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97 WA. "Another wine I was able to taste multiple times, the 2012 Syrah Sur Echalas Vineyard is the most voluptuous, sexy and textured of the lineup. Giving up classic, Old World Syrah notes of blackcurrants, black olives, smoked meats, ground pepper and violets, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness and is gorgeous, concentrated and expansiveness on the palate, with plenty of of mid-palate depth and length. The tannin becomes more and more apparent with time in the glass. This needs 3-4 years to round into form, and will keep for 15-20 years. As with all of these 2012s, decant if drinking anytime soon. The newest project (I suspect there are more in the works) of Christophe Baron, these Horsepower releases focus on two estate vineyards, The Tribe and the Sur Echalas, both of which are located in the Rocks region of Walla Walla and farmed only by horse (hence "Horsepower"). The 2012s are certainly gorgeous wines, yet lacked a little of the oomph and depth I found in the wines from barrel. Nevertheless, as I think the scores show, these are incredible wines. I was surprised to see the 2013s already in bottle, yet they showed beautifully as well." Wine Advocate #219, Jun 2015 |