Today I am very honored to present our winery of the year. I’ve tried more than two thousand wines from all over the world this year and two of the best wines I tried were both from the same winery, a simply extraordinary feat! It is my pleasure to announce Horsepower Vineyards as my 2020 winery of the year.
In his Walla Walla AVA vineyards his horses help cultivate vineyards ranging from 3,555 to 4,840 vines per acre with as little as 3' x 3' spacing—planted 1 vine per stake, or “sur echalas” in French. One of the most exciting vineyards in Washington State, the Sur Echalas Vineyard creates wines that are so profound they’re nearly impossible to describe. The struggle of the vines in these close quarters creates a remarkable tension and intensity. These stunning wines are made by Christophe and his highly talented assistant vigneronne, Elizabeth Bourcier. The wines from this vineyard are intense with a vibrant sense of minerality and they show exceptional range. Simply put, they are unlike any other wines from this region. I was absolutely blown away with their 2018 ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache (OB, 100) a wine with such precision and finesse, with insanely good range and stony terroir. This was also my wine of the year for 2020!
Congrats again to Horsepower Vineyards and their incredible new wines this year 🍷🔥