The Syrahs begin with the 2007 Syrah Walla Walla Valley sourced from La Colline and Forgotten Hills Vineyards. Purple-colored, it displays a super-spicy nose of garrigue, olives, bacon, smoked meat, and blueberry. Dense, layered, and concentrated, it skillfully combines elegance with power. Silky on the palate, the succulent flavors last for nearly one minute. It has the structure to evolve for several years but will be hard to resist now. 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

Sourced entirely from Les Collines, this perfectly expresses the house style—scents of strawberry jam, hints of pepper, and flavors that seem to focus on rocky minerality. An austere yet thrilling wine, almost like a Chinon, though this is Syrah, and not Cabernet Franc.——P.G.(9/1/2010)—— 90