2008 Syrah Walla Walla Valley
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Tasting notes
All from the Les Collines Vineyard (the Forgotten Hills Syrah was lost due to an early freeze in ’08), the 2008 Gramercy Cellars Syrah was partially de-stemmed and aged for 15 months in all neutral French oak. The wine sports slight wild, complex aromas of cassis and smoky dark fruits, tapenade, dry aged beef, lavender, and underbrush like characteristics on the nose. This is followed by a medium to full bodied wine that possesses a fleshy, round texture, juicy acidity, and a focused finish where moderate fine grained tannins emerge. Fantastic on the nose, and upfront and beautifully fruited on the palate, this should continue to perform beautifully for a decade at the minimum.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
(98% Les Collines fruit) Bright full ruby. Knockout northern Rhone aromas of blackberry, licorice and smoked meat; I would have put this somewhere between Cornas and Hermitage. Juicy, reticent and complex, with youthfully closed flavors of dark berries and spices. This was vinified with 80% whole clusters, saw no new oak, and was only racked for the bottling, which took place a week before my July visit to Washington. On the finish, this is more juicy Cornas than dense, powerful Hermitage.
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. Gramercy Cellars was started by Master Sommelier Greg Harrington in 2005. In a short time he has established a high bar for himself. Tel. (509) 876-2427; www.gramercycellars.com