Christophe Baron’s first Walla Walla vineyard was planted in The Rocks region in 1997. The wine resembles a Côte-Rôtie in character and is always one of my favourites. It’s a co-fermented blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier and seems to have everything: floral aromas with notes of olives, smoked meat and black pepper, and long, layered savoury, charcoal flavours. It's charged with energy, plus firm structure and a soft succulence.

Incorporating a touch more Viognier than normal, the 2014 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard is 93% Syrah and 7% Viognier from the first vineyard planted in the stones region of Walla Walla. Sporting a surprisingly deep, inky color, it offers a heavenly bouquet of black olives, tobacco leaf, smoked meats, pepper, blackcurrant and black cherry notes. Deep, rich and ever changing in the glass, with incredible complexity and layers, this full-bodied masterpiece has building tannin, a stacked mid-palate and a great, great finish. It's pure perfection in Syrah, and the finest vintage of this cuvee ever made. As a bonus, it’s also the largest production Syrah they produce. Bravo!