Cayuse, God Only Knows Grenache, Walla Walla Valley

Fully mature with time to drink Popped and poured Cayuse funk on the nose Lovely silky texture in the mouth. Still showing nice fruit and complexity. Long lingering finish and it rocked with the food.

2014 vintage

Ruby-garnet color, translucent. Moderately pronounced aromas of strawberries, raspberries, with an acetic component. Very round on the palate, medium-full body, mostly red fruit style, long aftertaste with just a touch of bitterness. Fully mature, drink in the next 1-2 years. Ric

2014 vintage

My third God Only Knows: two 2019s and this 2020. I think I'm done with this wine. While the 2020 is much better than the 2019, this just isn't for me. Grenache to me is what I get from Torrin or Keplinger or a host of CdPs (Pegau, Pierre Usseglio, etc.) This is... unique, just not my unique. Very little fruit, almost all earth. I like mushrooms but I don't want to drink my mushrooms. I simply don't get the …

2020 vintage

Decanted 1 hr. - but keeps improving with time.

2012 vintage

My last bottle, this went out with style. Dark cherry fruit, hints of tobacco and leaf. Fine finish.

2014 vintage

Required a good hour of decanting, which is to be expected. Well structured wine, smokey hints, red fruit and red currant flavors, slight funky bitterness that rounded well the wine. Overall, a really distinct and formidable wine from this great producer.

2014 vintage

Needed a decant, but beware that after a few hours it starts losing the fruit quickly. Aromas include black cherry, black plum, browned chicken thigh, blood orange, and violet. Full bodied, the tannins are resolved and seamlessly integrated with the round, soft acid. This sort of melts on the palate, but thankfully maintains its substance and weight. Flavors are a combo of sweet fruit (black cherry, black plum, black currant), meat (brined pork loin), and earth (moist heavy soil, black …

2014 vintage

At home

2014 vintage

Last one of my 2014s - as i could not find the 2013s.... Shows with a very light cherry red centre and robe. Almost like burgundy in colour. Translucent and very nice. Nose is maybe lighter than expected but with some nice cayuse funk , some smoke, meat, red cherry and red plum fruit, not super intense but interesting and nciely balanced. Medium bodied on the palate, decent balance with slightly bitter cherry acidity offsetting red cherry and cranberry fruit. …

2014 vintage

Our Couples Cru of 8 Grenache from 6 countries, one of the favorites. Ruby-garnet color, translucent. Moderately pronounced aromas of strawberries, raspberries, with an acetic component. Very round on the palate, medium-full body, mostly red fruit style, long aftertaste with just a touch of bitterness. Fully mature, drink in the next 1-2 years. Ric

2014 vintage

was likely best a couple years ago. Still very floral with tomato and a green tannic "seeds & stems" finish

2012 vintage

Purple garnet color with a nose of candied rhubarb, bramble, currant, light roast coffee and molasses. Similar flavor profile with tart strawberry and bubblegum notes. Rather angular, monolithic flavor profile at this point but possessing a pleasing sweetness and balance. Needs 45 min+ aeration time.

2020 vintage

Tasted blind. Incredibly vibrant nose of bright red fruit. Following two disappointing bottles of Burgundy and Bordeaux, this was a palate and lifter of the senses. Kirsch liquor on the finish led me to Grenache and CdP. The only new world producers of Grenache that can taste like a well made CdP are Clarendon Hills and Cayuse (unless you include Spain too). I'm not a huge fan of Grenache wines, but I enjoyed this bottle.

2014 vintage

Not sure why this is such a cult wine. Pretty thin strawberry tasting wine.Not enough tannins nor acidity. No midpalate, finishes early. Just kind of blah. There is nothing off putting, it’s a decent wine, but definitely nothing special.

2020 vintage

Sweet fruit in perfect balance. Drink up.

2014 vintage

A bit young but still quite good. Drank over the course of an evening and by the end some of the rocks funk had blown off. Lovely tart red fruit, something mint or eucalyptus-like, leather, and earth.

2020 vintage

A nice bottle of grenache - red fruit on the nose and a palate of red cherries, plum and hints of spice. Moderate to long finish.

2012 vintage

Very nice. Mild red fruit, beautiful florals, wet earth, and a touch of smokiness. Still a youthful presence, but drinking fantastically.

