One of the famed producers of the Pacific Northwest, Horsepower Vineyards was founded by famed vigneron Christophe Baron. Growing up in France, Baron and his family had a special affinity for animals, as draft horses worked the Champagne vineyards that he and his family resided over. Today we see that childhood inspiration which that led to creating one of the most coveted lineup of wines in the Pacific Northwest, Horsepower Vineyards. 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. Year after year these are some of the finest wines of the Walla Walla AVA. The tightly spaced Sur Echalas Vineyard produces wines that show incredible underlying tension. They have been stunning wines regardless of vintage — wines that shine even in the most challenging of conditions.
Bionic Wines Director of Winemaking Elizabeth Bourcier is a world-class talent in West Coast wine. Bourcier studied under Christophe and has been producing sensational wines for many years now. She did an amazing job with the challenging 2020 vintage and knocked it out of the park in ’21. The 2022 wines are amazing. They show slightly brighter acidity and less weight than the ‘21s but still offer plenty of stuffing. They remind me a bit of the ‘17s in terms of underling finesse. The wines can benefit from a short 20 or 30 minute decant but are also astonishingly good right out of the bottle in their tension-filled essence. As with the ‘21s, I see absolutely no reason to cellar these, as the wines are currently showing marvelously
It is very rare for me to rate a wine at 100 but I scored three of these wines at 100 points. The 2022 Horsepower ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache (OB, 100) is every bit as good as the 2021. It shows scintillating flavor and aromatic range that is quite simply otherworldly. Learn more about about these monumental wines at https://horsepowervineyards.com/horsepowervineyards/ Here are my reviews of the new 2022 releases by Horsepower Vineyards.
2022 Horsepower Vineyards ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache- Translucent in the glass, the 2022 ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ is sourced from this tightly-spaced location laden with cobblestones just outside the town of Milton-Freewater. Aromatically enchanting, this yields beautiful red rose petals with Asian spices, prosciutto ham, Nori and shades of smoldering stones with bacon grease accents. The palate is impeccably balanced, round and generous, with serious underlying tension that will make your mouth water. Showing great depth and a delightfully long finish, enjoy this novel, one of a kind wine now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 100
2022 Horsepower Vineyards ‘Fiddleneck Vineyard’ Grenache- A wonderful foil to the ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache, the 2022 ‘Fiddleneck Vineyard’ Grenache shows very different flavor and aromatic profiles — yet is clearly equal in overall quality. This Grenache was sourced from this stony site first planted back in 2015. Exuding class, this delivers a Chateau Rayas quality to this wine in terms of its purity of red fruits. The nose takes on hauntingly good range, offering pomegranate seed, kelp and blood orange zest tones alongside wet rock and hints of beef drippings. The aromatic range is mind-bending. The palate is liquid silk in its red fruit purity, showing dizzying underlying finesse and a generous mouthfeel. A total stunner, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 100
2022 Horsepower Vineyards ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Syrah- A world-class Syrah, the 2022 ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ is without a doubt one of the finest wines I have tasted over the past year. A stunning achievement by Horsepower Vineyards Director of Winemaking, Elizabeth Bourcier, this takes the lead with black truffle shavings and oyster sauce notes on the nose alongside cured meats, coffee grounds and wet stone accents. This has excellent power considering the coolness of the vintage, but the mouth-watering acidity really holds things neatly in place. The palate is plush and beautifully textured, showing beautiful weight and verve. Seamless throughout the drinking experience, with a gracious core of black and red fruits, alongside the salty and stony nuances, this is delicious, beautifully-textured Syrah that will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 100
2022 Horsepower Vineyards ‘High Contrast Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2022 Horsepower Vineyards ‘High Contrast Vineyard’ Syrah is sourced from vines set on a combination of ancient cobblestones and silty loam soils. Stored for 15 months in all neutral oak barrels, this opens with suggestions of black tea, Mandarin orange zest and exotic spices alongside beef brisket, Kalamata olive, charcuterie and smoldering stones. The palate is plush and soft with a pillowy texture and beautiful underlying acidity. Salty and savory, enjoy this beauty now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 98
2022 Horsepower Vineyards ‘The Tribe Vineyard’ Syrah- An amazing edition of this wine, the 2022 Horsepower Vineyards ‘The Tribe Vineyard’ Syrah comes from this stony location outside of the town of Milton-Freewater. Hoisin sauce and BBQ beef rib aromatics parade with shades of lavender, bay leaf and rich boysenberry fruits on the nose. The palate is polished and soft with a seamless texture and excellent sense of weight despite the coolness of the vintage. Concentrated and intense, enjoy this heady version of ‘The Tribe’ now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2024-2032- 98