2017 Cayuse Red Blend ‘The Lovers’ Walla Walla Valley

JD95+ The 2017 The Lovers checks in as a normal blend of close to 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Syrah and offers lots of darker currant and smoked blackberry fruits as well as ample licorice, graphite, and gravelly minerality. It’s a good counterpoint to the more ethereal Camaspelo and shows a more masculine, concentrated style that’s going to reward bottle age. Do your best to hide bottles for 3-5 years and it will shine for 15-20 years or more.
WA93 A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Syrah, the 2017 The Lovers offers up aromas of blackcurrant and dark plum with tobacco, before revealing subtle graphite and dried herb expressions before hinting at a rumor of black pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the wine opens to a gracefully balanced structure that is framed by succulent tannins, where the wine is made more complex by the sensation of baked earth and cassis flavors across the mid-palate. Lingering long, the wine finishes with elements of black raspberry, savory spices and dusty lavender. 190 cases produced.