The weekend of April 3rd and 4th was the time when Cayuse Vineyards was opened for list memners to taste the upcoming vintage and to pick up their newly released wines. It was also a busy time for other wineries, restaurants and hotels. Here's my account of the weekend.

On the morning of the third, we drove down to Sunnyside Road in Oregon for the opening of the Cayuse Private Release Party. While I was tasting and taking notes, Christophe Baron came up to me and asked if I liked the wines. If not, I would be thrown into a vat of Bionic Frog. There was no need for that as I found the wines to be highly impressive. Here are my notes:

2012 God only Knows Grenache - Medium ruby colored, this showed enticing aromas of red fruits, lavender and violets, and ripe medium bodied, yet well structured, flavors that were imbued with licorice, cocoa, herbal tea. The back picked up pressed berries and framboise liqueur, followed by a lingering ripe tannin finish. 19.5/20 points.

2013 Flying Pig - Composed of 45% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this vintage showed a deep ruby color and alluring aromas of wild raspberries, currants, bramblea, crushed roses and violets. The flavors were direct, yet deep and penetrating, marked by notes of licorice, cocoa, roasted berries and nuts, and distinct "Rocks" minerality. 19+/20 points.

2012 The Lovers - This 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Syrah combination exhibited a deep ruby color and sultry, smoky aromas of blackberries, cherries, plums, crushed roses, sandalwood and juniper berries. The flavors mirrored the aromatics with dark fruits that were underlain with Swiss chocolate, coffee grounds and Rocks minerals. The wine turned fleshy textured on the back, with fruit confit and sweet-dry, firm tannins. 19.5/20 points.

2013 Syrah, Cailloux Vineyard - Deep crimson colored, this emited seductive aromas of wild blackberries, blueberries, crushed rose petals, lavender and violets. On the palate, flavors spread out with layers of dark fruits that were imbued with licorice, chocolate, dark roast and Rocks earth and minerals. The back picked up pressed berries, framboise liqueur and creme de cassis, followed by a lingering finish. 19.5+/20 points.

2013 Syrah, En Cerise Vineyard - This showed a brilliant ruby-crimson color and a floral nose of raspberry, blueberry, cassis, orange peel, red roses, violets and white incense. The alluring medium bodied flavors were mouth-filling and intermixed with licorice, cocoa and minerals. The back picked up framboise and kirsch liqueurs, recurring orange peel, and burnt toast, followed by a lingering moderate acid and tannin finish. 19.5/20 points.

2013 Syrah, En Chamberlin Vineyard - Deep crimson colored, this wine offered intriguing aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, anise, red roses and violets, and rich medium-bodied flavors that casted a swath across the palate, underlain with licorice, Swiss chocolate, herbal tea and rocky, loamy earth. The back picked uo fruit liqueurs, creme de cassis and dried orange peel, followed by a lingring ripe tannin finish. 19.5/20 points.

2013 Bionic Frog Syrah - This wine showed the elegance of the vintage admirably. Deep ruby colored, it emited a sultry, smoky nose of wild raspberries, cherries, cassis, dried orange peel, earth, dried roses, lavender and smoldering incense. The flavors, as well, were seductive, with thick, chewy medium full-bodied flavors that were intermixed with licorice, cocoa, and cobblestone and earth minerals. The back showed sensations of pressed berries, franboise liqueur, creme de cassis, mocha and toast, followed by a lingering, decadently rich finish. 19.5+/20 points.

2012 Syrah, Armada Vineyard - This was a superb expression of the rich, ripe 2012 vintage. It showed a brilliant ruby color and intoxicating aromas of wild blackberries, raspberries, black currants, orange peel, crushed roses, violets and oriental incense. The flavors spread a wide swath across the palate, with intermixtures of licorice, Belgian chocolate, French roast and ground up cobblestones. The wine kept on going on the back, with sensations of pressed berries, orange peel, roasted nuts and kidskin, all lifted by bright fruit acids on the incredibly long finish. 20/20 points.

