Monster Cab blend from cult Northwest winery Cayuse.

I know that this winery is known for its Syrah, but this Meritage-style wine is my favorite of his current releases. Maybe my prejudice for wines that evolve and improve with age is showing, but this blend, heavy on the Cabernet Sauvignon, seems a better longterm investment than Cayuse's famous Syrahs. The wine is made with grapes from the same stony vineyard that has become famous for its intense flavors, but the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, by its nature, provides more complexity than the fruity Syrah.

"Camaspelo" is named for the famous chief of the Cayuse tribe, and is deeply, darkly styled. The nose of this wine combines tobacco, cigar smoke, and cassis and the flavors are dense yet balanced and lively, incorporating fascinating hints of mulberry, currant, plum, green olive, and fresh tobacco with a dense undercurrent of oaky fruit. This wine should be highly rewarding to open over the next 10 years.

100% Estate fruit: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon (22% from Cailloux Vineyard and 35% from En Cerise Vineyard); 26% Merlot (5% from Cailloux Vineyard and 21% from En Cerise Vineyard); 17% Cabernet Franc from En Cerise Vineyard.