Description
A Manhattan-based Master Sommelier tastes some Washington State wines and is so inspired, he sells everything to move across the country to make his own. That’s the start of the story of Gramercy Cellars, where a close eye on the grapes (picked for almost-peak ripeness, mostly organic), matched with minimalist wine making techniques (no or little new oak, no additives) and a lot of time (extended aging) has created wine that’s considered some of the best that Washington offers.
Sommelier for leading restauranteurs and the near perfect growing conditions near Walla Walla to create some of the best-reviewed wines from the region. The results are intense, yet restrained; elegant, yet earthy.
This kind of balance starts with the vineyards. The Walla Walla and surrounding AVAs offer the perfect climate and soil conditions for the kind of wines Greg wanted to make. Gramercy farms its grapes from old vines, carefully tended. It owns three estate vineyards, and controls several others, to ensure the grapes are grown and picked for the specific profile Gramercy is trying to achieve. Many of its wines—particularly its Rhônes—are single-vineyard estate wines.
At the winery, Greg and partner/co-winemaker Brandon Moss carefully design fermentation per the effect they are trying to achieve, sometimes in concrete, sometimes in oak, always with patience and minimalism. The result is honest and complex wines that pair well with food and age well. And get reviewed well!
Blend: 83% Cab Sauv, 15% Merlot,
2% Petit Verdot
Vineyards: Phinny Hill, Bacchus, Pepper
Bridge, Octave Estate
Aging: 22 months in 50% New French
Oak
Alcohol: 14.3%
Winery Retail: 50
Case Production: 975 Cases
Drinking Window: 2018 – 2036
Jeb Dunnuck: 92+ points
Wine Enthusiast: 91 points
Wine & Spirits: 91 points
The Cabernet Sauvignon always contains two vital parts – Phinny Hill and Sagemoor Vineyards. They are like chocolate and peanut butter together. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is about 60% Phinny Hill Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon. Each vineyard contributes vitally to the final blend. Phinny is backbone and elegance; Bacchus, as the vines are 45+ years old, is all about power and complexity.
The 2015 Cabernet is a blend of 83% Cab Sauv, 15% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 50% new French oak and the remainder in 2–5-year-old French barrels.
Tasting Notes: Red, blue and black fruit, gravel, mineral, deep, elegant,
complex, silky, medium-plus acidity, firm tannin. Chocolate, pencil shavings, red flowers, forest floor, mushroom and cedar.
Critical Acclaim
WE91
Wine Enthusiast
Phinny Hill (60%) and Bacchus (20%) fruit make up the backbone of this wine. Aromas of plum, black licorice, baking spice and black fruit are followed by a full-bodied, well-balanced, layered palate that shows depth and intensity but with a fine sense of balance. There’s no question about the warmth of the year, but it delivers and will have a very long life in front of it.
Cellar Selection
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.