HORS CATEGORIE VINEYARD

Terroir meets topography
A rare terroir, an incomparable setting

At the convergence of the north fork and the Walla Walla River, the syrah vines of Hors Catégorie survive in meager soils of fractured basalt. The high density planting of 3,555 vines to the acre are staked only 3.5’ x 3.5’ apart.

On this virgin soil, the gradient can be up to 60 degrees, and cultivation can only be done by hand or with machinery winched between the rows. The estate is farmed biodynamically, as all of Christophe Baron’s vineyards are, and in the pasture 150 feet below, cows, goats, sheep, beehives and other wildlife complete the natural ecosystem.