2012 vintage

2020 God Only Knows Grenache is spectacular. Well balanced with tannins that fade quickly and a lot of ripe wild strawberry and raspberry up front, forest floor/mushroom undercurrents, and a hint of pepper. Very drinkable now but wait and this will probably go higher.

2020 vintage

Ruby red in color. 13.5% ABV. Savory nose of red fruits, olive brine, smoked meats and flowers. Medium body with strong acidity. Rich, lush and concentrated. Cherry, strawberry, kirsch and roasted herbs on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. The '14 has always been one of my favorite vintages of GOK. At 10 years of age the wine continues to shine. Ready to go and likely best in the next several years.

2014 vintage

Good but too sweet for our taste. Much prefer their Syrah.

2012 vintage

Popped and poured Review at 1 hour mark and the last glass. Nose has the Cayuse funk, very perfumed, rich, dark, earthy. Palate earthy, silky, layered with dark red fruit, spice notes, and very long silky smooth finish with just the right notes of silky Brett

2014 vintage

Tasted blind with weekly tasting group, grenache theme. Double decanted to take to venue for tasting. Gave it 3 hours of decant. The initial funk on the nose had mostly blown off by the time we got to this bottle. Bright red fruits on the pallet, medium tannins for a young wine. Some estimated this to be older than it was. Will be better with cellar time.

2020 vintage

Delicious. PnP. Very good from nose to finish. Good balance and fruit Probably be good more several years if stored right.

2012 vintage

Shared a bottle w Herb. Grenache. Medium body. Balanced red fruit, medium Acidity, medium tannins. Nice funkiness/earth which emerges as it opens up in the glass. Good wine. still young.

2020 vintage

Heater week; 3/8/2024-3/17/2024 (Chicago, IL) : Not my thing. Shows really unbalanced, with almost a lack of fruit on the nose and palate, but lots of alcohol and a missing midpalate. Disjoint.

2020 vintage

Just not a good bottle of wine. Stored properly and healthy, just not to my liking. Bitter, one dimensional and out of balance. Just don't like this style of wine making.

2014 vintage

Big, bold funk bomb, an amazing example of what terroir can do to a wine. Ultra sour all the way through, even on the second night. Raspberries picked fresh from the side of the road, pickled strawberry, Japanese plum. I wish I had more!

2012 vintage

Tomlee nails the note below. It takes just a few minutes to open up but when it does, it's an absolute stunner. Beautifully balanced, savory notes and long finish. Loved it.

2014 vintage

Ruby red in color. 13.5% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, olive tapenade and flowers. Medium body with perfect acidity. Fresh and silky with earthy fruits. Cherry, kirsch, saline and minerals on the palate. The finish is long and supple. For me, 2014 has always been one of the best vintages of GOK and the wine has aged admirably. Likely best over the next 1-2 years.

2014 vintage

A bit meh to be honest. Not showing tell tale funk - maybe a little lighter than expected as well. Does not smell or taste flawed, maybe just a poor bottle, which is unusual for Cayuse.

2014 vintage

Color/App: dark, slightly translucent ruby core -> diffuse crimson/cranberry rim; medium + viscosity. Once again, GOK does not disappoint, presenting the quintessential CDP/Burgundy mash-up. Bouquet on PnP of saline-iodine-brine-funk (that Cayuse thang -- though less here than on some of the Syrahs), pomegranate, beetroot and Southern-Rhone Grenache spice. As with the '07, a smooth, juicy palate showing beautiful acidity (almost Burgundian you say?), an elegant, well-balanced midpalate and lovely, long finish. I think this vintage skews a little more Burgundian …

2014 vintage

Cherry chocolate ganache. Mature and light in color. But brings heft and elegance. Balanced, long finish. Enjoy.

2014 vintage

OMG. Such a uniquely delicious wine. Opened and decanted for 2 hours before imbibing. Strawberry, iodine, olive tapenade and stone with just enough funk to provide interest. Believe it’s drinking great now and suggest short term cellaring only as the acid side seems to be waning. Enjoyed with grilled loin lamb chops and asparagus risotto.

