Cayuse farms 31 hectares of vines across 14 sites on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The Armada vineyard is located in the ancient riverbed of the Walla Walla River and is also home to the Cayuse wine studio. Like the four other Cayuse vineyards, Armada is covered in large stones, reminiscent of the great vineyards of the southern Rhône. Just 12-18 inches of silty loam and basalt cobblestones lie above a layer of compacted cobblestones, which can plunge as deep as 100 metres in some pockets. Yields are small, rarely exceeding 30 hl/ha, and the site is farmed to organic and biodynamic principles. Planted in 2001 to 4,485 vines per hectare, this 2.5-hectare site was the most densely planted vineyard in the valley until 2008.

Having the vineyards and the winery in such proximity certainly has its advantages, especially for a team that makes picking decisions based on taste rather than tests. The handpicked fruit arrives at the winery, is crushed and ferments naturally in concrete with 75% whole clusters. The wine then matures for 21 months in large, old French foudres, 15-20% of which are new.

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