky nose reminds of the exotic Rafflesia flower with a mild hint of H2S (don't over-react .. there are wine lovers who swear they love Pagau cuvee reserves with Brett-infused flavor!). This is an acquired taste for cult followers. Just like durian for its connoisseurs who would prefer Malaysia durian over Thai durian; and for those Malaysian durian snobs, they will argue that limited exotic Penang durian beats out Musang King any time and any day!

I'm saving some of them for year 10 and 15 to see how they are going to evolve. Time tells. If you like this exotic style of wine, you may want to try their bigger (more concentrate and intense) version in Horsepower Grenache, which may knock your socks out. The 2014 HP Sur Enchalas Grenache did knock us out! I can still remember the unique flavor profile vividly after 5 years.

Rating 95-97; 96+

1/28/2023 - pavel_p Likes this wine:

Opened two bottles of the 2009 Meyney and one bottle of the 2009 La Lagune during a series of CNY dinners within a few days. Just like on previous encounters I feel both are very good Bordeaux and inline with some of the best efforts from both Chateaux over the years. But neither is something really special, as the initial raving reviews of the 2009 vintage might have made us believe. I would take a mediocre vintage of a better producer anytime over an entry level 09 or 10.
In my eyes both wines, and in particularly the Lagune, would have benefitted from a touch less toasted new oak. The toast remains a rather dominant element on the palate even after 14 years. Not sure if the balance can improve in the near term as the fruit will continue to gradually fade from here.

4/25/2023 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Absolute perfection, fully mature but no risk of declining any time soon! Deep yellow-gold. Last tasted 2016, even better now. Very aromatic, deep and rich lemon-peach aromas mixed with a light oak touch. Lots of flavor, rich and viscous, acidity still prominent but plenty of sweet fruit, and very lingering sweet aftertaste.
Ric

3/31/2023 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:

Beautiful fruit here, possibly my favorite of the last dozen years or so I've been following this wine. It has a fair amount of CO2 that requires shaking out, and needs a little time to stretch its legs on top of that. But once it hits its stride it pulls off a beautiful combo of fruit that's rich and fleshy but also mouthwateringly vibrant. It's voluptuously contoured and satiny in texture until it shows just a little bit of edginess and stony austerity on the back end.

3/8/2022 - gbbwino Likes this wine:

Purchased direct from winery & cellared since. Decanted then poured a glass, waiting for 15 minutes. No typical Cayuse funk on the nose. The palate is exquisite! Beautifully integrated fine tannins & incredibly explosive & balanced dark red cherry fruit with spice & pepper. Again, the palate on this is phenomenal, from start to its long finish. The nose is great too but I typically like Cayuse funk in the nose & this had little if that. Had the 2007 Armada a week ago & the 2008 blows it away. 2007 is all animal, funk, olive brine, earth & very little fruit.

10/8/2022 - FierceRedPanda Likes this wine:

Had the first bottle from a three-bottle wood case tonight with a tomahawk steak and rosemary compound butter. The other two bottles will be sitting until at least 2025 and probably quite a while past that. Decanted this one for three hours before serving.

Clearly still young, but already wonderfully complex. Rich black fruit with hints of leather, tobacco, and a bit of earth. Really well-balanced, and I have to respectfully disagree with those who feel the oak is excessive. If I have any small gripe, it’s that the nose was a bit subdued. I am very much looking forward to letting the other two bottles sit for a few years to get some more secondary and tertiary flavors.

