Cayuse Armada Vineyard Syrah 2020

Cayuse Armada Vineyard Syrah is a single-site Syrah from the cobblestone beds of the Walla Walla Valley, on the Oregon side of the border.

The stones are the whole story here. Armada sits in the old bed of the Walla Walla River, where twelve to eighteen inches of silty loam and basalt cobbles lie over compacted stone that can run a hundred metres deep, country that behaves more like Châteauneuf than anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. Christophe Baron planted the 2.5-hectare site in 2001 at 4,485 vines per hectare, the tightest spacing in the valley until 2008, and it is farmed organically and biodynamically like the rest of the 31 hectares Cayuse holds. The winery shares the address, so picking gets decided by taste at the vine.

Expect smoked meat, olive, black pepper and dark berry over firm savoury tannin. Twenty-one months in large old foudres has left the fruit alone. Serve at 17 degrees, decanted. Lamb over coals, or anything with a char on it.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.