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Gramercy Cellars, Syrah

Washington, United States 2014 (750mL)
$32.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol
SommSelect

Gramercy Cellars, Syrah

We’ve got to give it up for Master Sommelier Greg Harrington: His Gramercy Cellars wines, from Washington State, get better every vintage. If today’s bottle looks familiar, it’s not just because it’s been on magazine covers and lavished with high scores: We offered the 2013 vintage of this wine to great response from our subscribers, especially those who, like us, remain somewhat biased toward the fragrant, smoky, mineral style of Syrah made in France’s Northern Rhône.
We all know that Washington terroirs like Walla Walla (where Greg first put down roots in the state) and Columbia Valley produce rich, powerful wines; what Greg and company add to the equation is a complex savory aspect and delicate nuance that evokes the ‘Old World.’ If you drink great wines from places like Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas, Gramercy’s 2014 will have you waving your American wine flag enthusiastically. I’d go as far as to call this one of the best American-made Syrahs on the market right now, and a wine which, over the last few years, has evolved from appealing newcomer to bona-fide benchmark. It stands toe-to-toe with its French counterparts and remains very reasonably priced to boot. If you haven’t yet experienced Gramercy (and it’s not for a lack of trying on our part), today is the day!
As many subscribers know well already, Harrington is a Master Sommelier-turned-winemaker who, with his wife, Pam, launched Gramercy Cellars in 2005. He passed the MS exam in 1996, at the age of 26 (the youngest ever), and enjoyed a long restaurant career that included stints with Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans and Wolfgang Puck in Las Vegas. But the pull of wine and winemaking, as so many sommeliers have found, was too strong: He was especially drawn to Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, where he worked harvest in 2004 and established a foothold for Gramercy. Over the years, the Gramercy team has assembled an all-star roster of vineyard sources across the state, including the high-elevation “Red Willow” in the Yakima Valley and “Forgotten Hills” in Walla Walla. Today’s wine, carrying the broader Columbia Valley AVA designation, is based on fruit from Forgotten Hills, a cool site at the base of the Blue Mountains with soils of volcanic basalt. Three other vineyards factor into the blend—the “Oldfield” and “Minick” vineyards, both high-elevation sites in Yakima Valley, and the “Old Stones” vineyard in Walla Walla, another volcanic parcel strewn with basalt rocks.

And do you taste rocks along with dark fruit in this wine? Yes, you do. The 2014 was fermented in cement vats and incorporated 54% whole grape clusters, which added savory/spicy aspects to the finished product. Aged for 15 months in neutral French oak barrels, it shows a pitch-perfect mix of fruit and earth, with lots of freshness and quite moderate alcohol to boot. The way it displays intensity without excess weight is I think what makes it such a successful wine—and it continues improving with time in the glass.

Had I been served this 2014 blind, I might well have guessed it to be a top-tier Saint-Joseph grown on granite—fruit and earth notes get equal time here, with neither excessive oak or extract distracting from its great varietal purity. It displays a deep ruby-purple core with hints of garnet at the rim, with expressive aromas of blackberry, blueberry, red and black plums, damp violets, and grilled herbs, with accents of olive tapenade, black pepper, meat, and crushed stones. Medium-plus in body and full of freshness, it has loads of depth and a long, spicy finish. It is truly superb Syrah that can be enjoyed now and over the next 7-10 years. Open a bottle soon and decant it about 45 minutes before serving in large Burgundy stems (I think the aromatics demand it) at 60-65 degrees. Try it with the attached recipe for lamb and lentil stew, which, like the wine, offers a knowing nod to the Rhône valley. Enjoy!

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Country
United States
Region
Washington
Sub-Region
United StatesColumbia Valley
Soil
Various
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Syrah
Alcohol
13.9
OAK
Neutral French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
45 Minutes
Pairing
Lamb & Lentil Stew

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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