Today we share one of the most unique wines produced in North America. Loosely translated to ‘beyond categorization’ Hors Catégorie is a magnificent expression of terroir in a bottle — an enigmatic Syrah that has insanely good aromatic and flavor range. 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. The last time there I was sweating running up the hill with Christophe. The views from the top are unbelievably beautiful.
The vineyard has incredibly tight spacing and Syrah clusters are cropped at less than a ton an acre. The terroir was largely stony with thick broken basalt sprinkled everywhere. When you are there you can truly feel the struggle of the vines in this stony terroir.
A few weeks ago I had the chance to taste the new wine from the 2019 vintage. This wine is more tension-filled than the decadent 2018 bottling. It is a magnificent expression of new world Syrah that comes off very Northern Rhone. The 2019 Hors Catégorie Syrah (OB, 99) is one of the great wines that I have tasted over the past year. I can’t help but think how magical this wine would be with a juicy steak. I think you will be blown away when you taste this gem. Learn more about this marvelous Syrah at https://horscategorievineyards.com/horscategorievineyards/ Here is the new review for the incredible 2019 Hors Catégorie Syrah.
2019 Hors Catégorie Syrah- The very nervy and stony 2019 Hors Catégorie Syrah is a astounding achievement in this somewhat challenging vintage. 100% Syrah, this exudes class with bulls blood and iodine tones alongside wet gravel and Mandarin orange rind with beautiful red florals on the nose. The palate is astonishingly good, coming off very weightless and full of minerality. Ripe black currants, iodine and huckleberry tones mingle well with garrigue notes and stony minerals on the palate. Flirting with perfection, this unbelievable effort will shine on for another decade or more. Drink 2022-2037- 99