CAYUSE VINEYARDS
WALLA WALLA VALLEY, WASHINGTON
WHY BUY:
The time to get on the mailing list for the extraordinary cult winery Cayuse Vineyards — that ship sailed long ago, and ravenous collectors have been trolling the secondary market for years chasing these phenomenally concentrated, minerally wines that are like nothing else out there on either side of the pond. Well, troll no more: we've got 5 of their best, including two 100-pointers and two 98-pointers. No one makes wine like owner Christophe Baron does, no one (and assuredly not for these prices, which come in at a fraction of the cost of comparable-quality Napa reds). For us and for many others, too, these are the kind of wines that compel you to collar your friends and sit them down and pour them a glass of what just rocked your world. Don’t sleep on this one, folks. Opportunities like this don't come around every day.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
Jeb Dunnuck has become Cayuse's most ardent evangelist, and could barely restrain himself when it came to the Impulsivo Tempranillo and Horsepower High Contrast Syrah, each of which he awarded a perfect 100-point score. He praised the Tempranillo's "intensity and richness of balsamic black berry and passionfruit" that "makes one think of Ribera Del Duero." The Horsepower earned even more rapturous language: "perfect in its bouquet of herbal, fruity, epic perfume" with "grip and tension” on the palate, and finishing in "a heartbreakingly beautiful array of white and black pepper that will stay with you for days." His 98-point assessment of the Cailloux Syrah highlighted its "focused, precise palate" that's "dark, spicy, and feral, lengthy and dense.” As for the Camaspelo Red Blend, Dunnuck called it, in a 96-point rave, the "producer's take on the Left Bank," with Tempranillo as "the secret weapon, adding structure on the midpalate and underlying power.” The Independent Wine Review awarded 98 points to the Armada Syrah, capturing the essence of Cayuse terroir: "You immediately have the sense of place in this wine" with "gorgeous, intriguing notes of grilled meats, dried purple roses, and white peppercorns."
OUR TASTING NOTES:
You know when critics say that a wine “announces" itself? Well, these do far more than that. They stage all-out theatrical productions. The Cailloux Syrah, co-fermented with Viognier from ungrafted vines, delivers an intensity we seldom see, as if there’s something coiled and alive in there. At the same time, it’s a focused intensity, and not at all one-note; or two-note. This is a deeply, deeply expressive red. The Horsepower High Contrast justifies its perfect score with layers that keep revealing themselves as you and luxuriate in your glass. We love the way the herbal perfume gives way to crisp red fruit before the stunning finale, which doesn’t simply conclude what’s come before; it adds a kind of virtuosic coda, showing you one more dimension to have you shaking your head in awe and wonder. The Impulsivo Tempranillo, with its extraordinary balsamic depth and passionfruit brightness, is a dead ringer for Ribera del Duero, but somehow with a character all its own, while the Camaspelo Red Blend shows Baron's take on Left Bank Bordeaux, with Tempranillo providing edge and dimension. What unites all five is that indelible Cayuse signature, a mineral-laden drive and persistence that speaks unmistakably of the rocky terroir they call home.
THE STORY:
Picture this: a young Frenchman from a centuries-old Champagne family visits Walla Walla in 1996 and spots a field covered in softball-sized stones that locals consider worthless farmland. Everyone sees obstacles. Christophe Baron sees … Châteauneuf-du-Pape. "I almost fell on my derrière when I saw those stones,” Baron has said. He promptly abandoned his Oregon Pinot Noir plans, and bought that abandoned rocky wasteland. Locals thought he'd lost his mind, and Baron likes to imagine that gossip flew fast and loose about "that crazy Frenchman" breaking his equipment on rocks. But Baron, whose family had worked in the vineyards of Champagne going back to 1677, understood that those rocks were the key to his future. Great vines need to struggle; the stress creates complexity and depth in the wine. He named the venture Cayuse, after a Native American tribe whose name derives from “cailloux" (French, for stones). Nearly three decades later, those "worthless" acres produce some of America's most acclaimed (and most sought-after) wines, all farmed biodynamically and given extraordinary attention and love.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH:
These aren't dinner party wines; they're wines to stop conversation altogether, and they deserve food that matches their intensity and power. The Syrahs shine alongside grilled lamb, wild boar, or duck breast with herbs de Provence. The Tempranillo begs for Spanish-style preparations (think: manchego, chorizo, or braised short ribs). The Camaspelo Red Blend works beautifully with herb-crusted beef tenderloin or aged steaks. All are excellent partners for strong, ripe cheeses and high-quality charcuterie that can stand up to their mineral intensity.
FUN FACT:
Baron uses actual draft horses for his Horsepower vineyard operations, believing that they compact the soil less than tractors, and connect him, as winemaker, more directly to the land.
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate itself to ensure that your bottles arrive with pristine provenance. With Cayuse's notorious waiting list stretching years and retail availability essentially nonexistent, these wines surely won’t stick around here for long.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2026. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer only valid in AZ, DC, TX, and VA. This offer will expire on Thursday, February 19th, 2026.