Cayuse En Cerise Syrah 2016

Christophe Baron founded Cayuse Vineyards after recognising the cobblestone soils of Washington's Walla Walla Valley as a near match for those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. En Cerise takes its name from the cherry orchard that once stood on the site. The vineyard is a bed of rounded basalt stones over silt, a soil that drains freely and radiates stored heat back into the canopy at night, ripening Syrah fully while the stones lend the savoury, mineral character the estate is known for. Farming is biodynamic, with low yields that concentrate the fruit. The wine is aged in barrel, where slow oxygen exchange settles the tannins and carries the fruit toward a meaty, gamey complexity typical of cool-stone Syrah. The colour is deep ruby. The nose mixes red and black fruit with violet, cracked pepper, cured olive and woodsmoke. The palate is medium bodied, juicy and complete, the tannins ripe and the finish long and savoury rather than heavy. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It is a natural partner for grilled and roasted red meat.