The first vintage from the vineyard and coming from third-leaf fruit, the 2003 Syrah Armada Vineyard is up with the crème de la crème of Syrah and turns the whole vine-age argument on its head. Full-bodied, decadent, massive and yet always seamless, layered and elegant, it has awesome flavor authority in its blackcurrants, plums, green olive and spice-laced aromas and flavors. This is a tour de force in Syrah and it’s one of those wines that I wish I could hand every reader a glass of. It’s an incredible wine.

A truly stunning wine of amazing complexity. It has layers of depth rarely found in any Washington wines, beginning with dense black fruits, black licorice, smoke, pepper and charcoal. The trademark Cayuse herbal/green tea elements are there also, more as hints than as layers. The aging in big neutral barriques has buffed it out; as it breathes in the glass the wine opens beautifully, gaining flesh and density. A genuine tour de force, deeply aromatic and fascinating. ——P.G.(3/1/2007)—— 97