4/19/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

First of these we've tried, tasted over two nights, compared it with 2018 Liminal GSM and 2019 Liminal High Contrast Syrah. We liked the Cayuse much better than either of those. The En Cerise is dark garnet-purple, opaque, with very pronounced aromas similar to Guigal's single vineyard Cote Roties...roasted meat, bacon fat, plums, black cherries, hint of mocha, already complex. The flavors are rich, viscous, and concentrated without being a "fruit bomb". The balance is perfect, with good acidity and tannin in the background, allowing the fruit to predominate. Sweet black fruit flavors. The first night there was some bitterness when first opened, which lasted a couple of hours then blew off. There was none on the second night.
I am amazed how drinkable Cayuse syrahs are even soon after they arrive. I usually drink them 8-10 years old but occasionally drink a young one and am never disappointed.
Ric

12/9/2022 - Radboy wrote:

This is drinking well and has put on some heft since I last tried it 4 years ago. The fruit is a classic take on the region. Earthy, musky, gravel with dark berry fruit and nice balance. Tasty! Fabulous with a steak.

11/3/2022 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:

Wow, this bottle had something special going on, or maybe it was partially my state of mind or something, because this showing was exquisite. Nose sports green and black olives, bacon fat, anise, smoked meat and grilled lamb over top deep blueberries and black cherries. The palate shows integrated tannins, a delightfully chewy feel, and vibrant acidity, and this is big but balanced. Tangy black cherries, plums, currants, suave and juicy. Heavy but precise, like a tech death album but way more fun. I love the bacon fat, venison, pimento-stuffed olive, tar and graphite tones, black pepper and red pepper flakes in there as well. Earthy, gravelly, rocky notes on the finish. I've always loved this producer, and this wine, but this bottle was next level. Gorgeous stuff.

5/17/2021 - blacktruffle wrote:

Tasted the 2016 En Cerise, Cailloux, and Armada side by side. All three are excellent wines. Here, the pungent cherries and flowers are more intense and the acidity gives a higher sense of energy. I am guessing that some of this energy comes from the influence of Viognier in this wine. 95+

8/21/2022 - Radboy wrote:

This is a lovely wine and is drinking well.

4/17/2022 - thebonnydooner wrote:

Maybe a little lighter in colour than expected, red cherry robe with just a tinge of brick on the rim. Nose is very expressive, sweaty, hints of bacon, smoke, meat, ripe cherry and raspberry jam, some iodine. tar, dried herbs - so complex and interesting. Palate is medium to full bodied, ripe and sweet, juicy and well balanced with fine dry tannins and a long, long finish. More red cherry and red plum on the palate, more hints of bacon, herbs but overall impression is just balance with tonnes of flavour. Absolutely superb.

5/15/2022 - Cailles wrote:

No notes taken. I’ve had this recently and scored it 97 pts as it achieved what only Yquem achieves in most vintages: combining intensity, complexity and weightlessness. But in that tasting the wine needed time and air to get there. At first it seemed a bit cloying and for sure it was not weightless. This bottle here was served at the end of a long evening and there was not sufficient time to bring the wine to that magic point. Hence, while the complexity shone through, the structure didn’t get there and hence this wine didn’t reach the heights of the last bottle. 94/95 pts.

Decanting: 1 or better 2 hours in a decanter should help here.

9/17/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Last tasted 6/2021, no change. Perhaps the softest and most elegant of the Cayuse syrahs. Dark garnet, not completely opaque. Straightforward mostly dark fruit syrah aromas and flavors without the smoky, roasted meat components of many of the other syrahs. The body is medium-full, flavors round and soft, still a very long aftertaste. No significant tannin. An excellent wine at its peak. Drink over the next 1-2 years.
Ric

5/24/2021 - Neecies Likes this wine:

Doran's. From a short party pour, deep garnet color. Sturdy and concentrated in the Northern Rhone style with great fruit, bacon and sage notes. 14.5%, but it doesn't show. Stellar stuff. Reaffirmed what I thought when tasting at the winery last month: Pete Devison is a winemaker to watch.

6/24/2022 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine:

Wow. This is the best Reynvaan, or even USA Syrah I have had to date. I usually like my Syrah with a bit of age and tertiary development, and previous Reynvaan have seemed too green and too young. Tonight we had a Barolo that didn’t open up in time for dinner so after seeing the positive reviews on this we opened on a whim. Amazing on pnp. So much complexity. Yummy fruit and savory notes. I won’t list all the descriptors but intense on the nose and palate and you could amuse yourself all night just breathing this in. Finish that goes on and on. Really fantastic wine.

