Dense and concentrated, this has thick, almost jammy blue and purple fruits, with a peppery highlight and an undercurrent of sweet grain. The palate is tight, featuring layers of cassis, ink, anise, coffee and iodine, with an earthy salinity that runs through the finish. The Armada is perhaps a bit less fruity and more austere than the other 2009 Cayuse Syrahs, but is every inch their equal.

(94-96 points) From the Armada Vineyard lying just behind the winery, the 2009 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard was tasted from barrel and already shows stunning complexity on the nose with peat moss, iron, blood and sauvage notes overlaying serious minerality and crushed rocks. My notes say “Rocks, Rocks, Rocks.” The palate carries the nervous energy you get from Christophe’s wines as well as full body, awesome texture and a solid balance of acid, tannin and fruit.

Rich and powerful, the 2009 Syrah Armada Vineyard offers up a boisterous bouquet of cassis, black truffle, plums and berry liqueur, complemented by savory notions of dark chocolate, loamy soil and orange. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ripe and ample, with considerable mid-palate volume and an exuberant core of fruit that conceals its ripe tannins. It's complex and compelling, but the difference between this more overtly ripe and sun-kissed wine and the more recent 2014 and 2015 vintages from Christophe—even warmer years—subtly speaks volumes. - William Kelley