This was a better experience than my last bottle. I vigorously decanted this bottle 24 ours in advance of serving. The wine was rich and enjoyable when served. Having said that, I'm still not inclined to purchase more as there are many options available for this price, or less, that are equally enjoyable and require less planning and effort.
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This was a revelation after the last bottle. This has now come into its prime. Amazing Grenache - unlike anything else I've had. Delineated and oh so tasty. A big grenache, all cherry and just ripe raspberry. I see in the TNs that this is a polarizing wine and it is definitely big and new world. But what a wine. I've had more of the HP Syrah which I also love, but I'm now going to run to the cellar for more of this. Mmmmh.
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Put this tasting note in context. I am not a big Horsepower fan. I've taken my allocation for years and are now drinking up my bottles. I recently quit ordering Horsepower because it is not to my taste. I decanted the heck out of this bottle. It was okay on Evening #! and to my taste was better than some of the other Horsepower wines i have tasted. I did not taste it on Evening #2. On Evening #3 it was much more enjoyable to my taste, but still had some of that stewed seaweed taste which must be characteristic of the Rocks. in any event, it did not convince me to renew purchasing. For one thing, I don't really want wines that need to be opened three days in advance of consumption.
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At last, I have completed a horizontal 2017 vintage grenache tasting from Horsepower Sur Enchalas (HSE), Cayuse God Only Knows (GOK JD99) and No Girls (NG JD95); and also provide a vertical notes on 2017 HSE (JD 97) and 2014 HSE (RP 99 by JD). For details on GOK, NG and 2014 HSE, please refer to my notes on 2017 Cayuse GOK.
What motivated me to complete this partial circle is that JD noted that 2017 HSE is the "splitting image of a great vintage of Rayas"; and also my recent 3 unsuccessful attempts to purchase Rayas from the owner Mr. Reynaud at his winery even though I drove a shining RED color Tesla Model Y Performance to impress him! :0 My next trip to CDP I will bring GOK an HSE over to drink with my CDP winemaking friends who have access to Rayas to really complete the full cycle; hence, stay tuned!
2017 HSE profile is very similar to 2017 GOK with the typical Burgundian-style red fruit (strawberries with green stem) grenache. I think 2017 HSE has a fuller mouthfeel with higher viscosity and hence slightly more polished texture profile than 2017 GOK. But 2017 GOK has a more concentrated flavor profile. IMHO, both tie at 97 point; and also a matter of taste depending individual preference profile.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much more approachable 2017 HSE as compared to 2014 HSE (RP 99 by JD) when tasted at age 5. As I had written in 2017 GOK, 2014 HSE is a truly and highly concentrated MONSTER singular grenache as it took 3 days of aeration to mellow down and still knocked your socks off! I do agree with JD's rating ranking 2014 HSE higher than 2017 HSE. JD concisely noted "[2014 HSE] is not Rayas, it's not Chateauneuf du Pape, it's an incredible, singular wine that stands on its own."
In my recent trip to CDP annual event, I met up with some really serious Swiss wine buffs (die-hards of Rayas). They advised me one has to decant Rayas at 24-48 hours to get the best of Rayas. Yesterday I got a call from CDP wine buff told me a particular Lirac grenache drank like Grand Cru burgundy and Raya-like aromatic profile and strawberry-like red fruit profile after decanting for 3 days! Perhaps, 2017 HSE/GOK/NG grenache could improve further with 48-72 hours aeration.
Rating: 96-98; 96+
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PnP. Love the style of this wine. Jasmine, smell funky initially like natural wine. Slight noticeable heat. Lightly extracted with wild berries and honey. Very enjoyable Grenache from the USA.
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PnP'ed, and served beside the '18 La Mujer Canon (Comando-G) non-blinded. This pair puts up a very nice comparison - of elegant styled Grenache. Personally I'm more enamoured with the Horsepower. Wow, it sure opened with a bang (for the lack of a more proper descriptor), with the olfactory senses picking up attention immediately - very much intoxicating scents of jasmine, rose-petals/water, smoke (somewhat "naturalish" in a good way, as one of our dinner companions proclaimed), followed by red-cherries/berries notes. This was so silky and "gentle"/soft/satiny on the palate, with lots of freshness to boot! Almost like it kept beckoning one to come back for yet another sip... A very delicious (and beautiful in a somewhat "wild" way) drop!!
