Christophe Baron: Visionary name in American Wine

Today at Flickinger Wines we would like to showcase our current collection of the wines that are crafted by American winemaker – Christophe Baron. Christophe Baron has become one of the most visionary names in American wine. From his groundbreaking Cayuse Vineyards to the hyper-limited Horsepower and Hors Catégorie, Baron’s bottlings redefine what’s possible from Washington’s Walla Walla Valley. His wines are wild, textural, and mineral-driven—evocative of the Rhône yet unmistakably their own. Equally captivating is No Girls, a collaboration born from Baron’s relentless pursuit of terroir expression. Produced from ancient cobblestone vineyards and crafted with the same precision and intensity, No Girls offers a beautifully lifted, graceful counterpoint to Cayuse’s power. These bottlings are fiercely sought after, balancing energy, elegance, and aromatic complexity in ways that have enchanted collectors worldwide. What unites all of Christophe Baron’s projects is scarcity. With allocations tightly held by long-standing mailing lists, opportunities like this to secure bottles across his range are exceedingly rare. For serious collectors, these wines represent both profound drinking experiences and cornerstones of a world-class cellar. We are fortunate to have limited quantities available now. Do not hesitate—demand far exceeds supply.

The following are the wines remaining from the offer sent on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Please enter your desired quantities and click the 'Add' button.

Producer	Vint.	Wine	Price	Qty	Order
		USA Red
Cayuse	2019	Bionic Frog Syrah	$275	2
	JD 100 (7/2022): I always love this cuvée and the 2019 Syray Bionic Frog stands out with its own singular character. Incredible crème de cassis and blueberry fruits, notes of iron, ground pepper, violets, and beef blood, full-bodied richness, perfect tannins, and that rare mix of richness and elegance all define this incredible Syrah. It shows the more elegant, cooler style of the vintage yet still brings incredible fruit and is just a magical expression of Syrah that could come from nowhere else. Hats off to Christophe Baron and his team for another flat-out awesome Syrah that I wish every reader could taste. It needs lots of air if drinking any time soon, and it deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will have 25+ of prime drinking. (Drink between 2026-2054).   WA 98 (10/2022): Outstanding as always, the 2019 Syrah Bionic Frog offers a seductive and generous frame and stemmy notion from having 70% of the stems added back in. The wine is fresh, bright and juicy with flavors of black raspberry, blueberry, blackberry compote and savory essences of dried herbs and peppercorns. Medium to full-bodied, the wine coats the mouth with a round and luscious mouthfeel, displaying its impeccable balance and fine tannic structure. It’s yet another fantastic vintage for the Bionic Frog.   VM 97 (3/2023): Today, the bouquet of the 2019 Syrah Bionic Frog is youthfully moody, showing glimpses of rosemary, flintstone, brined olives, red plum and crushed rocks. It comes to life on the palate, mineral-tinged, yet packed full of vibrant red and black fruits that are energized by stimulating acidity and hints of sour citrus. This leaves a reverberation of zesty tension through the dramatically long finish, lightly structured with framing tannins and nearly salty in character, yet still spry, as nuances of sage and exotic spice slowly taper off. The inner harmony here is something to behold, yet the 2019 is just begging for some cellaring to come fully into focus. It’s totally inward today, yet packed full of potential. (Drink between 2025-2034). Eric Guido.
	2013	Camaspelo Proprietary Blend Slightly Raised Cork	$87.20	2
	WA 94 (6/2016): Leading off the 2013s, the 332-case 2013 Camaspelo is made from 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot that was aged all in puncheons. Notes of iron, red and black currants, licorice and lead pencil characteristics emerge from this medium to full-bodied, elegant, complex Bordeaux blend that would pass undetected in a lineup of Pauillacs. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink through 2033.   VM 93+ (11/2016): Healthy dark red. Very black aromas of cassis, blackberry, black olive, spices and mint. Densely packed and very sweet, boasting a terrific combination of urgent crushed cassis and black cherry fruit and savory complexity. Not yet hugely complex or particularly floral, but this very intense wine is still a baby. Finishes very long and savory, with youthfully edgy tannins and excellent energy and lift. Stephen Tanzer.
