Horsepower Sur Echalas Vineyard 2020

Horsepower Sur Echalas Vineyard 2020

Horsepower
$180.00

Grape: Syrah
Vintage: 2020
Type: Red

Produced from the high-density Sur Echalas Vineyard, this volcanic red wine is a pure varietal expression of the Syrah grape. Christophe Baron utilizes draft horses for all cultivation on these deep beds of basalt river stones, forcing the roots deep and locking in high minerality. The hand-picked grapes undergo a traditional native fermentation with wild vineyard yeasts in neutral concrete containers. It ages in seasoned French oak barriques to integrate its structural elements without wood flavor dominance.

It shows a deep ruby color, opening with expressive aromas of black cherry, dark plum, sweet smoke, and wild Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, the full-bodied framework balances a velvety mouthfeel with a firm, fine-grained tannin structure. Savory notes of ground black pepper and leather blend into the fruit core across mid-palate. A clean line of natural acidity cuts through the volume, maintaining excellent freshness.

Horsepower is Christophe Baron's homage to the vineyard work of his family's Champagne past, translated into the stone-strewn soils of Walla Walla. The vineyards are planted at extremely high density, one vine per stake, and cultivated by draft horses rather than tractors to avoid compaction and preserve the life of the soil. As with Cayuse, the farming is biodynamic and avoids herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and chemical sprays. The wines, mostly Syrah and Grenache, come from sites such as Sur Echalas and The Tribe, and combine New World intensity with an old-fashioned, almost monastic commitment to physical vineyard work.