Baer Winery “Callisto” Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Sourced from Stillwater Creek Vineyard in the Royal Slope AVA, a high elevation certified sustainable grower.
- The name “Callisto” was a Greek mythological mortal woman who was loved by Zeus and was transformed into a bear. She’s one of the constellations.
Variety: 50% Syrah, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot
Elaboration: Handpicked. Destemmed into 1-ton bins. Inoculated with yeast. Punch downs for 10-14 days, drained and pressed. Malolactic fermentation in oak. Racked off lees the summer following vintage. Racked to blend after 18 months in barrel, and then bottled. Aged 21-22 months in 48% new French oak.
Tasting Notes: Big and Bold. Inky black in color. The Syrah here lends a silky texture, meaty richness and leathery character to the blend. The Cab provides that structural backbone, and it brings the cherry, plum and black olive aromatics. The Petit Verdot is wild blueberry with a base note of fresh roasted coffee beans.
PRESS
2017 – 91+ Vinous | 90 Wine Enthusiast
2019 – 93 Owen Bargreen | 93 Sean Sullivan | 91 Wine Enthusiast
2020 – 92 Wine Spectator
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Winemaker Lance Baer founded Baer Winery in 2000 with a single passion—to bring something unique to Woodinville. After years of working with some of the most prestigious wineries in the area, Lance wanted to take his winemaking skills in his own direction. Lance succeeded in handcrafting blends distinctly his own, and in April 2003 the first vintage of the winery’s signature blend, Ursa, was released. Ursa, a feminine expression of red wine, predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc, was soon followed by Arctos, a bolder Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend.
As operations moved from an apartment in Redmond to a converted property on six rural acres in Woodinville, the winery was able to grow in production. Lance’s passion went from just 200 cases in 2003 to over 3,000 cases. In late 2007, Baer Winery moved into the popular warehouse wine complex near downtown Woodinville – a move which has allowed them to grow to producing approximately 3,500 cases per year, with a view to continuing to increase to 5,000.
Sadly, founder, son, brother and friend, Lance Baer, passed away in May of 2007, at the age of 39. But the Baer family, Lisa and Les, with the expertise of consulting winemaker Erica Orr, are continuing to produce the wines that Lance was devoted to creating, as well as continuing to evolve and add new blends to the winery’s line-up.