2014 vintage

Pretty funky when first opened, but blew off within half an hour. A really beautiful wine, nice expression of grenache. I do personally prefer the syrahs from Cayuse, and this seemed to me slightly less interesting than Cayuse syrah. Still a wonderful bottle that I enjoyed with a friend. On the nose, nice complexity of forest floor, dark fruit, and damp earth. On the palate, it was brighter, with red berries, pomegranate, and cranberry.

2012 vintage

Fabulous effort. It was amazing with a mushroom risotto.

2012 vintage

In a great place. Terrific wine.

2012 vintage

The nose is driven by equal parts blueberry, hickory smoke, and iodine. It also includes blackberry, spiced plum, and uncurled salami funk. Full bodied and seamless, it balances velvety tannin and precise semi-juicy acid with great skill. Flavors include sweet blue and blackberry and plum, as well as savory dried thyme and tarragon, pork belly, and sweet tobacco leaf. Doing well now and like will continue to evolve for another five years.

2014 vintage

Aromatic strawberry, raspberry and dried meat on the nose, super fine with silky mouthfeel and a tender chew, medium bodied with balanced acidity, flavors of raspberry, red plum, herbs and mineral, long lasting finish, delicious juice, drinking well now and should continue to for another decade

2014 vintage

Fresh fruity and vibrant. I would’ve guessed it was a garnacha or maybe a ploussard mondeuse or mencia. Not southern Rhône styled at all. Quaff able. Bing cherry and cranberry along with a forest pine. Very good. Well recommneded

2014 vintage

Opened for 1.5 hours. Color is deep garnet. On the nose: Sour funk, sour cherry and raspberry with hint of vanilla. On the palate: Cherry, strawberry, raspberry, tar, iodine, sour funk and red licorice. Very silky and elegant. This is a fantastic wine. Hard to find but worth looking for. I was based in Hong Kong many years and there were some go to restaurants that had Cayuse Wines on their Wine List. I liked surprising non-Americans with them. Most …

2014 vintage

Floral (white/blue/red), Cayuse profile, strawberry, umeboshi plum, black tea and tapenade. High, nice acidity. Noticed some verjuice elements. Gives a fresh uplift. Great bottle.

2012 vintage

I had this bottle 6-7 months ago. No significant changes from my last note. Savory goodness with herbs and dark fruit. Again, absolutely delicious.

2014 vintage

Fabulous wine that is singing right now. Coming into its own, this is the time to indulge!

2014 vintage

Two wines presented themselves. The PNP wine which was a lithe, zippy, slightly edgy orange mazda miata. It raced across the palate with a great acidity. Day two, an hour into the 2nd half of the bottle, last glass presented with the attributes of the TNs below. Drink according to your preferences is my feedback.

2012 vintage

This wine is all about finesse. Light pomegranate and dominant strawberry fruit with a wonderful mid-palate and fine finish. No need to wait, drink up!

2012 vintage

Decanted >2 hours. Even as I was decanting the Cayuse aroma was flowing through my nose. Hints of smoked meat, mushroom & forest floor told me this was going to be good. Beautiful red fruit in the mouth with olives, mushroom and some floral notes. Paired with a Christmas ham and this went beautiful with it. Delicious wine in a very nice drinking window right now.

2012 vintage

Drink it now...not getting any better. Balanced right out of the bottle. A lovely grenache

2012 vintage

This wine is drinking like a dream right now. Stripping away the meatiness and gaminess of the Armada Syrah, this mostly Grenache is a primarily red-fruit wine with the most beautiful notes of mushroom, herbs, and mirepoix. It's definitely neither as bold nor intense as its Syrah cousin, but the stripped down palate reveals all sorts of lovely floral and aromatic notes. We drank it over a several-course meal and it paired perfectly with everything from truffle Gnochi to King …

2012 vintage

Really lovely and accessible. Not overly funky. Though distinctively Cayuse. Nice focused dark red fruits. Lovely and right on the palate. Still coiled a bit but drinking quite nicely. I pulled this and opened it without noticing I had it a few months ago! Not sure it is necessary to wait for five years as I last suggested, but I do think this may still improve.

2012 vintage

Are you sure?

Cayuse, God Only Knows Grenache, Walla Walla Valley

Vintages

No vintages

Community Reviews