2012 En Cerise Vineyard Syrah
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Tasting notes
Tight, distinctly dark aromas of blue fruits, black cherry, pepper, leather and game. Not qute as fleshy or sweet in the early going as the Cailloux but boasts an outstanding balance between its dark raspberry fruit and crushed-stone minerality. Here, too, the firm tannins are wonderfully noble and the finish extremely long, but this wine will need longer in the cellar to express itself.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Always coming from a small 2.5-acre block inside the En Cerise vineyard, the 2012 Syrah en Cerise is a fabulously complex, seamless and elegant Syrah that exhibits notes of dried cherries, currants, dried herbs, violets and cured meats. These all flow to a full-bodied, nicely concentrated Syrah that shows the more structured, savory side to the vintage. Slightly less flamboyant and decadent from bottle than barrel, I think it will reward 3-4 years of cellaring, and keep for two decades.
Always coming from a small 2.5-acre block inside the En Cerise vineyard, the 2012 Syrah en Cerise is a fabulously complex, seamless and elegant Syrah that exhibits notes of dried cherries, currants, dried herbs, violets and cured meats. These all flow to a full-bodied, nicely concentrated Syrah that shows the more structured, savory side to the vintage. Slightly less flamboyant and decadent from bottle than barrel, I think it will reward 3-4 years of cellaring, and keep for two decades.||As I've said numerous times, Christophe Baron and assistant winemaker Elizabeth Bourcier produce some of the most singular and impressive wines out there. Looking at the 2012s, these were slightly more streamlined and linear than I remembered from barrel, yet are still incredible wines that show the quality of the vintage. The 2013s follow suit and are lively, fresh and focused wines. I think the style here has shifted slightly, and while I miss some of the exuberant flesh and concentration of prior vintages, these new releases have beautiful purity and elegance, I'm just not sure they're better wines. Other developments here include the completion of a new winery that's located just behind the old studio. Made in a modern, clean and functional style, it's a beautiful building and count yourself lucky if you're able to finagle a tour. In addition to these Cayuse releases, don't miss the New Girls (made by Bourcier) and Rata releases which are also included in this report. eRobertParker.com.June, 2015