A wine that just blew me away was the 2006 Impulsivo, and I think 2006 may prove to be the greatest vintage at this estate to date. Absolutely classic in every way, with dense, rich notes of crème de cassis, currants, dried blood, dried spices and raw meat, this flat-out awesome 2006 hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a thrilling mid-palate and building tannic structure that starts on the mid-palate and carries all the way through the finish. The texture here is just off the charts. When all is said and done, this will have 30+ years of overall longevity.

My candidate for Best Domestic Tempranillo. Admittedly, it is a rather short list but consider that its real competition is Pingus or Contador. The 2006 Tempranillo Impulsivo En Chamberlin Vineyard is a dense, brooding effort with savory, sweet, layered fruit, an exotic perfume, and an elegant personality. Impeccably balanced and long, it should evolve for 8-10 years and offer pleasure through 2026. Christophe Baron remains in fine form. 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, 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. The one most visible change since last year’s visit is that some of the plowing is now done by horse power. It was quite a sight to see a giant plow horse take tiny steps to turn from one row into the next. Cayuse is no longer a secret and it may be America’s toughest mailing list to crack (consider the prices compared to some of the other cult collectibles) but do whatever it takes to get your hands on a few of these gems.Tel. (509) 526-0686; www.cayusevineyards.com

This 100% Tempranillo is dark, meaty, smoky and super-rich. You find a pretty, floral nose, followed with cured meats, some saltiness too, and very dark fruit flavors with a lot of smoke and tar. This has the firm acidic base of Tempranillo, with immense extraction of color, tannin and plenty of bacon fat in the finish. It’s full, almost fleshy, with texture and flavor. Stylistically it fits right into the Cayuse formula, but does not (yet) stand apart as a unique varietal.——P.G.(12/1/2008)—— 93