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Owen Bargreen

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Eminent vigneron, Christophe Baron, has produced another mesmerizing Hors Categorie Syrah.

Eminent vigneron, Christophe Baron, has produced another mesmerizing Hors Categorie Syrah.

Hors Catégorie

September 1, 2019

Friends, we have a big one for you today as we bit adieu to Washington Wine Month. 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 and the wine is remarkably cropped at less than a ton an acre. 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 2016 Hors Categorie Syrah (WWB, 99) is simply thrilling wine that its up there with the best wines I have tried in North America throughout the past year. The wine has lovely stony tones to it, although its aromatic and flavor profile is quite different than that of Christophe’s Milton-Freewater Vineyards. The wine has seriously good tension and verve, with great precision and elegance. If you are one of the few to grab one of these wines (only two thousand bottles produced), I think you will be absolutely blown away with its quality. Learn more about this marvelous Syrah at https://horscategorievineyards.com/horscategorievineyards/ Here is the new review for the incredible 2016 Hors Catégorie Syrah. 


2016 Hors Catégorie Syrah (Spring 2020 release)- The 2016 Hors Catégorie Syrah is a scintillating wine that flirts with perfection. Several years back superstar vigneoron, Christophe Baron, founded his ‘Hors Categorie Vineyard’ planting Syrah on his highly steep sloped site, set on broken basalt, with majestic, sweeping views of the Walla Walla Valley.  The wine is cropped at roughly one ton an acre and was then aged in 600L Demi-muides prior to bottling. Aromatically this Syrah shows insanely good range from white pepper to red cherry preserves and potpourri with shades of white truffle that all shine brightly on the nose. The palate has incredible texture with gorgeous black fruits that collide with Umami, white peppercorns, wet stone, Kalamata olive tapenade and black cherry cordial. The mouthfeel is insanely good and the wine has a seamless quality that makes this truly one of a kind and almost reminds me of a great La Landonne. Showing marvelously in its youth, this will evolve well over the next fifteen years. Only a slightly more than two thousand bottles produced of this incredible, one of a kind wine. Drink 2019-2033- 99

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