2014 Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
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Tasting notes
Deeper pitched and more brooding than the regular cuvée, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve unfurls in the glass with aromas of dark plum, cassis, cigar tobacco and rich soil. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with impressive depth and dimension, concluding with a long, chewy finish. It will need longer in the cellar, but after 5 years it should begin to hit its stride.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The flagship Cabernet Sauvignon (there's 1% Petit Verdot) is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which spent 21 months in 60% new French oak. With a deep purple/ruby color and classic notes of crème de cassis, leafy herbs, lead pencil shavings, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with a fresh, medium to full-bodied profile that carries ripe tannin and integrated acidity. As with all these latest releases from Greg and Brandon, it leans toward the more fresh, elegant end of the spectrum. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following 15+. The team of Greg Harrington and Brandon Moss continue to keep Gramercy Cellars near the top of the hierarchy in Washington State. While they started out with a focus on Syrah, today they produce a brilliant lineup of both Rhône and Bordeaux blends. The 2016s, which were tasted from barrel, were surprisingly fresh and lively, and I suspect harvested on the earlier side. It will be interesting to see how these come together in bottle. The 2015s are a step up and are some of the finest I’ve tasted from this team.
(14.3% alcohol; includes some 50-year-old vines from Sagemoor's Bacchus Vineyard): Bright ruby-red. Darker on the nose than the basic Cabernet bottling, offering reserved, slightly medicinal aromas of cassis, licorice, bitter chocolate and menthol. Larger-scaled and deeper than the basic Cabernet but more reticent today and communicating less early sweetness. This wine leans more toward blue and black fruits, while the other Cabernet is more red. Spreads out impressively to saturate the palate and build. Here, Harrington is looking for power, structure and ageability.