Gramercy Cellars, Syrah

As established SommSelect members may remember from previous offers, Gramercy Cellars is a passion project that’s close to our hearts: Owner/winemaker Greg Harrington is a fellow Master Sommelier who went into winemaking full-time, assembling a diverse collection of vineyard sources in Washington State for his Bordeaux- and Rhône-inspired wines. This offering is a newish member of Harrington’s expansive portfolio, a Columbia Valley-designate Syrah with characteristics more similar to Hermitage or Saint-Joseph than your typical example from the new world. Out of the gate, it led with the kind of blackberries, salt-cured meat and tapenade notes I’d associate with classic Northern Rhône Syrah, but when this wine hits your palate, it is incredibly rich and full bodied – becoming even weightier with time in the glass. This is a concentrated, yet balanced, take on the Syrah grape that speaks in its own full-throated voice, ready to be paired with something grilled, braised, or otherwise meat