Christophe Baron came from Champagne, not the Rhône, and found his life's work in a Walla Walla Valley riverbed littered with cobblestones. The Armada vineyard has been rooted in those stones since 2001, farmed biodynamically. Twenty-one months in French oak, only 15–20% of it new, and 13.7% alcohol: this is Syrah built on structure and stone rather than weight, with tannin that stays taut through the mid-palate. Some of the most compelling Syrah outside France, made twenty minutes from where you're sitting.
Winemaker Notes
Practicing Biodynamic 100% Syrah Walla Walla Valley AVA Armada vineyard Planted in 2001 21 months of aging in 15-20% new French oak 13.7% alc
Professional Ratings
98
Jeb Dunnuck
96
Wine Advocate
96
Vinous
96
James Suckling
95
Wine Enthusiast
95
Wine Spectator
About the Producer
Among the most compelling examples of Syrah outside France are made in the most unlikely of places—on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley—and by a Frenchman, born not in the Rhône, but in Champagne. The winemaker is Christophe Baron, who discovered an area in the valley littered with cobblestones. Astonished by the Châteauneuf-like stones, he instinctively knew he could make great wine here. He planted the first commercially successful vineyards in these stones, including Coccinelle Vineyard in 1996.
