Cayuse En Chamberlin Syrah 2017

Christophe Baron studied in Champagne and Burgundy before settling in Washington's Walla Walla Valley in 1993, drawn by rocky terrain much like that of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. En Chamberlin is one of six Cayuse vineyards spread across about 22 hectares. The soil is a deep bed of rounded cobblestones over silt that drains fast and holds the day's heat, ripening Syrah evenly while imparting a savoury, stony grip. The vines are farmed biodynamically and cropped low, which concentrates colour and tannin. The wine is aged in barrel, the gentle oxygen ingress softening the structure and developing the gamey, peppery complexity associated with stone-grown Syrah. The colour is deep and dark. The nose is intense, with generous black fruit, violet and lavender over cracked pepper, cured olive and a faint smoke. The palate is full bodied, complex and firmly structured, the tannins substantial and the acidity holding the ripe fruit through a long finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant two hours ahead, or keep it several years. It calls for robust roasted and braised meats.