November 15th, 2024

Christophe Baron of Cayuse Vineyards, Super Star American Winemaker
Christophe is French and comes from a family of Champagne winemakers whose winemaking lineage goes back to 1667.  It was during a visit to the Walla Walla Valley region in April 1996 that Christophe discovered an area that would later be called The Rocks*. This region, which consists of a former bed of the Walla Walla River between Washington and Oregon states, is covered with a fist-sized basalt paving stone, originally from the Blue Mountains in the eastern part of the state.

The Rocks
This inhospitable region has long only been known for its apple and cherry orchards. Most of the surrounding soils are granitic in nature, classic of the region, but because the rocks and surrounding soil are derived from basalt, the soils are much richer in iron, magnesium, and titanium. They are therefore chemically different with soil that is excessively drained due to coarse-grained material. The presence of large numbers of these rocks also has unique thermal properties, as in the Côtes du Rhône. Their dark color absorbs heat from the sun and transmits it into the deeper layers of the soil. This leads to an earlier awakening of the vine than the surrounding areas of the valley. But also during ripening the stones also radiate heat to the bunches of grapes during the day, which contributes to a unique maturity and structure achieved in the wines of The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater.

Cayuse
When we talk about the character of these wines, they are expressed more specifically in terms of bacon fat, saltiness, olives, game meat, and minerals, well before the fruit. Christophe is a terroir winemaker and each of his plots expresses the very particular typicity of the soil of origin of his wines. Here, there is no vineyard blending, only wines with a "Sense of Place". I decided to let the wine critics speak for themselves, in order to bring a neutrality and personal impartiality to the exceptional character of these wines.

"For me, it all depends on each site, the personality and individuality of each site, this has been my goal since day one. That's what I'm completely obsessed with."- Christophe Baron

*In 2015, The Rocks area received its own designation, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater American Viticultural Area (AVA), named after the nearest town. A sub-appellation of the Walla Walla Valley that is contained entirely within Oregon, the 3,767-acre area now has 300 acres of vineyards.

Cayuse Currently at the Shop

Cayuse Vineyards, "The Lovers" 2021, Walla Walla Valley, WA
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah
“These Lovers, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, were meant to be. This is elegant, lighter-bodied fare with a slick and slippery mouthfeel and flavors of cherry, blueberry, orange zest, and clove. Aromatically, it's a bowl of boysenberries and lavender drizzled with dark chocolate. Pour with tarot cards and a Zaz album.” - Michael Alberty, Wine Enthusiast
96 Points. $178 (5 bottles)
 
Cayuse, Syrah 2021, En Chamberlin Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, WA
“The nose is beautifully fragrant with pink florals that combine with smoke, herbs de Provence, white pepper dusted bacon and shades of green olive tapenade. The palate is seamless and wonderfully stony, as this flirts with perfection showing a very pure black and red fruit profile, loaded with stony and Umami nuance. Everything is in marvelous balance here in terms of weight, texture and underlying freshness.” – Owen Bargreen, owenbargreen.com
99 Points. $154 (3 bottles)

Cayuse, Syrah 2020, Armada Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, WA
“Gorgeous, intriguing notes of grilled meats, dried purple roses, and white peppercorns meld with the blue and black fruit with a smidgeon of white grapefruit zest that pops out of the glass on the nose. Tannins are firm and pleasant and pair perfectly with the lemony acidity and lengthy earthy finish that goes on for minutes.” - Jeremy Young, International Wine Report
98 Points. $178 (3 bottles)
 
Cayuse, "Impulsivo" Tempranillo 2020, En Chamberlin Vineyard
Walla Walla Valley, WA
“I lack Impulsivo control when it comes to full-bodied Tempranillo action. Nectarine, cherry and fig aromas are a lovely start, with bits of tobacco, sandalwood and violets in the background. Mouth drying tannins form a wall around flavors of black cherry, cacao nibs and clove.” - Michael Alberty, Wine Enthusiast
97 Points. $182 (2 bottles)