2010 Cayuse The Lovers

A new wine and Christophe’s take on a Cab/Syrah blend, the 2010 the Lovers is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Syrah and comes from the Cayuse and En Cerise Vineyards. Really showing Syrah character, with loads of blackberry, smoked meat, spice, chocolate and mineral aromas and flavors, it flows onto the palate with a full-bodied, mouth-filling and supple texture that partially conceals the wines underlying tannic structure. Already approachable due to the fruit and texture, it nevertheless has an age-worthy feel and should see its 20th birthday in fine form. Drink now-2030. These singular efforts are made by Champagne transplant, Christophe Baron, from his winemaking studio that lies just outside of the town of Milton-Freewater, in Oregon. I doubt these wines need any introduction, yet it is worth pointing out that it is rare to find such a complex and diverse portfolio today where all of the wines are at such a high level. Certainly, this unique terroir has something to do with it, yet Christophe falls into the realm of the Manfred Krankls and Michel Chapoutiers of the world, who stand apart from the crowd and produce a range of incredible wines that always make me scratch my head and wonder what, exactly, is going on. Having visited with Christophe and tasted these wines over the past 4-5 years now, both from barrel and bottle, I don’t believe there’s any hidden magic going on and it is a dedication to the vineyard, to low yields and to a simplistic, hands-off approach in the cellar that creates these singular wines. Looking at the recently bottled releases, 2010 is an interesting case where the wines are still tight and compact at this stage. For comparison, the 2009s at this time last year has completely filled in and fleshed out and were showing heart-rate-increasing levels of fruit and texture while these 2010s are more reserved, focused and medium to full-bodied at this stage, with supple textures and focused profiles. I don’t think they’ll hit the high of the 2007s, 2008s and 2009s, hence, they’re rated a handful of points below those wines. Nevertheless, they will continue to gain in richness and depth over the coming 3-4 years and will warrant these lofty ratings. Made in a similar vein, the 2011s actually have additional richness and concentration over the 2010s and have beautiful mid-palate density and depth, as well as ripe tannic frames. They should match, or surpass, the 2010s. Tel. (509) 526-0686; www.cayusevineyards.com