2018 Cayuse Red Blend ‘Camaspelo’ Walla Walla Valley

This fruit hails from Cayuse’s “En Cerise” vineyard. Literally translated, “En Cerise” means “cherry”—appropriate since this 10-acre vineyard planted in 1998 was a cherry orchard in its former life.

JD95+ Lots of ripe cherries, mulberries, brambly herbs, tobacco, and earth emerge from the 2018 Camaspelo, although it’s one of the more reticent, backward wines in the lineup and takes plenty of air to show at its best. Offering full-bodied richness, a round, mouth-filling texture, and building yet ripe tannins, it needs 3-5 years of bottle age to round into form and should have two decades or overall longevity.

JS95 Aromas of plums, currants, dried herbs, tangerine, gravel and spices. It’s full-bodied with silky, firm tannins and bright acidity. Intense and savory with rich yet balanced layers. Hints of chocolate at the end. A Bordeaux blend. Drink or hold.