One of the joys of having wine-loving friends is the opportunity to discover something you might not have opened otherwise. That was the case with this week’s wine, the 2019 Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Syrah—a very generous gift and my first Syrah from the Walla Walla Valley.
I’m drawn to Syrah’s savory side. Give me some olive, pepper, and meaty character alongside the fruit, and you’ve got my attention. This bottle delivered all of that, along with an appealing freshness and texture that kept me coming back for another sip.
About Cayuse and Cailloux Vineyard
French vigneron Christophe Baron found the inspiration for Cayuse in an unlikely place: a field of stones near Milton-Freewater, Oregon. When he discovered the site in 1996, its stony ground reminded him of vineyards he had seen in New Zealand’s Marlborough region and the rounded stones known as galets roulés in southern France.
In 1997, he planted the ten-acre Cailloux Vineyard, his first vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley and the source of Cayuse’s flagship Syrah. Though Walla Walla is often associated with Washington wine, this vineyard sits on the Oregon side of the valley. The vineyard is farmed biodynamically, an approach that adds to its appeal for me given my interest in how growers care for their land and the planet
For Baron, those stones were central to his vision of making wines with a distinct identity. As Cayuse’s website explains, he considers mineral character an essential part of great wine. That detail caught my attention given the gravel and graphite notes I found in my glass.
The 2019 combines 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier, fermented together. Including a small amount of this white grape is a practice associated with Côte-Rôtie in France’s Northern Rhône—a fitting connection for a wine that brings together floral aromatics, dark fruit, and savory complexity.
2019 Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Syrah
My Tasting Note:
Deep violet in color, it’s effusively aromatic, offering black fruit, olive tapenade, violets, espresso, and charcuterie, accented by gravel and graphite.
On the palate, it’s medium-bodied and very fresh, with a rippling texture and fine-grained tannins. Blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry sauce flavors mingle with olive tapenade and peppery spice, while an appealing graphite minerality carries through the long finish. 13.6% abv| Gift
What particularly appealed to me was how comfortably the fruit and savory elements shared the stage. The olive tapenade and charcuterie notes gave it plenty of personality, while the freshness kept those dark fruit flavors lively. And that texture! There was a lovely sense of movement across the palate that made this wine especially compelling.
At the Table
With its savory character, freshness, and fine-grained tannins, this is a wine I’d be happy to build a meal around. Herb-roasted chicken, grilled sausages, or mushroom pasta would be on my short list. For a plant-forward pairing, I’d be tempted by roasted eggplant with lentils and a touch of smoked paprika.
Parting Thoughts
A generous gift from a friend made my first taste of Walla Walla Valley Syrah especially memorable. The interplay of dark fruit, savory character, and freshness hit a sweet spot for me—and that wonderful texture made it all the more compelling.
One bottle certainly doesn’t tell the whole story of a region, but this one has me eager to explore more of what the Walla Walla Valley has to offer!
Have you explored Walla Walla Valley Syrah? Which producers or vineyards would you recommend I try next?