- Practicing Biodynamic
- 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier
- Walla Walla Valley AVA
- Cailloux Vineyard
- Topsoil mix of silty loam and basalt cobblestones
- Aged 18 months in French oak, 15-20% new
- 870 cases produced
- 13.8% abv
Christophe’s first Walla Walla Valley vineyard, this 10-acre plot was the first vineyard planted in the stones of Milton Freewater in 1997, and produces the flagship Cailloux Syrah.
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2022
Country:
United States
Region:
Washington
Appellation:
Walla Walla
Variety:
Syrah
Color:
Red
Farming Practice:
Practicing Biodynamic
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | US-CAY-40-22 | 3/750ml |
Press & Reviews
James Suckling
Score
96
Date
2025-03-31
"Complex and tightly wound, this syrah, co-fermented with just a dash of viognier, offers a broad spectrum of aromas. Smoked meat, black olives, crushed violets and thyme are layered with blackberries and a hint of iodine. The palate is deep and structured, balancing juicy acidity with fine but broad and dusty tannins. The savory finish lingers, showing cracked pepper and turned earth. Very tight and compact, this needs some time in bottle. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try from 2028."
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2021
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
98
Date
2024-07-11
"Meatier red and black fruits, smoke, ground pepper, and savory herb notes all define the 2021 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard, a concentrated, medium to full-bodied Syrah with a classic Northern Rhône-like style in its aromas as well as structure. Fermented with a splash of Viognier, it picks up violet and floral notes with time in the glass, and this darker, more gamey expression of this vineyard is a dead ringer for a great Côte Rôtie. I love it today (with a decant), but it's going to benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and evolve for 15 years or more."
2021
Wine Enthusiast
Score
97
Date
2024-06-01
"#24 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2024: It's only appropriate that a wine named after pebbles should have a distinct post-rain wet patio slate quality backing up aromas of blackberry, lilac and lychee. The thick palate is blessed with sturdy tannic structure and complex flavors of bone marrow, black cherry, peach and sweet Sun Gold tomatoes. ‡ Michael Alberty"
2021
James Suckling
Score
96
Date
2024-02-22
"What an aromatic nose of violets, peppercorns, olives, green plums, wet earth and ash. Touch of peaches on the palate, which is sleek, with focused tannins and long, powerful and peppery layers. Medium- to full-bodied and continuous. Syrah co-fermented with about 5% viognier. The syrah is around 70% whole-cluster fermented. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now or hold."
2021
Wine Advocate
Score
96+
Date
2024-03-21
"Crafted with 3% Viognier, the 2021 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard boasts a deeply colored core. The nose is aromatic and floral, with dense notes of salami, black peppercorn spice and expressive herbals intertwined with turned-earth aromas. It offers additional nuances of baked earth, savory herbs and peppercorn spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate unfolds with juicy, succulent and fresh characteristics, showcasing elegance alongside fine-grained tannins of this food-friendly Syrah. A total of 9,420 bottles were produced."
2021
Vinous
Score
95
Date
2024-12-05
"Black tea leaves combine with violets, white pepper, blood oranges and crushed olives as the 2021 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard smolders up from the glass. This is a model of purity, lifted and refined, with silken textures and masses of mineral-infused black fruits. Salty tones resonate through the finish as the 2021 tapers off with a pleasantly bitter tinge and a sensation of liquid stone. The Cailloux Vineyard is a co-fermented blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier that refined for 18 months in 15-20% new French oak."
2020
James Suckling
Score
95
Date
2023-04-20
"Such expressive and earnest syrah character"
2020
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
95
Date
2023-06-21
"The only Syrah from this great estate that's co-fermented with Viognier"
2020
Vinous
Score
94
Date
2023-08-10
"The 2020 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard is born of the earth"
2020
Wine Advocate
Score
94
Date
2023-05-11
"Displaying a deep magenta core"
2020
Wine Spectator
Score
93
Date
2023-05-24
"Attractive and refined"
2017
Wine Advocate
Score
96
Date