Cayuse Vineyards Hors Categorie Vineyard Syrah 2022
(Walla Walla, Oregon) - [OB 100] [VM 99] [JD 98] [JS 98] [WA 96] [WS 95]

About the Winery:
Hors Catégorie is Christophe Baron's hillside Syrah project in the Walla Walla Valley. The founder of Cayuse discovered the site in 2005, a few miles upstream from his original vineyards. Its steep terrain reminded him of Hermitage in France's Northern Rhone. He cleared and planted the roughly two-and-a-half-acre vineyard, choosing a name that means "beyond categorization" or "in a class of its own."

About the Vineyard:
The Syrah vines grow in fractured basalt near the convergence of the north fork and the Walla Walla River. Planted at a density of 3,555 vines per acre, they are spaced just 3.5 feet apart in each direction. Slopes reach up to 60 degrees, requiring cultivation by hand or machinery winched between the rows. The estate is farmed biodynamically; cows, goats, sheep, beehives and other wildlife in the pasture below form part of its ecosystem.

Ratings & Reviews

100 Points - Owen Bargreen:
"Every bit a world-class wine, the 2022 Hors Categorie Syrah is reminiscent of the gorgeous 2017 edition. The aromatics are mind-numbing in terms of range from menthol, sweet pipe tobacco, Nori and bulls blood alongside shades of compost and black truffle shavings with black florals that all meld in the glass. The palate has formidable power considering the coolness of the vintage. Very flinty and soft on the mouth, this is seamless throughout the drinking experience. The amalgamation of tension and mouth-watering acidity alongside heady stony essence makes this impossible to put down. One of the few prefect wines made in 2022, savor this beauty over the next decade. Drinking Window: 2025-2035." (Mar 2025)

99 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2022 Syrah is expressive, with potent fragrances of crushed black raspberries, cassis, sweet violets, lavender and spice. The palate is juicy in style with fresh acidity, crisp wild berry fruits and blue and purple inner florals. A distinct pepperiness saturates toward the close. The close is tannic with tart blackberry and pleasantly bitter notes of blood orange and spice. Drinking Window: 2028-2044." -Eric Guido (Jun 2026)

98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"From the producer’s high-elevation site (the top reaches 1,492 feet) steeply planted in fractured basalt with up to a 60% slope, this is where the north and south forks of the Walla Walla River come together. It was planted in 2011 to just 2.2 acres of vineyard. Given 90 to 100% whole-cluster fermentation, the 2022 Syrah is earthy in blackberry bramble, graphite, and meaty lavender, with outstanding finesse beneath its understated power and sublimely velvety texture. Farmed biodynamically since the beginning, the vineyard sustains a pasture of goats, sheep, cows, and beehives below, inviting biodiversity. Age this wine 20-30 years. Drinking Window: 2025-2055." -Virginie Boone (Jul 2025)

98 Points - James Suckling:
"This is a crazy wine, purely mineral, showing aromas and flavors of pine cones, juniper berries, thyme, scorched earth, charcoal and graphite. It’s full-bodied and immensely tarry, with firm, tight tannins. Spicy, earthy and very long. Around 90% stems included. From biodynamically grown grapes on a very steep slope of up to 60 degrees. Approach from 2029." (Mar 2025)

96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2022 Syrah comes from vines planted in 2011 on steep slopes of fractured basalt, which are meticulously (and biodynamically) farmed. Matured for 18 months in used French oak, it has pure, arresting scents of blackcurrant and black cherry, cracked pepper, violet and iron-like undertones. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with expressive, floral flavors. It has a powerful frame of velvety tannins, bright acidity and a long, fragrant finish. It should be long lived in the cellar. 313 cases were made. Drinking Window: 2030-2045." -Erin Brooks (Jun 2026)

95 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A dynamic wine loaded with personality and polish, this red offers deep flavors of blackberry and raspberry framed by black olive, crushed stone and smoked meat tones as this builds richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2037. 321 cases made." -Tim Fish (Nov 2026)