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Grenache, really? This wine is undrinkable. I held off on my review to give the wine several days to get better, to no avail. I take allocation from this winemaker each year, but only now have started consuming. This was my first Grenache, having bought mostly Syrah from the producer. The nose is predominantly the famous "Rocks funk" (smoke and bacon), lacking any fruit which is so typical of the Grenache grape, even after 2 days. The palate contains a nice amount of acid, but again lacks any fruit and has a very bitter finish that lingers and nothing else. Is it just my bottle? Is this a vintage issue? Grenache blooms late and ripens late, so maybe 2017 had a shorter growing season which may explain the underripe nose and palate. Not sure, but if this is what I have to look forward to with my other bottles of 2017 (& 2018, 2019), I'll be happy to part with them. If anyone else has had any similar experiences with this wine, please let me know. Thanks
Well, I don't know what to make of this wine yet. It's unlike any pure Grenache I have ever had. On the first night, it was tight and almost closed despite a decant of 2 hours. Never opened up. The fruit and bouquet were almost non-existent. Nothing going on at all. The second night, it had opened up to be quite lovely, with raspberries, strawberries, and violets. Still not exactly a fruity, juicy Grenache but interesting. Not rated for now.
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So this is waaay too early. If you have this wine, put it back in the rack right now! I would say at least 5 years. It was very tight even after decanting for 2 hours and I had it over two days. But.. On the second day, lovely ethereal nose - plum and strawberry. Medium mouthfeel, a slight bitter bite which I think will go away over time. A little hot (alcohol) which I think might also change over time. A real Grenache wine though. So often in CA / WA they are hard to tell from the Syrah. I really should get an older bottle or two to see how they age. So a middling score which I hope will go higher with time.
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Ruby. Beautiful aromas of wildflowers soil, and old oak. Full bodied with medium acidity and high structural tannins. Flavors of raspberry, soil and a lingering crescendo of sour notes. A little hot with alcohol. Too early (thats on me - decanted an hour). Long finish.
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11/28/2023 - Redteeth wrote:
This was a better experience than my last bottle. I vigorously decanted this bottle 24 ours in advance of serving. The wine was rich and enjoyable when served. Having said that, I'm still not inclined to purchase more as there are many options available for this price, or less, that are equally enjoyable and require less planning and effort.
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10/9/2023 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was a revelation after the last bottle. This has now come into its prime. Amazing Grenache - unlike anything else I've had. Delineated and oh so tasty. A big grenache, all cherry and just ripe raspberry. I see in the TNs that this is a polarizing wine and it is definitely big and new world. But what a wine. I've had more of the HP Syrah which I also love, but I'm now going to run to the cellar for more of this. Mmmmh.
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9/23/2023 - Redteeth wrote:
Put this tasting note in context. I am not a big Horsepower fan. I've taken my allocation for years and are now drinking up my bottles. I recently quit ordering Horsepower because it is not to my taste.
I decanted the heck out of this bottle. It was okay on Evening #! and to my taste was better than some of the other Horsepower wines i have tasted. I did not taste it on Evening #2. On Evening #3 it was much more enjoyable to my taste, but still had some of that stewed seaweed taste which must be characteristic of the Rocks. in any event, it did not convince me to renew purchasing. For one thing, I don't really want wines that need to be opened three days in advance of consumption.
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5/21/2023 - RhoneWho wrote: 97 Points
At last, I have completed a horizontal 2017 vintage grenache tasting from Horsepower Sur Enchalas (HSE), Cayuse God Only Knows (GOK JD99) and No Girls (NG JD95); and also provide a vertical notes on 2017 HSE (JD 97) and 2014 HSE (RP 99 by JD). For details on GOK, NG and 2014 HSE, please refer to my notes on 2017 Cayuse GOK.
What motivated me to complete this partial circle is that JD noted that 2017 HSE is the "splitting image of a great vintage of Rayas"; and also my recent 3 unsuccessful attempts to purchase Rayas from the owner Mr. Reynaud at his winery even though I drove a shining RED color Tesla Model Y Performance to impress him! :0 My next trip to CDP I will bring GOK an HSE over to drink with my CDP winemaking friends who have access to Rayas to really complete the full cycle; hence, stay tuned!
