Baron is the winemaker at Cayuse and Reynvaan.
Listen carefully. That sound you hear is the hoofbeat of tradition, thundering straight into your cellar and glass.
With a great deal of excitement, we're pleased to unveil the brand new venture from Christophe Baron--Horsepower Vineyards. It's separate from Cayuse Vineyards, and has been created as a celebration of tradition and history, of his family of vignerons who have been working their land in the Champagne region of France for centuries. It's a window to the Old World--right here in the new.
With Cayuse, Christophe was the first vigneron in the Walla Walla Valley to fully implement biodynamic farming practices, and now he's also the first to use horses for cultivation. At Horsepower, two draft horses, Zeppo and Red, cultivate tightly spaced (up to 4,840 vines per acre), 19th century-style vineyards that only they can navigate.
The high-density planting and traditional farming with horses creates unique wines that have already been recognized by reviewers. "Focusing on high density vineyards farmed only by horse, Horsepower Vineyards...wines are superb!" said Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate. "Don't miss a chance to try these wines!" Specifically, he found the 2011 Grenache to be "flat out gorgeous," and the 2011 Syrah a "knockout effort."
As horses move slower than tractors and the vineyards are small, only two wines are being produced initially and quantities are extremely limited--197 cases of Syrah and 131 cases of Grenache. So how can you get some?
• In recognition of the incredible loyalty we've received from our customers over the years, some of the spots on the Horsepower Vineyards Mailing List have been first offered to those who have been purchasing Cayuse the longest. We regret that we were not able to include you in this offer.
• Sign-up for the remaining spaces on the Mailing List will be open at horsepowervineyards.com to you on a first-come, first-served basis starting on May 21, 2014 at 9 a.m. PDT. And don't worry, you'll receive one more reminder email between now and then.
• Unfortunately, due to the limited production of our 2011 first release, we will not be able to offer wine to very many customers. The good news? Production is increasing in future vintages and we hope to welcome many more customers to the Mailing List in the near future.
• The 2011 Horsepower Grenache and Syrah will be priced at $110 per bottle, and the initial allocation will be one three-pack in a wooden box per customer.
As always, thank you for your interest and support as we embark on this new venture. Obviously, there are a lot of great wines in the world, but this will be your rare opportunity to experience the simple joys of Old World wine growing tradition--as interpreted by Christophe Baron. The same high-spirited power and focus Zeppo and Red bring to their work in the vineyards will be captured in every glass and bottle of Horsepower wine, and we look forward to sharing it with you.