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2020 Cayuse Flying Pig

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

November 16, 2025 - $53

Estimate

RATINGS

96Wine Enthusiast

...explodes out of the glass with blackberry and mint aromas, followed by thyme and a comforting meatiness similar to ham and cheese on a croissant. Concentrated sweet cherry, dark chocolate and lemon flavors hydroplane on a smooth, slippery texture.

95Owen Bargreen

...offer gorgeous red bell pepper, red currants and menthol notes on the palate with stony and savory accents truly rocking. Very refined, with good tension and flavor density...

94Vinous / IWC

...opens with a rich and dusty blend of crushed raspberries, mint and sage, accented by nuances of white pepper and cracked chalk...savory yet silky to the core, with texturally ripe red and black fruits that swirl throughout, enlivened by vibrant acidity...lightly-structured...finishes with tremendous length and sweet tannins, as nuances of spiced blood orange and blueberries fade.

94James Suckling

Gorgeously savory and flavorful...with aromas of tea leaves, wild cherries, nutmeg, grilled herbs, bergamot and olives. Seaweed, too. It’s medium- to full-bodied with chalky, fine tannins. Fresh earthiness here.

93Jeb Dunnuck

...wild, exotic perfume of ripe black cherries, fresh earth, iron, leafy herbs, and wild strawberries. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, juicy, elegant 2020 with fine tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean finish...up-front, fruit-forward, approachable expression...

92Robert M. Parker Jr.

Notes of green and red pepper skins sway with savory notes of spiced plum, blackberry skin and cherry compote before returning to the persistent peppery nose. Medium-bodied, the palate is spicy and offers succulent acidity with fine-grained tannins that linger with a dusty and mineral-laced finish.

92Wine Spectator

Supple and sleekly structured, featuring multilayered red currant and blueberry flavors accented with crushed stone and savory tarragon. This builds in richness toward the polished finish.

PRODUCER

Cayuse

Cayuse, in Walla Walla Valley, was founded in 1997 by Christophe Baron, a native of France. He grew up in a family of vignerons in Champagne and could have had a life making elegant Champagnes. Instead, Baron today is known as a brash trailblazer with an instinct for undiscovered terroir and a talent for producing big, delicious Syrahs. Baron studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne, and had ambitions to make Pinot Noir in Oregon. But on a trip to the U.S. in the late 1990s he happened to stop in Walla Walla, where south of the city he discovered property he believed would be perfect for growing grapes. The dry soil was partly composed of rocks the size of potatoes, and it reminded Baron of Châteauneuf -du-Pape. Though there had been no vineyards in the area since 1956, Baron purchased land and planted vineyards. He now owns 60 acres in what recently became Washington’s newest AVA, the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Baron grows mostly Syrah, along with some Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. Baron is an advocate of biodynamic, or chemical-free agriculture, and Cayuse is biodynamic. Cayuse’s signature wines are Syrahs, which often come with fanciful names, such as Bionic Frog Syrah, and outstanding ratings. Cayuse Syrahs are considered among the most collectible Washington wines. Baron also is involved with several other unorthodox winemaking ventures in Washington. He owns Horsepower, a Walla Walla estate where he uses Belgian draft horses instead of tractors, and he is one of the owners of No Girls Wines, which is a collaboration between Baron and some of his Cayuse employees. The name No Girls comes from a hand-painted sign found on the side of an historic building that Baron and his partners acquired in downtown Walla Walla. The building was once home to a brothel, but the sign went up to signal the end of that era.

REGION

United States, Washington, Walla Walla Valley

Walla Walla Valley AVA likes to call itself the Napa Valley of Washington, and given the concentration of well-reviewed wineries in the appellation, the comparison is understandable. The Walla Walla appellation is comprised of 340,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are vineyards. Walla Walla is located in the southeastern corner of Washington and it extends slightly into northeastern Oregon. It is named after the Walla Walla River Valley, and the city of Walla Walla is the commercial center of Washington’s wine industry. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post, but as early as the 1850s farmers were planting grapes for winemaking. Prohibition shuttered winemaking in the early 20th century, but a winemaking renaissance started in the 1970s when Leonetti Cellars, still one of the state’s most acclaimed wineries, started producing acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Walla Walla’s AVA status was awarded in 1984 and today there are more than 100 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese Chardonnay and Viognier.

VINTAGE

2020 Cayuse Flying Pig