2018 Hors Categorie Syrah | Walla Walla AVA Oregon 750ml

It's a well-known story, how in 1997 Christophe Baron, founder and vigneron of Cayuse Vineyards, planted his first vines in a field of stones because it reminded him of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in France. In the process, he almost single-handedly brought the world's attention to the potential of Syrah grown in the Walla Walla Valley.
His discovery of the Hors Categorie Vineyard site in 2005 unfolded in a similarly serendipitous way...{learn more}.

As always, the 2018 Syrah turns the savory dial up to 11, offering an incredible array of smoked blackcurrants, blueberries, cured meats, shiitake mushroom, violets, and ground pepper-like aromas and flavors. Coming from two steep hillsides of broken basalt off the north fork of the Walla Walla River, I've often compared this cuvee to a wine from the Cote Brune side of Cote Rotie, and that still holds, yet this certainly has its own style. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and layered on the palate, it has gorgeous tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. There's nothing else in the world like it... | 98+ points, Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com