Showing the more savory side to the 2005 vintage, the 2005 Impulsivo has beautiful ripeness in its currants, potpourri, dried flowers, incense and savory herb-laved bouquet. These come together beautifully on the palate where the wine is full-bodied, elegant, silky and structured, with still notable tannin giving plenty of cut to the finish. Showing more licorice and crushed rock-like minerality on the finish, drink it anytime over the coming 15 years.

The 2005 Impulsivo is 100% Tempranillo. Opaque purple, the wine has great aromatics with mineral, black cherry, and blackberry. Pure, rich, and focused, the wine is layered and opulent but manages to remain light on its feet. It would be interesting to try this wine beside a great Ribera del Duero such as Pingus. Cellar it for at least five years.Christophe Baron strikes again. His estate, just on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla AVA, consists of five small but distinct vineyards (41 acres in total – with more on the way). Syrah and the Bordeaux varietals are the principal focus but the finest parcels of Tempranillo, Viognier, and Grenache grown in the USA are on this estate. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically and much of the estate is planted on rootstock to prepare for the day when phylloxera works its way through Walla Walla. The wines are all fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfined and unfiltered.Tel. (509) 526-0686; www.cayusevineyards.com