2016 Cayuse Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vyd Washington Red

2016 Cayuse Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vyd

98 WE

Featured Review

Insanely aromatic notes of potpourri, raspberry, white pepper, soot, funk and earth are followed by bright, fresh, focused, rich fruit and savory flavors. It shows a sense of delicacy and intensity with unparalleled balance. There is no end to the finish. What makes this Grenache-driven wine so extraordinary? God only knows. Best from 2023–2027. Wine Enthusiast

Wine Enthusiast | 98 WE

The 2016 God Only Knows saw a fair amount of stems (60-80%) and was brought up in neutral demi-muids and foudre. It's incredibly complex, offering blackberry, smoked earth, Iberico ham, white pepper, spring flowers, and violets. It's seamless, ultra-pure, medium-bodied, and just glides across the palate and has a Burgundian weight and richness. 535 cases.

Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

Very attractive, spicy and sappy whole-bunch aromas with raspberries and wild cherries, as well as a wildflower note. The palate has a smoky, salty edge with a lacy array of tannins that carry long, fresh and sapid. So delicious, very pinot-esque. A blend of 90% grenache and 10% other grape varieties (God only knows). Drink or hold.

James Suckling | 95 JS

Featuring a playful label, the 2016 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard is a blend of 90% Grenache, with the remaining 10% comprising unknown varieties. This has a seductive nose of cherry and wild strawberry, with a floral essence and rich minerality, tamed by soft red spices. There is a touch of black pepper here, suggesting a splash of Syrah in the blend. The wine is tight on the palate but gives pleasure on many different levels, as it has both breadth and depth. There is a focused core of rocky minerality to the wine as it lingers on the long, textured finish with good balance and structured tannins. This is impressive juice! Only 535 cases produced.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

Bright medium red. Knockout nose combines red cherry, pomegranate, mocha, white pepper and a sexy high-toned floral element. At once salty and juicy on the palate, savory but not particularly meaty, with a dominant flavor of crushed red cherry complicated by notes of garrigue and truffle. Finishes very long and subtly palate-staining, with terrific floral complexity. This wine struck me as a little darker in character than the No Girls Grenache made by Elizabeth Bourcier at Cayuse. And it's still tightly wound. (13.6% alcohol; vinified with 75% whole clusters; from a crop level of just 1.5 tons per acre)

Vinous Media | 94 VM

Demands attention immediately, yet remains graceful and refined, with notes of bacon fat, raspberry and orange peel, plus crushed rock and pepper. Takes on tension toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2027. 535 cases made.

Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Type of Wine	Washington Red
Varietal	Grenache : The vast and complex world of grape varietals is wondrous, fascinating and somewhat baffling. The how and why certain varietals either prosper or fail in winegrowing regions around the world is interesting; varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon thrive in extremely gravely soils, while Merlot finds success in rich clay. The Grenache grape variety is no exception. It excels in some of the most “inhospitable” soils and climates; inhospitable perhaps for anything but the wonderful Grenache grape. It seems adaptable to harsher climates and terroir and when at its best can produce one of the most concentrated and alcohol laden wines. Grenache (or Garnacha as it is called in Spain) is believed to have originated from the north-eastern Spanish province of Aragon. The varietal first spread south and east, to Catalonia, Rioja and Navarra. It expanded greatly throughout the 12th-17th century, to Corsica, Sardinia, Southern Italy, Sicily, Croatia and even Greece. It was first planted in France in the Languedoc region in the 18th century and eventually its arrival to Rhone in the 19th century. The worldwide expansion of Grenache was inevitable and would eventually find its way to Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Provence and America. It was first introduced to California by Charles Lefranc, a prominent Santa Clara winegrower, in 1857. Today, Grenache is one of the most popular and widely cultivated grape varietals in the world covering 163,000 hectares world-wide. It has been used in a myriad of ways and has been both, the workhorse and backbone in blending but also as a single-varietal. It is undoubtedly the magical component of the infamous Chateauneuf-Du-Pape appellation of France where a sea of Grenache grape vines grace the vineyards. Though there are 13 allowable varietals permitted by law in the AOC (controlled designation of origin), Grenache makes up 70-75% of all grapes grown in the appellation. It flourishes in a terroir of large stones, crystalline rocks, quartz, sandstone and the famous ‘galets roules’ (large round stones found throughout Southern Rhone). Chateau Rayas, which produces, perhaps the truest expression of Chateauneuf-Du-Pape is composed of 100% Grenache. Due to grape’s thin skin, the wine of Rayas is reminiscent to the color of red Burgundy offerings. In Provence, Grenache is widely used in the blending of Rose wines. The great Sasha Lichine, of Chateau D’Esclans, who revolutionized the rose industry uses Grenache as the primary blending agent in his fleet of Rose. The grape’s phenolic qualities, ageability and character have lent to the success of D’Esclans, as his Garrus is the world’s most renowned, prestigious rose wine, while his Whispering Angel is the top-selling French rose in the United States. In California, Grenache has taken on “new life” as it has found great success in the last 20-some years. New World winemakers and growers have adopted the grape (along with Syrah), producing what is referred to as “Rhone Rangers.” Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non and Alban Vineyards may be some of the finest examples of Grenache in California. Alban vineyards was the first important California winery to produce single-vineyard “Rhone” varietals, beginning a craze among other vintners as well as consumers. Krankl has fashioned ethereal wines from 100% Grenache that rival the greatest expression of Grenache in the world, earning him the title “California Cult” producer. The varietal’s birthplace and most of Spain’s winegrowing regions have enjoyed great success with Grenache (Garnacha), where the varietal thrives in its natural elements of the hot and windy Mediterranean valleys. It ripens late with a long hang-time, so it needs hot, dry conditions. The long and deep roots are well suited to water stress, allowing for super concentrated flavors and aromas, especially with old vines. Spain has some of the finest Garnacha offerings as well as some of the least expensive in the world. The incredible adaptability to areas of such inhospitable, dry and infertile soils is a mystical quality of Grenache. The world has been granted a gift, one that suits every budget and nearly every palate. From Chateauneuf-Du-Pape to Rose, to Cotes-Du-Rhone to Spanish Garnacha, the varietal has certainly earned its spot on the top of hot list.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	Washington : While California definitely owns the spotlight when it comes to excellent American wines, Washington winemakers should certainly not be underestimated. While their traditional focus was set firmly on refreshing, illustrious white wines, they've adopted French red varietals like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then, they've been achieving excellence in both categories and can compete with the world's most prestigious viticultural titans. Flavor-wise, you can expect a healthy amount of variety when it comes to Washington's finest wines. From acidic and fruity bottles that can shake you up from even the deepest slumber or sadness to rich and ripe powerhouses that command the respect of everyone in the room after as much as a single whiff. Juicy raspberries that gently tickle your tongue, deep and noble blackberries, intense cherries and earthen oak - these are the flavors that characterize this region, despite the presence of an entire orchestral symphony of other aromatic notes. A sampling of fine wine from Washington is a lot like being seduced, so why not uncork one of these bottles for a potential or existing partner? With a drink of this quality, those romantic sparks will turn into a fireworks display, as your emotions are laid bare and intensified, and you make a connection that can last a lifetime.

Producer	Cayuse : The Domaine of Cayuse is located in the Stones of the Walla Walla Valley, where it is said “The Stones hold the secret.” Over the past twenty years, Christophe Baron has made it his mission to carve out food-friendly wines of incredible depth and character from the almost mythical plot of treasured, and now historic land. The young and impetuous, French Vigneron visited the little-known town of Walla Walla and fell in love with its seemingly useless stone covered farmland. There were many who doubted such a venture could turn bountiful. However, that is simply just what happened, silencing the nay-sayers; who are probably still trying to allocate some of his highly sought after wines. Cayuse produces 3,500 cases of a multitude of varieties; Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. The varietals hail from five different vineyards - Cailloux, Coccinelle, En Cerise, En Chamberlin, and Aramada. The vineyards and their locations are important to the identity of the wines themselves as their true fingerprints are in the minerality. Each wine is true to the unique terroir of the vineyards. Christophe says, “You want to taste the place.” So… do the stones hold the secret, as a brash, young visiting vigneron believed? Christophe probably deserves more credit himself for his farming methods: which is biodynamical, completely free of chemicals, pesticides and fungicides. His efforts at cultivating the land to develop healthier soil is astounding. But, then again, there is an allure in mythical stories.