2013 Impulsivo Tempranillo - Deep crimson-ruby colored (a trait of Tempranillo), this offered an exotic nose of black currants, black cherries, anise, damp earth, black roses and violets. On the palate, the flavors were deep and penetrating, marked by notes of licorice, bittersweet chocolate, chicory coffee, and stony earth. The back picked up kirsch liqueur, creme de cassis, dried orange peel, and burnt charcoal, followed by a long sweet-dry tannin finish. 19.5/20 points.

After Cayuse, we drove about a half mile further west on Sunnyside to Otis Kenyon where we tasted a lovely, perfumed new 2012 Carmenère (the "lost grape" of Bordeaux), to be reviewed in the May issue of the Review of Washington Wines. Then we drove back up to Walla Walla and up to the end of Cottonwood Road to the Reynvaan Family Vineyards winery, where we say Matt, Mike and Gale Raynvaan and other family members. We tasted the newly-released 2013 whites and 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. Here are my notes:

2013 Reynvaan "Queen's Road" White Wine ($65) - Composed of This showed a medium gold color and intriguing aromas of pear, white peach, Meyer lemon, acacia flowers, anise and white incense. The crisp and well delineated, with notes of pear skin and toasted almonts, followed by a dry, minerally finish. 19+/20 points.

2013 Reynvaan Grenache Blanc ($60) - This came on like a  distinctive white with scents of Boac pear, almonds, orange blossoms and white incense. The white fruit flavors were very dry and crisp, with intense minerality and laser-like precision. 19/20 points.

2013 Reynvaan "In the Rocks" Viognier ($60) - This showed the distinct minerality of the "Rocks" of the South Valley, along with scents of white lilac and honeysuckle and juicy, vibrant flavors that showed notes of pear, peach, orange peel, and poire William liqueur, followed by a long, creamy finish. 19.5/20 points.

2013 Reynvaan "Foothills in the Sun" Viognier ($60) - This comes from the estate vineyard by the winery. It showed a more delicate, fruit-forward character than the In the Rocks, with floral semi-tropical aromas of pear, peach, papaya, honeysuckle and white incense. The flavors showed high elevation intensity, and gravelly undertones. 19.5/20 points.

2013 Reynvaan "The Classic" Cabernet Sauvignon ($75 - Fall Release) - This showed a deep ruby color and classic Cabernet aromas of blackberry, cherry, plum, crushed rose and sandalwood, and dark fruit flavors, intermixed with chocolate, roasted coffee, roast chestnuts and ripe, chewy tannins. 19+/20 points.

In the evening, we drove out on Highway 12 to L'Ecole No. 41 where we attended a dinner celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Lowden Schoolhouse and the release of the 2012 Ferguson Vineyard Red (to be reviewed in the May issue). A superb dinner, was prepared and served by the Walla Walla Community College's Wine Country Culinary Institute, headed by Dan Theissen.

The next day, Saturday the fourth, we visited a few downtown wineries. First was Seven Hills where we tasted the outstanding 2012 Klipsun Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2012 Walla Walla Valley Pentad (both to be reviewed in May). Then we stopped at Maison Bleue where we tasted Jon Meuret's superb 2014 Rose, 2012 "Bourgeois" Grenache, and "Voyageur" Syrah (also to be reviewed in May). We also stopped at Mark Ryan where Mark McNeilly was pouring his new releases (reviewed in April) along with pulled pork from a roasted whole pig.

In the evening, we went to Va Piano's Black Label Release Party at the winery on JB George Road. Black attire was part of the theme. After sipping Champagne with appetizers, the guests marched down to the barrel room to sample the Black Label wines, including the 2012 DuBrul Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (to be in the May issue) and barrel samples of the 2013 Syrahs, to be released in the Fall. I also barrel tasted a couple of 2014's with Justin Wylie.

For pictures from Cayuse Weekend, see the Review of Washington Wines on Facebook.