2008 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog
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Tasting notes
Good medium-dark red. Wild, flamboyantly Old World aromas of raspberry, leather, game, woodsmoke, thyme and rosemary. Wonderfully plush, full wine with great mouth coverage to its flavors of black raspberry, charred oak and aged beef. Finishes with firm-edged tannins and terrific length and purity, displaying a note of lavender and a subtle, slightly cool bitterness in a positive way without losing its essential silkiness of texture. Baron noted that the vines gained hang time from the rain, and he was able to vinify with 65% whole clusters. (ST)
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
I thought the 2008 Syrah Bionic Frog was insanely good. Checking in at 14.4% natural alcohol (the 2009 was 14.7 and the 2010 14.8), it has soaring notes of cassis, black raspberries, violets, white flowers, mint and olives to go with a full-bodied, ultra-pure, silky, yet concentrated and layered feel on the palate. One of the more elegant, silky and finesse driven examples of this cuvee, it has heavenly aromatics and will have upward of two decades of longevity.
Very pure and deep, with off the charts levels of concentration and texture, the 2008 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog is up there with the ’07 in terms of quality. It offers up exotic, perfumed aromas of crème de cassis, smoked meat, pan drippings, chocolate, and wild herbs, with a searing level of minerality coming through with air. Full-bodied and incredibly pure and layered, with gorgeous richness and density that somehow comes across as light and deft, this knockout Syrah could still use another handful of years in the cellar, yet is approachable now, and has another 15+ years of longevity.
Bright dark red. Multidimensional nose delivers black raspberry, brown sugar, smoky cardamom and black olive. Superconcentrated, sappy and rich, showing a rare blend of power and delicacy. No single element dominates this outstanding syrah; flavors of red and black fruits, pepper and spices wash over the palate in a wave. Finishes with very fine tannins and great persistence.