Continuing our journey into Washington Wine Month, we bring you the latest from Gramercy Cellars, located in Walla Walla. Founder, winemaker and master sommelier, Greg Harrington, MS, crafts both Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, as he sources from some of the top vineyards in the state. His 2018 Rose was one of my top scoring Pacific Northwest Rose wines on my Rose Report — and if you haven’t had the chance to try this silky Rose, you are absolutely missing out. Intelligent and highly driven, Greg Harrington passed the master sommelier exam at the age of 26 and works closely with partner and co-winemaker, Brandon Moss, in crafting minimal intervention wines that are sourced from some of the great vineyards in the state.
Brandon and Greg have created a gorgeous new lineup of Gramercy Cellars wines. The 2018 Gramercy Cellars Rose (WWB, 92), shows wonderful finesse and texture. This is a must-buy for any serious Rose lover. I was absolutely blown away with their 2016 Gramercy Cellars ‘John Lewis Reserve’ Syrah (WWB, 95) is entirely sourced from the Les Collines Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. This wine shows incredible range and complexity, marvelously showcasing this special vineyard. Learn more about this fantastic new lineup at gramercycellars.com Here are the beautiful new wines by Gramercy Cellars and the superstar winemaking team of Greg Harrington, MS and Brandon Moss.
2018 Gramercy Cellars ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Rose- Sourced from the esteemed ‘Olsen Vineyard’ in the Yakima Valley, this wine is a compelling blend of 47% Cinsault with 27% Grenache and 26% Syrah. Pretty red rose and watermelon with orange blossom and shades of white pepper aromatics all build in the glass. The palate unveils a silky texture and a rich, gratifying mouthfeel. Once in the mouth, bright guava, strawberry and lighter earthy and wet stone undertones round out this downright delicious Rose. While beautiful in its youth, this impressive effort will cellar well over the next five plus years. Drink 2019-2025- 92
2018 Gramercy Cellars Picpoul- Sourced from the Walla Walla Valley AVA, the 2018 Gramercy Cellars Picpoul shows bright melon tones with kiwi and shades of nutmeg that fill the nose. The palate shows beautiful freshness and verve, delivering bright kiwi, cantaloupe and wet stone flavors with lemon rind accents. Highly complex and novel, this delicious wine would pair marvelously with fresh shellfish. Drink 2019-2024-92
2016 Gramercy Cellars ‘The Third Man’ Grenache- In this vintage ‘The Third Man’ is an enticing blend of 75% Grenache with 13% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre. Translucent in the glass, this 2016 Grenche opens with shades of blood orange zest that connect with the bright red fruits on the nose. The palate shows off a silky texture, delivering guava, strawberry and red cherry candy with Mandarin orange rind accents. This is outstanding in its youth but will pick up some nice tertiary notes over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 93
2016 Gramercy Cellars ‘Les Collines’ Syrah- The ‘Les Collines Vineyards’ has become one of the great vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.This high elevation vineyard is set between 1100 to 1300 feet as this vineyard is set on silt loam soils. The earthy tones on the nose really entice with herbs de Provence, black tea and shades of licorice that build in the glass. The texture is really beautiful with a soft mouthfeel. Bright red fruits dance with minerals and citrus zest accents on the palate. While delightful in its youth, this will evolve well over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 93
2016 Gramercy Cellars ‘Lagniappe’ Syrah- The 2016 ‘Lagniappe’ Syrah is entirely sourced from the Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley which is known for its very pretty red fruit profile. The nose shows just that alongside dried sagebrush and chocolate tones that all collide in the glass. The palate has good freshness and verve, as well as a rather decadent mouthfeel. Wild blackberry cobbler, red cherry candy and earthy undertones connect in this delicious wine. Enjoy the 2016 ‘Lagniappe’ over the next decade or more. Drink 2019-2029- 93
2016 Gramercy Cellars ‘L’Idiot Du Village’ Mourvedre- Winemakers Brandon Moss and Greg Harrington have developed quite a cult following with this bottling which is up there with the best of its kind in the state. The 2016 ‘L’Idiot Du Village’ Mourvedre opens with a beautiful bouquet ranging from smoked meats to red fruits as well as Hoisin sauce to leather and wet stone tones that all build on this seriously good nose. Once again, the texture really shines here, giving you a ripe mouthfeel. Bing cherry preserves, orange zest, smoked pork shoulder and shades of milk chocolate all collect energy once in the mouth. Outstanding in its youth, this will provide drinking enjoyment for another decade or more. Drink 2019-2029- 93
2016 Gramercy Cellars ‘Gramercy Estates’ Red Wine- The ‘Gramercy Estates’ is a silky blend of 80% Merlot with the reminder equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon entirely sourced from the JB George Vineyard, which is adjacent to the Pepper Bridge Vineyard. The nose shows cocoa powder with red and dark fruits as well as sagebrush accents that round out this outstanding nose. The palate is plush, delivering straightforward red and dark fruit flavors with black tea and mocha accents. While delicious in its youth, this will evolve well over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2016 Gramercy Cellars ‘John Lewis Reserve’ Syrah- The 2016 ‘John Lewis Reserve’ Syrah by Gramercy Cellars is another scintillating effort from the superstar winemaking team of Brandon Moss and Greg Harrington, MS. Entirely sourced from the Les Collins Vineyard, this wine underwent 100% whole cluster fermentation. It comes off initially quite reticent as this is needing at least a one hour decant to fully evolve,. Once aroused the wine slowly unveils exotic spices that collide with the fresh herbs, black fruits and dusty terroir that all settle in the glass. The palate evokes a wonderful feeling of elegance, as this shows off brilliant sagebrush, blood orange peel, cigar ash, pomegranate seed and shades of huckleberry that give this serious range and an exotic edge. A nice beam of salinity also runs through this wine, as the mouth-watering acidity adds to the enjoyment. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to give this stunning new wine at least a one hour decant. Drink 2020-2035- 95