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: 2012 Gramercy Cellars "John Lewis" Walla Walla Syrah

2012 Gramercy Cellars "John Lewis" Walla Walla Syrah

SKU #1214813 95 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The 2012 Syrah John Lewis comes from the Les Collines Vineyard in Walla Walla and is 100% Syrah that saw 80% whole clusters and 18 months in mostly neutral French oak puncheons. Tight, backward and nicely structured, with bright acidity, it has layered aromatics of black fruits, black olives, cracked pepper, dried violets and tobacco leaf. This is a sensational Syrah that has deserve 4-5 years of bottle age, and will have 20-25 years of overall longevity. 95+ (JD) Inner quote mark (6/2015)

95 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark This wine is a blend of top sites Les Collines, SJR and Red Willow. It’s perfumed with notes of green olive, violets, dried herbs, mineral and smoked meat. The palate is tightly wound, sensuous and supple, lithe yet rich with tart fruit and savory flavors backed by tannins that need more time to come into their own—but this wine surely deserves it. It has all of the stuffing to be a 20+ year wine. Best from 2025 to 2032. Give it an extended decant if opening in the near term. Inner quote mark (7/2012)

94 points Wine & Spirits

Outer quote mark The 2012 John Lewis is blended from Les Collines, Red Willow and SJR, Greg Harrington’s source in the Rocks. For now, SJR is wagging the dog, in the wine’s meaty, feral scent, its campfire smokiness, its firm, focused blueberry and mocha flavors. After a day some Rocks wines get a bit louche, but the cooler climate components here keep the wine lifted and energetic. Fascinating now, it certainly has the bones to age. (185 cases) Inner quote mark (6/2015)

91 points Int'l Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark (13.7% alcohol; vinified with 80% of its stems; 18% new oak): Bright red-ruby. Knockout perfume of cherry, licorice and sexy brown spices. Densely packed and distinctly saline; much less open today than the Lagniappe, with fruit in the deep background. Also has a more powerful tannic spine. This baby should be a long ager but it’s extremely closed today. Then again, it won’t be released until next year, at which point it may well merit an even higher score. 91+ (ST) Inner quote mark (12/2014)

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2012 Gramercy Cellars "John Lewis" Walla Walla Syrah

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Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

Washington

- Washington has become one of the most important wine producing states in the United States, and development continues to grow rapidly. In 1969, when California was exploding as a wine producer, Washington had only two wineries, but by 2000 that number had passed 100. Most of Washington's grape crop goes to uses other than wine. Merlot and Chardonnay have been the most successful in Washington. It's interesting to note that Washington's prime wine regions are located at 46° north, along the same latitude as the legendary French wine districts of Bordeaux and Burgundy. During the summer, Washington averages more than two hours more sunlight each day compared to California.

Alcohol Content (%):

13.7