2015 Sur Echalas Vineyard Grenache
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Tasting notes
(vinified almost entirely with whole clusters; from a vineyard planted in 2008 at a dense three feet by three feet, or 4,840 vines per acre): Healthy dark red. Musky, carnal aromas of raspberry, chocolate, smoke, brown sugar and minerals. Dense, thick and savory, offering flavors of charred dark berries, cherry and candied flowers. This full-flavored, even slightly aggressive Grenache finishes classically dry, with slowly mounting salty persistence. These vines yield about three clusters per plant--or one tons of fruit per acre. "It takes a lot of work to make this wine," noted Elizabeth Bourcier, who assists Christophe Baron on his Cayuse and Horsepower wines and is responsible for the No Girls bottlings. (13.8% alcohol)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard is stunning, wafting from the glass with a captivating bouquet that features floral top notes of roses and peony, savory nuances of rich coniferous forest floor and bouillon, overlaying a sapid base of ripe cherry and strawberry. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, immensely intense and mouthwateringly savory, with incredible complexity and stony depth. The finish is long and saline. Though Baron's Cayuse Grenache is great this year, this wine is another step up.
The 2015 Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard is a classic expression of both the terroir and the variety. Black cherries, strawberries, ground pepper, and forest floor notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, silky Grenache that has incredible character and depth. Drink it over the coming decade. The Horsepower wines are made at Cayuse yet from their own set of vineyards which are farmed exclusively by horses. The wines share plenty of similarities with the Cayuse releases, yet have slightly more backward profiles that demand bottle age to show at their best.