2/18/2022 - BVal wrote:

Last noted 11/15; time to check in.

Color/App: medium-deep ruby core -> medium ruby and slight garnet rim with considerable viscosity. Powerhouse bouquet of smoked brisket, leather, blackberry compote, wet slate, black olives and a touch of white pepper. Gamey palate mirroring the nose and topping it off with a good dose of Ouzo and earth. The Rocks funk, while still present, has dialed back considerably. Really a fine drink: great acidity, midpalate and finish and still plenty of time in hand.

2/3/2022 - Winevestor Likes this wine:

My last bottle. :-( Not much to add to previous TNs. This is drinking so well right now, it is wide open. I know this style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is certainly mine. This bottle had a (good) burnt taste on the first few tastes. Great drink....

4/15/2022 - rrscellar Likes this wine:

PnP. After having some older Cayuse Syrah recently I think I really prefer it in this age range. (Like 5-7 years). Great mouthfeel, long finish, fruit, salinity.

4/17/2022 - Rambadt Cellar Likes this wine:

Vicky loves…

12/18/2021 - Radboy wrote:

Overall disappointing tonight. Crazy aromatics on the nose, but middling mid fruit and a wimpy finish. Off bottle?

12/23/2021 - JCMenendez wrote:

Fantastic. I didn’t love these Horsepowers when they were young. At 9 yrs of age they have integrated beautifully and gained balance and settled enough so that the complexity shines. This was fruit forward but perfectly complemented by black olive, cured meat, and a touch of tar. Amazing wine.

3/17/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Probably the darkest, most concentrated and tannic of Baron's syrahs. Last tasted Sept. 2019, when it was still somewhat tannic. Completely dark and opaque but now some brown at the edge; very aromatic, typical Cayuse style of roasted meats, charred wood, pure blackberries. Full-bodied flavors to match; tannin has now completely resolved, and it's now fully mature. Very Northern Rhône style, will easily hold for five or more years.

8/11/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine:

Last tasted nearly a year ago I decided to open another bottle after reading a few recent reviews from Switzerland and Tbabes,. They are spot on and this has blossomed, and is firing on all cylinders, and is probably the best SHL drinking until the 2009 is ready to go. It is unusually forward for a left banker from 2000, but is drinking beautifully with a couple of hours in the decanter. Plum, blackcurrant, tobacco and leather are prominent with the crushed stone receding to a background note. Balance and depth are excellent with a powerful finish. Perhaps the latter could be longer, but it's nit picking.
.

1/26/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Perhaps the most elegant and complex of the Cayuse syrahs, now fully mature. Dark and still opaque. The characteristic smoke and roasted meat of Cayuse are present, but also a pronounced bacon fat not as prominent the other Cayuse syrahs, very much in the style of the great Guigal single vintage wines. Concentrated flavors to match, also very Northern Rhone style, now fully mature, with tannins resolved, flavors of black cherries and blackberries. Very long aftertaste, slightly hot on the end. It stayed just as great the second night. Drink now and over the next few years.
Ric

12/11/2021 - wine4ever Likes this wine:

Big, luscious, super smooth fully mature wine. Dark cherries, olives, meat juice, spices, mineral, some smokiness. Went well with grilled lamb chops. Excellent wine - now on the back-half of it's life. Have one more, which I'll drink sometime in the next 2-3 years. Will be interesting to see how or if this evolves anymore. Always an intellectual drinking experience from Cayuse.

