The 2007 Flying Pig is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. Baron’s take on Cheval Blanc, the wine is sourced from yields of 1.3 tons per acre. It offers up a kinky bouquet of liquid rock, Asian spices, incense, and wild berries. Full-bodied but light on its feet, this complex effort is hard to resist now but will easily evolve for another 5-7 years due to its impeccable balance. Drink this pleasure-bent wine from 2015 to 2027. A cult of personality seems to have developed in Washington over the past couple of years. Whenever the name Christophe is mentioned, everyone immediately knows of whom you are talking. The man himself, Christophe Baron continues to find new and interesting things to do. His latest vineyard project is well underway on hillsides not far from his present location. 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 some of the finest parcels of Tempranillo and Grenache grown in the USA are on this estate. Unfortunately, there will be no more varietally bottled Viognier which will now be used only as a blending grape. 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

This Cab Franc-Merlot blend is beautifully aromatic, with sappy fruit flavors in a clearly identifiable Cayuse style. Rich strawberry-inflected fruit, sour cherry (griotte), dried herbs and a lightly salty texture infuse a wine that also packs in plenty of the earthy, compost character of Cayuse. Tannins are already beginning to age into a finish with black tea highlights.——P.G.(2/1/2011)—— 93