Here are the otherworldly new wines by Horsepower Vineyards.
It is my great pleasure to share the brilliant wines of Christophe Baron and Horsepower Vineyards. Originally from France, Baron and his family had working draft horses in their vineyards in Champagne. Horsepower Vineyards is a very special and rare wine brand in which 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.
Horsepower as a brand is one of the most consistently great producers that you will find on the West Coast. The resultant wines from the very tightly spaced Sur Echalas Vineyard offer incredible underlying tension and stony character. They have been stunning wines regardless of vintage — wines that shine even in the most challenging of conditions.
Horsepower Grenache are some of the best varietal wines that you will find in the new world.
Bionic Wines Director of Winemaking Karin Gasparotti has been doing an incredible job. She and her team completely nailed their 2024 releases. The new wines are heady, dense and delicious from this warm 2024 vintage. I scored these wines all extremely highly as this is one of the finest overall lineups of wine that I have tasted in the past year.
They are somewhat reminiscent of the ’21s, with more power than the ’22 wines. Another perfect wine, the 2024 Horsepower ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache (OB, 100) has absolutely stunning flavor density, tension and mouth-watering acidity. There isn’t a wine quite like this in the New World. Learn more about about these monumental wines at https://horsepowervineyards.com/horsepowervineyards/ Here are my reviews of the new 2024 future releases by Horsepower Vineyards.
2024 Horsepower Vineyards ‘Fiddleneck Vineyard’ Grenache- The otherworldly 2024 ‘Fiddleneck Vineyard’ leaves zero doubt that this is perfection in the bottle. Sourced from this site set on ancient cobblestones. Ultra-pure red fruits line the palate alongside crushed wet grave, Nori, satsuma orange zest and shades of Kalmata olive tapenade, this is drinking marvelously right now. Fat, round and generous on the tongue, with tremendous tension, enjoy this total stunner now and over the next eight to ten years to come. Drink 2026-2035- 100
2024 Horsepower Vineyards ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache- A gorgeous rendition of this wine, the 2024 ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache was sourced from this tightly-spaced set on cobblestone soils just outside the town of Milton-Freewater. Once on the nose this takes on menthol, Tangerine peel, white pepper dusted bacon and shades of violets with cranberry accents. The palate is big, bold and burly, with tremendous depth and power. A glorious combination of red and dark fruits combine with great stony/umami essence on the palate. Seriously good to enjoy now, watch this evolve over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2026-2035- 100
2024 Horsepower Vineyards ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Syrah- Coming from this warm vintage, the 2024 ’Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Syrah was aged in neutral oak barrels for more than a year before bottling. Compost, wet stone, iodine, bulls blood and beef drippings all parade on the nose. The palate is simply magical in terms of weight, finesse and flavor range. It combines this refined, silky texture with loads of stony and salty minerality. Wafts of black truffle shavings, and Cuban cigar combine with seaweed and dense dark fruits on the palate. The non-fruit character here is astonishingly good. Enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2026-2036- 100
2024 Horsepower Vineyards ‘High Contrast Vineyard’ Syrah- The full-throttle 2024 Horsepower Vineyards ‘High Contrast Vineyard’ Syrah was sourced from a vineyard that has two distinct soil types. Aged in neutral oak for 15 months, this delivers crushed wet rock, smoked meats, green olives, cloves, and Middle Eastern spices that all meld together in the glass. The palate is rich and layered with terrific tension and richness. This may be the finest edition of this wine yet. Drink 2026-2036- 98
2024 Horsepower Vineyards ‘The Tribe Vineyard’ Syrah- The incredible 2024 Horsepower Vineyards ‘The Tribe Vineyard’ Syrah was sourced from this location set on ancient cobblestones outside the town of Milton-Freewater. Inky in the glass, this revels in its blackberry and black currant flavors that mingle well with iron, iodine and tar notes. The flavor density and power is sensational. Complex and sinfully good to enjoy now, watch this evolve over the next ten years. Drink 2026-2036- 98