Horsepower Vineyards

Sur Echalas Vineyard Syrah

9.316 ratings
9.45 pro ratings
Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Oregon/Washington, USA
Syrah
Lamb
Top Notes For
Tom Garland

Double decant( no sediment). An enticing medium ruby red color. On the nose: funky!.....hints of wet earth, truffles, black olives, stewed meat, red fruit explode from the glass. Taste: blueberry, tar, chocolate, blackberrys, minerals...nice silky smooth decent length finish

Double decant( no sediment). An enticing medium ruby red color. On the nose: funky!.....hints of wet earth, truffles, black olives, stewed meat, red fruit explode from the glass. Taste: blueberry, tar, chocolate, blackberrys, minerals...nice silky smooth decent length finish

1 person found it helpfulApr 7th, 2019
Aravind A

Popped yesterday, notes from 24 hrs open. I used to buy and drink Cayuse wines. but I've soured on these wines in the last 4 years or so...last time I popped a horsepower wine with friends, the joke by the end of the night was: friends don't let friends drink Horsepower. Tasting this alone, I can see what I liked, but a lot of what I didn't like also. Aromatically compelling: strawberry compote, loads of olive brine, pickled cabbage, medicinal.herbs, charcoal, and a fair amount of bretty funk. On the palate: just kind of flat. Ok acidity (better than I remember), some bitter burnt notes, but just missing something; seems a touch thin and weedy and attenuated tannin on the thin finish. Love the fact this is 13.0% ABV, but there is a very long list of Syrahs I would drink over this one...esp given the pricetag.

P.S. I've had all the debates about ageability of these wines, granted the lack of acidity, and vintage variation. These wines are novelty wines, yielding a rather esoteric interpretation of the varietal character of syrah. They were fun for a while, but I don't want novelty anymore: I want depth of character.

Popped yesterday, notes from 24 hrs open. I used to buy and drink Cayuse wines. but I've soured on these wines in the last 4 years or so...last time I popped a horsepower wine with friends, the joke by the end of the night was: friends don't let friends drink Horsepower. Tasting this alone, I can see what I liked, but a lot of what I didn't like also. Aromatically compelling: strawberry compote, loads of olive brine, pickled cabbage, medicinal.herbs, charcoal, and a fair amount of bretty funk. On the palate: just kind of flat. Ok acidity (better than I remember), some bitter burnt notes, but just missing something; seems a touch thin and weedy and attenuated tannin on the thin finish. Love the fact this is 13.0% ABV, but there is a very long list of Syrahs I would drink over this one...esp given the pricetag.

P.S. I've had all the debates about ageability of these wines, granted the lack of acidity, and vintage variation. These wines are novelty wines, yielding a rather esoteric interpretation of the varietal character of syrah. They were fun for a while, but I don't want novelty anymore: I want depth of character.

Sep 18th, 2021
Brenda Terzich-Garland

This Syrah is medium red cloudy color and has a funky barnyard stewed meat nose. Bursts of blueberry strawberry fruit on the pallet with a definite mineral green veggie and pepper tar finish. The scent of the barnyard meaty nose lingers as you taste the fruits of the wine giving it a fully body feel.

This Syrah is medium red cloudy color and has a funky barnyard stewed meat nose. Bursts of blueberry strawberry fruit on the pallet with a definite mineral green veggie and pepper tar finish. The scent of the barnyard meaty nose lingers as you taste the fruits of the wine giving it a fully body feel.

Jul 14th, 2019
Tom Garland

Double decant(minimal cloudy sediment). A charismatic medium red color. On the nose: marky mark and the funky bunch is here!...luv the funky smell...along with black olives, earthy, cooked meat, herbs. Taste: blueberry, spice, minerals, red fruit, and tar.

Double decant(minimal cloudy sediment). A charismatic medium red color. On the nose: marky mark and the funky bunch is here!...luv the funky smell...along with black olives, earthy, cooked meat, herbs. Taste: blueberry, spice, minerals, red fruit, and tar.

Jul 14th, 2019
Mark Flesher

Nose is funky. Braised beef and charcoal. Entry tastes like the sludge at the bottom of my charcoal grill. Barbecue Lays potato chips and Italian herbs. Finishes with an herbal, grilled ribeye note. This has me totally on the robes. Definitely not my wheelhouse when it comes to Syrah but this was a really fun wine, and I can say that every time I have one in this style, my ears perk up a little bit and I am wondering if I am slowly turning to the dark side.

Nose is funky. Braised beef and charcoal. Entry tastes like the sludge at the bottom of my charcoal grill. Barbecue Lays potato chips and Italian herbs. Finishes with an herbal, grilled ribeye note. This has me totally on the robes. Definitely not my wheelhouse when it comes to Syrah but this was a really fun wine, and I can say that every time I have one in this style, my ears perk up a little bit and I am wondering if I am slowly turning to the dark side.

May 25th, 2019
Jeffrey Long

Giddy up!!!

Giddy up!!!

Sep 10th, 2018
Jeffrey Long

This is actually the Syrah, not Grenache. Craig Brown. Our savior.

This is actually the Syrah, not Grenache. Craig Brown. Our savior.

Jul 1st, 2017
Bobby Gilbane

The headless horseman rides again. As great as this is, it's missing that extra gear I've experienced in the past. I'm probably scoring this too low. #russianjudge

The headless horseman rides again. As great as this is, it's missing that extra gear I've experienced in the past. I'm probably scoring this too low. #russianjudge

May 14th, 2017
Jeffrey Bragman

President at WINEPSYCH

9.3

Jeffrey had this 4 years ago

Jeffrey had this 4 years ago

Nov 12th, 2020
Stanley Barrios

Stanley had this 5 years ago

Stanley had this 5 years ago

Oct 7th, 2019