2013 Horsepower Vineyards Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
If you don't recognize the name, this is one of Christophe Baron's projects where, quite literally, no machines are allowed--only horses. Barely medium red color, lighter bodied. Tight fruit at first so decanted and went back to it two hours later. No sediment. Delightful barnyard-funky nose with strawberry-rhubarb pie filling on the palate. Was terrific for the first hour and some but the finish turned bitter later in session. But for that development, quite good. So while we waited, I opened this:
2013 Wind Gap Wines Grenache Old Vine Sceales Vineyard Sonoma County
Best by a mile of three bottles opened so far, I bought six. Good color and density, more savory than fruity, with red raspberry and cherry fruit, cactus pear, rhubarb, wild undergrowth, bay leaf, allspice, cassia bark and pepper. A whiff of watermelon on the nose says Pax, not Rayas, but this wine has high-end complexity closer to CdP than California. An exciting counterpoint to the Cayuse.