Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/68310
American tribe from the area. From the beginning, Baron admits he has not tried to duplicate what's being done in Rhône Valley. But instead has tried to define the style of the unique vineyards he's planted in Walla Walla or, as he pronounces it, "voilà, voilà." When Baron planted the original high-density vineyard in 1997, the vines were ungrafted and farmed organically. Today, newer plantings include grafted clones, and all eleven vineyard blocks on the estate are farmed using biodynamic techniques. "I want my vines to make love to the dirt," said Baron. At the seminar, Baron said his goal is to achieve purity, elegance and finesse in each wine he makes. In the cellar, Baron is a minimalist, using no inoculation or commercial yeasts, and the finished wines are unfined and unfiltered. With lofty aromas and concentrated flavors of dark fruits, deep spices, seared meats, wild herbs and minerals, the Cayuse wines poured at HdR proved his points. In contrast to expressive vineyard- designate Syrahs from the Cailloux, En Cerise, En Chamberlin vineyards, Senses and Sensibility: A Trio of Masters Over the past twenty years, much of the success of Hospice du Rhone can be credited to the organization's alliance with the top winemakers from the Rhône Valley. Among the superstar vignerons to help the cause are Yves Cuilleron of Cave Yves Cuilleron, Francois Villard of Domaine Francois Villard and Pierre Gaillard of Pierre Gaillard Wines. Already close friends and allies, the three "terroirists" united in 1996 to form Les Vins de Vienne, a unique brand focused on producing small-lot wines made with high- quality fruit from the finest appellations in the Rhône Valley. Today, the winery works with fruit from Condrieu, Côte- Rôtie, St-Joseph, Cornas and other important regions in the Rhône Valley. Each site is influenced by the relentless Mistral winds, and the impact comes through in the wines. At the sold-out seminar moderated by Jeb Dunnuck of The Rhone Report, the group proved that these high- performance wines offer something for everyone. From Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the 2009 Les Oteliées is made with 80 percent Grenache and smaller portions of Syrah and Mourvèdre. The wine has a classic earthy character with subtle spices and supple texture. In contrast, the 2009 Les Essartailles from Côtes Rôtie is a much more power- ful wine, with gobs of ripe black fruit, briary blackberry and nuances of wild mushroom, truffle and citrus peels. Additionally the white wines from St-Péray, Condrieu and the historic vineyard of Seyssuel in the ancient town of Vienne were simply magnificent and downright sexy. When asked about the key to success, Villard laughingly said "diplomacy" is an important trademark of the winery. "Between the three of us, there is a lot of attention to detail. But the ultimate goal is to let the vineyards speak for themselves." Jeb Dunnuck of The Rhône Report moderated the seminar. 98 / the tasting panel / june 2012 François Villard of Domaine Francois Villard. Yves Cuilleron of Cave Yves Cuilleron in the Rhône Valley. Baron's Bionic Frog wines, made with fruit from a special block grown at 800 to 850 feet, were firm, focused, smoky and spicy. The other main red Rhône grape varietal Baron works with is Grenache, which he bottles under the God Only Knows label. But the work is not easy. At the seminar, Baron referred to the three acres of Grenache vines planted at the Armada Vineyard in 2001 as his "bitches." As translated by seminar moderator John Alban: "He loves his vines, but sometimes they don't always love him back."