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2021 Cayuse En Chamberlin Vineyard Impulsivo

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

September 21, 2025 - $51

Estimate

RATINGS

98Owen Bargreen

On the nose this takes on layers of hoisin sauce and bacon fat that parade with wet stone, dark currants, crushed wet stones, huckleberry compote and beautiful black florals...palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and beautiful sense of elegance. Finishing long with stony, chocolate and herbal accents...

97Wine Enthusiast

Nectarine, cherry and fig aromas are a lovely start, with bits of tobacco, sandalwood and violets in the background. Mouthdrying tannins form a wall around flavors of black cherry, cacao nibs and clove.

97Jeb Dunnuck

...great nose of both red and black fruits as well as iron, sandalwood, and violets. A rich, medium to full-bodied, structured wine on the palate, it has building tannins, a nicely balanced, layered mouthfeel, and plenty of meaty, gamey, umami character on the finish.

96Vinous / IWC

...dark and intense, smoldering up with notes of incense, dried rose, ashen stone, seared meat and black raspberry...seductively round and supple with soft textures matched by vividly ripe red berry fruits and a cascade of inner florals. Hints of blood orange combine with salty minerals and fine tannins...finishes long and spicy, yet somehow it leaves the mouth watering for more.

95The Wine Advocate

...possessing a generous profile of dusty, dark red fruit, with aromas that slowly release from the glass with elements of beef broth and sour plum reduction. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shows considerable weight and texture before displaying silky tannins with a delightful umami essence.

94James Suckling

Some gamey undertones along with ripe black plum fruit, smoked paprika, spice box and smoked tea aromas. It’s meaty and concentrated with a full body and muscular, broad tannins. Savory umami in the firm finish.

93Decanter Magazine (points)

...dark, brooding character... Aromatics of briny black olives, smoky soy and black fig...palate is juicy and black-fruited...finishes with a depth of spicy clove and frankincense.

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.

TYPE

Red Wine, Tempranillo

Think leather and cherries together for Tempranillo wines. This wine looks lighter than it is. It can be medium or full bodied, but its thin-skinned, big grapes, give it a more transparent appearance. It is grown in Spain, Portugal, the U.S. and Australia.

VINTAGE

2021 Cayuse En Chamberlin Vineyard Impulsivo