2021 Bionic Frog Syrah
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Dark, brooding and youthfully backward, the 2021 Syrah Bionic Frog slowly evolves with a blend of crushed blackberries, rosemary and wet stones. This sweeps across the palate with masses of red and black fruit notes over a wave of silken textures, seeming to gain in weight and potency with each passing second. Incredibly spicy, the 2021 finishes dramatic and long, leaving a web of fine tannins, black licorice and sage that lingers on. Just a baby today, the 2021 is destined for greatness.
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James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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The 2021 Syrah Bionic Frog is slightly more elegant and streamlined than past vintages, but it's an insanely complex, layered, elegant Syrah that has so much to offer. Ripe black raspberries, redcurrants, shiitake mushrooms, cold fireplace, and rose petal/spring flower notes all make for a compelling, singular bouquet, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and an umami, mineral-laced, iron-like character on the finish that's something to behold. This beauty needs 4-5 years of bottle age (I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it only improved with air) and will evolve like a great Hermitage over the following two decades.
The 2021 Syrah Bionic Frog has a medium magenta core and offers a fresh, floral and spicy bouquet accompanied by elegant, savory notes. Ripe notions of plum skin and dark cherries burst from the nose, overflowing with aromatic profile. Medium to full-bodied, the palate presents an elegant and refined mouthfeel with food-friendly tannins and nuances of umami, culminating in a long, complex finish that highlights the distinctiveness and embodies the "wow factor" of the Walla Walla Valley. The Syrah rested for 18 months in approximately 20% new and neutral French oak demi-muids, foudre and barrels. A total of 6,288 bottles were produced.
This comically named but serious flagship wine of Cayuse comes from the Coccinelle vineyard, planted in 1998. It practically explodes in aroma, with smoky, peppery, savory grilled herbs followed by gorgeously ripe blackberries and dark plums on the palate, blanketed in soft, powdery tannins for a plush finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Best from 2029.