Gramercy Cellars
Hi Wine friends~
Well, it's September and I haven't sent a newsletter since June, so some Vibrant readers contacted me to ask what happened. Are you coming back? Did you take vacation? Are you still in business? Are you still working? The answer to all of the above is yes. This past summer has been an amazing educational experience through the Wine Spirit Education Trust's intermediate course and my English brother-in-law John's personal wine tastings and tutorials (I think his goal was for me to taste every wine from every region on my exam during the 8 days of my vacation). I made a concious decision not to write another newseletter until I knew I had passed my exam. (Thank you to all of you who continued to buy wine for your weddings, 50th birthday parties, and cellar stocking while I took my hiatus) I did pass, although not quite with the perfect score I'd dreamed about. I think the football coach who "taught" me geography in high school should be at least partially responsible for those map questions I missed. Anyway, the only way I'm really going to be able to distinguish the difference between all of those regions is if I take a trip and visit Medoc, Puillac, Margeaux, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Graves Cote Rotie, Hermitage, Languedoc, Minervois and Corbieres. Then of course, I'll need to go to Italy, Germany, Portugal, South Africa, Austrailia, New Zealand. Back to reality. It's Washington state for me, and since we were barely mentioned in the WSET course, I think we've got work to do to show the rest of the world, or at least the WSET course writers in London, what an outstanding wine region we are.
This month I'll be talking about a winery that came to my attention through my best friend's brother-in-law who has more wine credentials than I have used corks. He is one of 105 Master Sommeliers in North America (only 170 in the world who've passed the exam since its inception), has been written up in magazines worldwide, been on Gary Vaynerchuck's show (episode 194) but I can't use his name because I didn't ask him if I could write about him. Hopefully he'll be reading this and will approve. Anyway, when mystery master sommelier man talks, I listen. He told me about Gramercy Cellars a couple of years ago at a Thanksgiving celebration. We were having a conversation about Washington wine and the swing away from the super high alcohol wines. He mentioned that his friend Greg Harrington, the youngest person to ever pass the Master Sommelier exam at 26 and maker of excellent wine. I'd never heard of Gramercy but decided to buy some of their Lagniappe Syrah since I'm a Syrah fan, and he suggested we try the Inigo Montoya Tempranillo. What a great idea! That wine is now on my list of all time favorites. Last week, proving that mystery man always knows what the heck he's talking about, Food and Wine Magazine named Gramercy Cellars 2010's Best New Winery. In addition to turning out great wine, they turn out some hysterical viral videos as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDJcQ2c9320.
2007 Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (94 pts)
Drink 2013 - 2027
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from three vineyards. and aged for 22 month in 40% new French oak. Purple/black in color, it is a layered, Rubenesque offering with loads of succulent fruit, incipient complexity, enough underlying structure to evolve for 3-5 years, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. Its drinking window will extend from 2013 to 2027.
2008 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Syrah (93 pts)
Drink 2013 - 2023
The 2008 Syrah Walla Walla Valley received the same elevage as the Lagniappe cuvee. However it offers more both aromatically and in the mouth. Scents of bacon, game, incense, spice box, blueberry, and plum leads to a layered, already complex Syrah. It displays both elegance and power along with a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. It will offer prime drinking from 2013 to 2023.
2008 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo Inigo Montoya (93 pts)
Drink 2012 - 2023
The new releases begin with the 2008 Tempranillo Inigo Montoya (with 5% Grenache and 5% Mourvedre in the blend). It spent 15 months in 2nd fill American oak. It exhibits a bouquet of violets, Asian spices, mineral, espresso, licorice, and blackberry. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it reveals terrific fruit quality with ripe, savory flavors, a plush texture, excellent depth and concentration, and a lengthy finish. It will continue to evolve for another 2-3 years and provide enjoyment through 2023.
2008 Gramercy Cellars Grenache Syrah Mourvedre (93 pts)
The 2008 Grenache (60%)-Mourvedre (20%)-Syrah (20%) gives up an aromatic array of underbrush, brier, balsamic, Asian spices, blueberry, and black cherry. It is slightly richer and more complex than the 2007 Grenache along with a similar drinking window.
To check out Sean Sullivan's interview with Greg Harrington and his reviews of Gramercy Cellars wines, check out this posting on the Washington Wine Report WWR link
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