Horsepower Syrah, The Tribe vineyard (Walla Walla, WA) 2017
Horsepower Syrah, The Tribe vineyard (Walla Walla, WA) 2017
by sid_loves_wine
2 Comments
sid_loves_wine
EXTRA detailed notes here as this is both a divisive and pricey wine that I only decided to purchase at a steep discount, so I made sure to analyze it as closely as I could. This is my first time tasting anything by Christophe Baron (who makes Cayuse, Horsepower, No Girls, Hors Categorie- sort of infamous high-end Washington wines with a distinct character that is very love-it-or-hate-it among “wine geeks”. I’ve been curious to try them, but hesitated for years due to pricing (most ranging from like $120-$175, with others in the $350+ range, although nowadays they’re lower at auction.) I finally grabbed one when I found this for $80 (!!!) in a forgotten little wine shop here in Seattle. I figured it was almost a sign, considering that the avg listed WineSearcher price for this is like $165.
Basically, the idea is that they are intentionally and aggressively *savory*- some cite the “rocks funk” often found in wines grown in this specific area of Walla Walla. This is simplifying it, but bear with me. Lovers of the wines insist it’s the terroir of the region causing such incredibly earthy or savory wines, while others speculate that it’s more to do with the winemaking. I think it can be both, in many cases.
I should say first that I adore all styles of Syrah, that I generally highly enjoy Washington syrah too (although I drink more Northern Rhone and CA, even AUS currently, even living in Seattle), and *most* importantly for the context of the note: that I have no problem at all with highly savory, earthy, or otherwise non-fruity wines- with the caveat that there usually has to be at least SOME clear fruit there also, to give the wine a more complete profile.
No decant. Followed very slowly in bottle over about 12 hours. I actually would not really describe it as “funky” as many do. I would call this wine insanely earthy, meaty, smoky…it’s not “stinky” or sweaty at all, just very immensely savory.
First sniff was salty salami, plus something like bright raspberry tones- but this was quickly overwhelmed with aggressive non-fruit notes. Campfire ash, medicinal peat (almost like the glass was rinsed with Laphroaig), powerful cracked black pepper or even something like Sichuan pepper, faint bell pepper, lavender (but extra soapy), Ricola candies, BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, raw red meat, and as it opened very slightly, the fruit slightly darkened, maybe dark plum, still far beneath.
Palate was even more distinct, and was clearly separated into 3 super different segments. Phase 1: a high-toned pop of almost tart raspberry acidity, much brighter than the nose ever suggests. Brief. Then phase 2: it begins a huge bloom of something like coffee. Pour-over with fruity notes, touches of mocha, and a bit of something like plum liqueur. This mid-palate section was honestly kinda beautiful, with some cool nuance. The tannins are in a wonderful spot, extremely fine-grained despite the obvious structure. Phase 3 then begins, and the finish is unbelievably aggressive and unusual. A wildly bitter, intensely herbal tone that seems to linger on forever. Amaro, shiso leaf, the slightly acrid flavor of charcoal grilled meats, dark coffee, cacao, menthol, more Ricola candy, etc. Because these hugely bitter notes linger for so long, it was almost a little unpleasant for me. Overall, it feels like the wine is like 75% earthy/herbal/bitter, 15% meaty/umami, and 10% fruit. This might seem insignificant, but I liked that the earthy tones didn’t cross the line into super “vegetal”.
An enjoyable experience, but I feel it was more interesting than delicious. For the $80-ish I paid, I don’t regret it; great to finally try one and I can easily say it’s wildly complex, genuinely unique, and even that it showed more “vibrancy” and precision than I was expecting, with the pops of bright fruit, persistent acidity, manageable 13.6% ABV and lithe tannin. As a whole package, though, I’m not craving another, ESPECIALLY not at the usual prices. If I had paid $150+ for this, I’d be too distracted by the myriad of other legendary syrahs I could have had instead. Just for some extra WA Syrah perspective, I felt it was kinda more interesting and captivating than my experiences with upper-tier K Vintners (although the high price kinda messes up the comparison)- and frankly I found it less enjoyable than upper-tier Gramercy (less pricey than either)- Gramercy is still maybe my fave WA producer right now, with plenty of savory/earthy tones to their wines but with a much more harmonious and elegant feel overall.
PrivateeRyan
Awesome write up and a great read.