2017 HSE profile is very similar to 2017 GOK with the typical Burgundian-style red fruit (strawberries with green stem) grenache. I think 2017 HSE has a fuller mouthfeel with higher viscosity and hence slightly more polished texture profile than 2017 GOK. But 2017 GOK has a more concentrated flavor profile. IMHO, both tie at 97 point; and also a matter of taste depending individual preference profile.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much more approachable 2017 HSE as compared to 2014 HSE (RP 99 by JD) when tasted at age 5. As I had written in 2017 GOK, 2014 HSE is a truly and highly concentrated MONSTER singular grenache as it took 3 days of aeration to mellow down and still knocked your socks off! I do agree with JD's rating ranking 2014 HSE higher than 2017 HSE. JD concisely noted "[2014 HSE] is not Rayas, it's not Chateauneuf du Pape, it's an incredible, singular wine that stands on its own."
In my recent trip to CDP annual event, I met up with some really serious Swiss wine buffs (die-hards of Rayas). They advised me one has to decant Rayas at 24-48 hours to get the best of Rayas. Yesterday I got a call from CDP wine buff told me a particular Lirac grenache drank like Grand Cru burgundy and Raya-like aromatic profile and strawberry-like red fruit profile after decanting for 3 days! Perhaps, 2017 HSE/GOK/NG grenache could improve further with 48-72 hours aeration.
Rating: 96-98; 96+
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5/9/2023 - Countless wrote: 88 Points
This is only OK, and certainly not worth the tariff. Grenache is just so difficulty to nail in this style.
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8/25/2022 - astroman Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. Love the style of this wine. Jasmine, smell funky initially like natural wine. Slight noticeable heat. Lightly extracted with wild berries and honey. Very enjoyable Grenache from the USA.
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8/25/2022 - etyc Likes this wine:
PnP'ed, and served beside the '18 La Mujer Canon (Comando-G) non-blinded. This pair puts up a very nice comparison - of elegant styled Grenache. Personally I'm more enamoured with the Horsepower. Wow, it sure opened with a bang (for the lack of a more proper descriptor), with the olfactory senses picking up attention immediately - very much intoxicating scents of jasmine, rose-petals/water, smoke (somewhat "naturalish" in a good way, as one of our dinner companions proclaimed), followed by red-cherries/berries notes. This was so silky and "gentle"/soft/satiny on the palate, with lots of freshness to boot! Almost like it kept beckoning one to come back for yet another sip... A very delicious (and beautiful in a somewhat "wild" way) drop!!
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3/31/2022 - Cbailey501 Does not like this wine: 50 Points
Grenache, really? This wine is undrinkable. I held off on my review to give the wine several days to get better, to no avail. I take allocation from this winemaker each year, but only now have started consuming. This was my first Grenache, having bought mostly Syrah from the producer. The nose is predominantly the famous "Rocks funk" (smoke and bacon), lacking any fruit which is so typical of the Grenache grape, even after 2 days. The palate contains a nice amount of acid, but again lacks any fruit and has a very bitter finish that lingers and nothing else. Is it just my bottle? Is this a vintage issue? Grenache blooms late and ripens late, so maybe 2017 had a shorter growing season which may explain the underripe nose and palate. Not sure, but if this is what I have to look forward to with my other bottles of 2017 (& 2018, 2019), I'll be happy to part with them. If anyone else has had any similar experiences with this wine, please let me know. Thanks
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3/27/2021 - ELH wrote:
Well, I don't know what to make of this wine yet. It's unlike any pure Grenache I have ever had. On the first night, it was tight and almost closed despite a decant of 2 hours. Never opened up. The fruit and bouquet were almost non-existent. Nothing going on at all. The second night, it had opened up to be quite lovely, with raspberries, strawberries, and violets. Still not exactly a fruity, juicy Grenache but interesting. Not rated for now.
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1/25/2021 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 92 Points
So this is waaay too early. If you have this wine, put it back in the rack right now! I would say at least 5 years. It was very tight even after decanting for 2 hours and I had it over two days. But.. On the second day, lovely ethereal nose - plum and strawberry. Medium mouthfeel, a slight bitter bite which I think will go away over time. A little hot (alcohol) which I think might also change over time. A real Grenache wine though. So often in CA / WA they are hard to tell from the Syrah. I really should get an older bottle or two to see how they age. So a middling score which I hope will go higher with time.
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12/6/2020 - ColluraJ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby. Beautiful aromas of wildflowers soil, and old oak. Full bodied with medium acidity and high structural tannins. Flavors of raspberry, soil and a lingering crescendo of sour notes. A little hot with alcohol. Too early (thats on me - decanted an hour). Long finish.
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