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.
Gramercy Cellars is an 8,000 case winery founded in 2005 by Master Sommelier Greg Harrington to make Rhone and Bordeaux style wines in Washington State.
They believe that great wines share common traits: great vineyards, small production, minimalist winemaking, time and patience.
The Harrington family moved to Walla Walla, Washington in 2005 to make a specific kind of old-world-meets-new Rhône and Bordeaux varietals. Their goal was to utilize the near perfect growing conditions near Walla Walla to create some of the best-reviewed wines from the region. The resultant wines display balance, intense fruit notes, strong earthiness, restraint, and elegance.
The Walla Walla and surrounding AVAs offer the perfect climate and soil conditions for the kind of wines they want 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 they are 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 well.
Plus the tasting notes from Greg Harrington are always fun (and informative) read. Gramercy wines have been a solid part of our cellar for years and we highly recommend them. Get a bottle – you won’t be disappointed. Cheers!