I had a glass of ‘19 high contrast vineyard last week and my tasting notes can be summarized in two words: pea soup. Like you said, almost zero fruit. Hard to believe the wine was even made of grapes.
2 Comments
EXTRA detailed notes here as this is both a divisive and pricey wine that I only decided to purchase at a steep discount, so I made sure to analyze it as closely as I could. This is my first time tasting anything by Christophe Baron (who makes Cayuse, Horsepower, No Girls, Hors Categorie- sort of infamous high-end Washington wines with a distinct character that is very love-it-or-hate-it among “wine geeks”. I’ve been curious to try them, but hesitated for years due to pricing (most ranging from like $120-$175, with others in the $350+ range, although nowadays they’re lower at auction.) I finally grabbed one when I found this for $80 (!!!) in a forgotten little wine shop here in Seattle. I figured it was almost a sign, considering that the avg listed WineSearcher price for this is like $165.
Basically, the idea is that they are intentionally and aggressively *savory*- some cite the “rocks funk” often found in wines grown in this specific area of Walla Walla. This is simplifying it, but bear with me. Lovers of the wines insist it’s the terroir of the region causing such incredibly earthy or savory wines, while others speculate that it’s more to do with the winemaking. I think it can be both, in many cases.
I should say first that I adore all styles of Syrah, that I generally highly enjoy Washington syrah too (although I drink more Northern Rhone and CA, even AUS currently, even living in Seattle), and *most* importantly for the context of the note: that I have no problem at all with highly savory, earthy, or otherwise non-fruity wines- with the caveat that there usually has to be at least SOME clear fruit there also, to give the wine a more complete profile.
No decant. Followed very slowly in bottle over about 12 hours. I actually would not really describe it as “funky” as many do. I would call this wine insanely earthy, meaty, smoky…it’s not “stinky” or sweaty at all, just very immensely savory.
First sniff was salty salami, plus something like bright raspberry tones- but this was quickly overwhelmed with aggressive non-fruit notes. Campfire ash, medicinal peat (almost like the glass was rinsed with Laphroaig), powerful cracked black pepper or even something like Sichuan pepper, faint bell pepper, lavender (but extra soapy), Ricola candies, BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, raw red meat, and as it opened very slightly, the fruit slightly darkened, maybe dark plum, still far beneath.
Palate was even more distinct, and was clearly separated into 3 super different segments. Phase 1: a high-toned pop of almost tart raspberry acidity, much brighter than the nose ever suggests. Brief. Then phase 2: it begins a huge bloom of something like coffee. Pour-over with fruity notes, touches of mocha, and a bit of something like plum liqueur. This mid-palate section was honestly kinda beautiful, with some cool nuance. The tannins are in a wonderful spot, extremely fine-grained despite the obvious structure. Phase 3 then begins, and the finish is unbelievably aggressive and unusual. A wildly bitter, intensely herbal tone that seems to linger on forever. Amaro, shiso leaf, the slightly acrid flavor of charcoal grilled meats, dark coffee, cacao, menthol, more Ricola candy, etc. Because these hugely bitter notes linger for so long, it was almost a little unpleasant for me. Overall, it feels like the wine is like 75% earthy/herbal/bitter, 15% meaty/umami, and 10% fruit. This might seem insignificant, but I liked that the earthy tones didn’t cross the line into super “vegetal”.
An enjoyable experience, but I feel it was more interesting than delicious. For the $80-ish I paid, I don’t regret it; great to finally try one and I can easily say it’s wildly complex, genuinely unique, and even that it showed more “vibrancy” and precision than I was expecting, with the pops of bright fruit, persistent acidity, manageable 13.6% ABV and lithe tannin. As a whole package, though, I’m not craving another, ESPECIALLY not at the usual prices. If I had paid $150+ for this, I’d be too distracted by the myriad of other legendary syrahs I could have had instead. Just for some extra WA Syrah perspective, I felt it was kinda more interesting and captivating than my experiences with upper-tier K Vintners (although the high price kinda messes up the comparison)- and frankly I found it less enjoyable than upper-tier Gramercy (less pricey than either)- Gramercy is still maybe my fave WA producer right now, with plenty of savory/earthy tones to their wines but with a much more harmonious and elegant feel overall.
Awesome write up and a great read.
I had a glass of ‘19 high contrast vineyard last week and my tasting notes can be summarized in two words: pea soup. Like you said, almost zero fruit. Hard to believe the wine was even made of grapes.