Gramercy’s 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the Portteus, Phinney Hill, and Pepper Bridge Vineyards, each from a different AVA. Dark ruby-colored, it emits a superb bouquet of cigar box, violets, incense, black cherry, and black raspberry. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied, smooth-textured, deep, opulent Cabernet with plenty of underlying structure, excellent integration of oak, tannin, and acidity, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. It will continue to unfold with another 6-8 years of cellaring and offer a drinking window extending through 2026. Gramercy Cellars was started by Master Sommelier Greg Harrington in 2005. He states, “My goal is to make wines the kind I like to drink, lower alcohol, higher acid, wines that taste like they came from some place.” His last set of releases, reviewed in Issue 177, was first-class but the latest collection is eye-opening. My advice: get on Gramercy’s mailing list while you still can. Tel. (509) 876-2427; www.gramercycellars.com

Great depth and intensity are the hallmarks of this muscular, intense Cabernet. The mix of fruits, the overall balance, and the beautifully silky tannins are exceptional.——P.G.(12/31/2009)—— 94