A Manhattan-based 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.
The Harrington family moved to Walla Walla in 2005 to make a specific kind of old-world-meets-new Rhône and Bordeaux varietals. Their goal was to utalize 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 they 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, the Gramercy team carefully design the fermentations; 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 beautifully.
The idea for Lower East began when Gramercy Cellars partnered with Dick Beightol at Phinny Hill in the Horse Heaven Hills to plant Cabernet specifically for this project. The result is in the bottle, in the red fruit, gravel, herbs, bright acidity, and firm tannin.
The 2020 Lower East Cabernet Sauvignon is 60% Phinny Hill, 30% Gramercy Estate
Vineyard, with a finishing touch of 5% Dionysus. A testament to the 2020 vintage, the 2020 Lower East is not a blend, but stands out as 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 21 months in 10% new French oak, with the remainder in older French barrels.
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Winemaker: Harrington Family
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Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
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Farming Practice: Organic
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Terroir: Phinny Hill, Gramercy Estate, and Dionysus Vineyards
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Vinification/Aging: 21 months in 10% New French Oak barrels
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Tasting Notes: Aromas of marionberry, macerated raspberries, and just-ripe blackberries leap from the glass, full of vibrant acidity. Remarkably fresh. Secondary notes of roasted coffee beams, dark chocolate, and garrigue herbs add depth. Plush mouthfeel, with round tannins and a long, silky finish. Drink now or hold a few years.