12/12/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Tasted with 2013 Horsepower "The Tribe", which was clearly superior. This was dark and opaque, still purple-garnet. Very viscous, with slow "legs". Immediate very pronounced aromas of bacon fat, tar, roasted meats, smoke, typical of Christophe's syrahs. Full-bodied but excellent balance of acidity, with tannins in the background. A bit hot on the late palate and aftertaste. This wine is perfectly drinkable, as are most Cayuse syrahs early. 2012 is definitely better than 2011.
Ric

12/18/2021 - Mag357 Likes this wine:

I have to say I loved this at first sip...This is light colored, perfumed with marvelous spicy red and dark berry fruits with a topnote of portobello mushrooms. The mouth is so lush, so velvety, and so full of blue fruited sap. Very fine grip at the end with fine pebbles rolling, and a persistent and refined finish that goes on. Excellent winemaking choices, mature fruit, light extractions, and no early racking...Some may dislike the 'funky' stuff that may be there in a young wine that is not dead by being sanitized, so decant or drink after 10 years when the funk becomes forest aromas... This wine is at full maturity but can hold, it is really complex and this could beat many northern rhone star wines. Kudos to Baron for this labor of love !

10/27/2019 - Radboy wrote:

This opened a bit on the tight side at the 90 minute mark. Delicious cherry and berry fruit. At the three hour mark things started happening and this evolved beautifully over the next 2 hours. Me thinks this is just entering a drinkable stage but that patience will be amply rewarded in another couple of years minimum. I expect it to score higher then.

11/16/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

I opened the first bottle of a case to see what all the fuss is about. There's no smoke without fire - this is a fascinating bottle of wine. The super plush blueberry, lavender, ganache notes on the nose carry through to the palate, where there's a refreshing thyme/rosemary herbaceousness as well. I'm intrigued (maybe perplexed is more apt) - this has such an intense nose and great depth of flavor on the palate, yet the tannins are unbelievably soft. I wonder if it has the legs to go as long as some other 16s will - but then again, a lack of tannin was supposedly the "flaw" of the 82s when they were tasted young...

2/19/2021 - Grapetimescomin Likes this wine:

Agree with most reviewers, this is a very approachable, almost feminine young barolo. Put it in the V spin for 3 mins on highest setting and opened up beautifully. Lighter than usual translucent ruby color for a barolo, soft tannins, blue fruits, mostly primary flavors. I don't drink enough barolo to know if this one should age for 10 years or more - there is ample acidity but unsure the tannins are present enough. Either way it is a wonderful drink now.

9/2/2021 - Radboy wrote:

Fabulous. Dark fruit, cherry and leather with nice tannins. Lots of life left.

1/8/2020 - sjtave Likes this wine:

A good weeknight drinker. Drank from 1/2 bottle with no decant. Nice, but not stellar. The wine is probably fully evolved but not remarkable. One note’s description as “glossy” seemed accurate; not too pronounced with fruit, but not flabby, and no earthiness or minerality. A little bit of astringency. NIGHT 2 update: really hit its stride after about 90 minutes, with time to come to temperature. Much better depth, balance. Still young; give it time and/or air.

7/8/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:

A let-down, sadly; evolved and loose without the tension or complexity that define this wine at its best.

9/2/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

First of this vintage we've tried, just curious how a very young one would taste; also opened a 2010 Cailloux to compare. Two totally different wines. This was an opaque garnet-purple, the 2010 a slightly translucent dark ruby with slight brown edges. This had a fresh, fruity aroma of strawberries-raspberries, some "grapey" qualities, seemed similar to a young zin. The 2010 was more of a typical Cayuse, with its smoke and roasted meat aromas. On the palate this had lots of fresh fruit, nice acidity, but tannin well in the background, remarkably drinkable for such a young wine. The 2010 had softer, round, more elegant and complex flavors, now fully mature. A fascinating comparison of the same wine eight years apart. Both very enjoyable, very drinkable now.
Ric

8/29/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine:

Fourth time tasting this wine. In 2019 I scored it 98 and 100; in 2020 94. This one's in-between at 96. This was lighter than the 2019 bottles, slightly translucent, and medium-full bodied. The characteristic herbal component was there, and some of the charred wood and roasted meat aromas and flavors. Perfectly balanced, complex and elegant. A shade better than last year's bottle. Fully mature; I plan to drink my others in the next year.
Ric