One of the great Washington wines, it gives me great pleasure to introduce the new rendition of Hors Categorie, produced by superstar vigneron Christophe Baron. Translated to ‘in a class of its own’ Hors Catégorie is a magnificent expression of terroir in a bottle. Sourced from a mere 2 acre vineyard hidden in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, the Hors Catégorie Vineyard is a sight to be seen. This vineyard is so steep that you struggle to climb it. As you whisk away beads of sweat from your forehead, looking out from the top of the vineyard is simply an incredible sight to be seen.
Spacing at this stunning vineyard is extremely tight. The terroir was largely stony with thick broken basalt sprinkled everywhere. You can almost feel the tension in the wines from the struggle of each individual vine. The 2015 Hors Categorie Syrah is unlike any wine made in Washington State. While there is wonderful stony terroir, the flavor profile is quite different than that of his Milton-Freewater Vineyards. The tension is gripping and the range of the wine is downright scintillating. With mouth-watering acidity, the wine is nearly impossible to put down. Learn more about this exciting project at https://horscategorievineyards.com/horscategorievineyards/ Here is the new review for the incredible 2015 Hors Catégorie Syrah.
2015 Hors Categorie Syrah- Hors Categorie means ‘a thing of its own’ in French. Christophe first discovered this site in 2004 as Syrah was planted on extremely steep slopes near where the north fork of the Walla Walla River meets with the Walla Walla River. Slppes are up to a 60% grade at some places. The Hors Catégorie Syrah is a stunning effort that shows a wonderful stony character with smoked meats, bulls blood, blood orange zest and red cherry candy on the nose. The smoky character is quite pronounced here, with lighter stony accents on the bouquet. The silky mouthfeel is simply incredible. The range of flavors entices the senses with red cherry preserves, blood orange, bulls blood, white truffle oil, black pepper and green olive tapenade. With mouth-watering acidity and a wonderful lifted character, this is a simply stunning effort by Christophe Baron. Drink 2018-2040- 98