2007 En Chamberlin Vineyard Syrah

The 2007 Syrah En Chamberlin Vineyard is even more complex aromatically with its notes of crushed stone, smoked meat, espresso, truffle, blueberry, and black raspberry. Full-bodied, ripe, intensely flavored yet elegant, it has a 60-second finish that is pure silk. A cult of personality seems to have developed in Washington over the past couple of years. Whenever the name Christophe is mentioned, everyone immediately knows of whom you are talking. The man himself, Christophe Baron continues to find new and interesting things to do. His latest vineyard project is well underway on hillsides not far from his present location. His estate, just on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla AVA, consists of five small but distinct vineyards (41 acres in total – with more on the way). Syrah and the Bordeaux varietals are the principal focus but some of the finest parcels of Tempranillo and Grenache grown in the USA are on this estate. Unfortunately, there will be no more varietally bottled Viognier which will now be used only as a blending grape. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically and much of the estate is planted on rootstock to prepare for the day when phylloxera works its way through Walla Walla. The wines are all fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Tel. (509) 526-0686; www.cayusevineyards.com

Slightly less wild than the ’08 and ’09, the 2007 Cayuse Syrah En Chamberlin Vineyard delivers pure blackberry, earth, graphite and crushed rock aromatics that ride on top of the typical, and usually more upfront, En Chamberlin gamey character. The palate is more than a little impressive and is full bodied, perfectly balanced with a superb, focused texture, pure fruit and a long finish where the wine shows silky, fine grained tannin. Superb, drink bottles over the next 15 years or more.