	2014	The Widowmaker En Chamberlin Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon	$149	3
Hors Categorie Vineyards	2016	Walla Walla Valley Syrah	$325	2
	JD 99 (4/2019): The 2016 Syrah is from an up and coming terroir located on the north fork of the Walla Walla River, in Oregon, and comes from two steep hillside slopes on broken basalt soils. Not destemmed and brought up in all neutral demi-muids, it has a Côte Brune-like style in its smoked red and black fruits, crushed violets, cold fireplace, bloody meats, and ground pepper aromas and flavors. Concentrated, medium-bodied to full-bodied, incredibly layered, and pure, it has an ultra-classic, mineral-laced Syrah style that's just magical to behold. Give bottles 2-4 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 10-15. The Hors Categorie Syrah comes from the up and coming North Fork region of the Walla Walla AVA, in Oregon, which was discovered in 2003 by Christophe Baron. The site for this cuvee was purchased by Baron in 2004, planted in 2011, and his first release was in 2014. (Drink between 2021-2036).   VM 96 (12/2019): Good medium red. Tight but already incredibly complex nose offers classic northern Rhône (Hermitage?) scents of dark raspberry, licorice, black pepper and brown spices. Robust and densely packed but also savory, smooth and magically light on its feet, with its flavors of crushed blueberry and blackberry, spices and saline minerality conveying remarkable urgency for a wine with a pH of 4.1. Finishes with serious but harmonious tannins and outstanding palate-staining length and lift. This remarkable site, as wild and Old World in appearance as any in Washington, is worked with a winch owing to its steepness and produces barely 1.5 tons per acre of fruit in a good year. Christophe Baron, who vinifies all of his wines with wild yeasts, does a cool fermentation (never higher than 85 degrees F.) and ages this wine in a combination of mostly demi-muids, the youngest of which was third use, and some barriques. A knockout. (from a mostly south-facing slope in a bucolic valley in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, planted in 2011 at an altitude between 1,350 and 1,450 feet and at a slope reaching as steep as 60 degrees) (Drink between 2023-2035). Stephen Tanzer.   WA 94+ (4/2025): Matured for 18 months in used French demi-muids, the 2016 Syrah has intense aromas of cassis, powdered sugar, mint chocolate, grilled peppers and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is very youthful with floral fruit and iron-like mineral tones. It’s structured by silky tannins and vibrant acidity and has a very long, latent finish.
Horsepower Vineyards	2015	Sur Echalas Vyd. Grenache	$115	2
	JD 94 (4/2018): The 2015 Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard is a classic expression of both the terroir and the variety. Black cherries, strawberries, ground pepper, and forest floor notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, silky Grenache that has incredible character and depth. Drink it over the coming decade.
	2022	Sur Echalas Vyd. Grenache	$100	1
	JD 97 (7/2025): White pepper spice explodes on the nose of the 2022 Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard, a medium-bodied wine aged 15 months in neutral French oak that’s feral on the palate in sanguine meat and earthiness. Supple texture and an ethereal quality make it nearly Pinot Noir-esque in character, while showing the appellation’s particular propensity for growing superb Grenache. Age another 10-12 years.
	2015	Sur Echalas Vyd. Syrah	$114.75	3
	JD 93+ (4/2018): The 2015 Syrah Sur Echalas Vineyard is a savory, tertiary effort that’s reminiscent of red wine filtered through a rocky riverbed. Earth, chalky minerality, wood smoke, and sous bois notes, as well as both red and black fruits, give way to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Syrah that has light tannin, no hard edges, and a singular, transparent character. It’s going to gain weight with 2-3 years in bottle and drink well for a decade.
	2015	Sur Echalas Vyd. Syrah	$115	2
	JD 93+ (4/2018): The 2015 Syrah Sur Echalas Vineyard is a savory, tertiary effort that’s reminiscent of red wine filtered through a rocky riverbed. Earth, chalky minerality, wood smoke, and sous bois notes, as well as both red and black fruits, give way to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Syrah that has light tannin, no hard edges, and a singular, transparent character. It’s going to gain weight with 2-3 years in bottle and drink well for a decade.
	2022	Sur Echalas Vyd. Syrah	$100	1
	JD 97 (7/2025): The 2022 Syrah Sur Echalas Vineyard is particularly exotic in peppercorn and garrigue, dipping into a wild array of green olive tapenade, too. The tannins are pronounced and sturdy, not quite ready to calm down. Intensely earthy, complex, and feral, there’s a reprieve on the velvety midpalate, leading to a finishing touch of oyster shell and sea spray. This is a wild wine ready to meld a bit more in the bottle; enjoy best 2028-2038.
	2012	The Tribe Vyd. Syrah	$149	4
	WA 97 (6/2015): More gamy, bloody and meaty than the Sur Echalas Vineyard Syrah, the 2012 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard is a full-bodied, elegant, concentrated and structured effort that gives up complex notes of savory dark fruits, beef blood, dried herbs, pepper and olives. It's another incredible Syrah that needs short-term cellaring, but will have two decades of evolution.   VM 93+ (11/2015): (14.1% alcohol; as with the Echalas Vineyard, the Tribe is cultivated with draft horses): Dark ruby. Aromas of black cherry, liquefied lamb tartare, paprika and black licorice, plus a note of medicinal reserve. Hugely sweet and concentrated but carrying a good bit of unabsorbed CO2 and showing less finesse today than the Cayuse Syrah bottlings from the 2012 vintage. Inky and primary, with strong underlying minerality. This is distinctly Brune while the Echalas Syrah is more Blonde. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins and a slight bitter edge that will require cellaring. Stephen Tanzer.
	2013	The Tribe Vyd. Syrah	$119	1
	WA 96 (6/2015): More straight and focused than the Sur Echalas Vineyard, the 2013 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard is slightly darker in color, with lots of gunpowder, blackberry, blueberry, smoked game and beef blood aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, yet elegant and silky, with a great finish, it's a gorgeously complex, balanced and complete Syrah that has lots of Rocks character, as well as 15 years of more of longevity. I have a slight preference for the Sur Echalas Vineyard Syrah, but these share lots of similarities and are both brilliant wines.
	2015	The Tribe Vyd. Syrah	$115	3
	JD 95+ (4/2018): Cut from the same cloth, the 2015 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard offers slightly more depth and length. Blackcurrants, ground pepper, smoked earth, and a beef broth-like meatiness all emerge from this full-bodied, deep, layered Syrah that offers more purity and floral nuances with time in the glass. Like the Sur Echalas Vineyard release, it has silky tannin, integrated acidity, and a great finish. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age and it’s going to drink nicely for a decade. If drinking anytime soon, don’t be afraid to give all these Horsepower releases plenty of airtime.
	2016	The Tribe Vyd. Syrah	$109	3
	JD 97+ (4/2019): The 2016 Syrah The Tribe is largely in the same mold with a gamy, meaty, backward profile. Smoked meats, earthy dark fruits, ground pepper, and wood smoke are all present in this medium to full-bodied, concentrated Syrah that’s going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and cruise for 15-20 years.
No Girls	2013	Walla Walla Valley Tempranillo	$76	6
	VM 92+ (11/2016): Bright ruby-red. Dark aromas of black raspberry, blackberry and licorice lifted by rose petal. Sweet, plush dark raspberry and black cherry fruit flavors show noteworthy energy, with the sexy rose petal quality providing a lively foil to the wine's salinity. Finishes with building, ripe tannins that should hold this wine for a decade or more. Stephen Tanzer.
Cayuse	2016	Bionic Frog Syrah	$295		Sold Out
	2017	Bionic Frog Syrah	$240		Sold Out
	2018	Bionic Frog Syrah	$295		Sold Out
	2020	Bionic Frog Syrah	$229		Sold Out
	2021	Bionic Frog Syrah	$279		Sold Out
	2022	Bionic Frog Syrah	$245		Sold Out
	2016	Cailloux Vyd. Syrah	$119		Sold Out
	2017	Cailloux Vyd. Syrah	$109		Sold Out
	2016	God Only Knows Armada Vyd. Grenache	$119		Sold Out
	2017	God Only Knows Armada Vyd. Grenache	$115		Sold Out
	2019	Impulsivo En Chamberlin Vyd. Tempranillo	$101.15		Sold Out
	2017	Wallah Wallah #11 Syrah (1.5 L)	$199		Sold Out
Hors Categorie Vineyards	2014	Walla Walla Valley Syrah	$295		Sold Out
	2015	Walla Walla Valley Syrah	$325		Sold Out
Horsepower Vineyards	2013	Sur Echalas Vyd. Grenache	$109		Sold Out
	2016	Sur Echalas Vyd. Grenache	$139		Sold Out
	2014	Sur Echalas Vyd. Syrah	$119		Sold Out
	2017	The Tribe Vyd. Syrah	$92.65		Sold Out
No Girls	2015	Walla Walla Valley Grenache	$94		Sold Out
	2017	Walla Walla Valley La Paciencia Vyd. Grenache	$109		Sold Out