Gramercy Cellars Gramercy Cellars Les Collines Vineyard Syrah 2018 750ml

A blend of Syrah (70% whole clusters) and 5% Viognier, the 2018 Syrah Les Collines opens with a focused and finessed nose, displaying a ripe and elegant black-fruited core. Clocking in at 13% alcohol, the medium-bodied wine has an impeccable palate with gorgeous, ripe fruit flavors that parade with black raspberry essence, dusty black cherry skin, plum blossom, lavender and a soft mineral tension. It displays elegant, fine-grained tannins that melt perfectly to showcase succulent and energetic acidity. The wine concludes with a delicate, complex and long-lingering finish that is beautiful now but will have no problem aging for more than a decade. The wine spent 17 months in neutral French oak. Just under 2,800 bottles were produced. Bravo! It’s stunning!

Lots of violets, blue fruit, graphite, and peppery notes emerge from the 2018 Syrah Les Collines, which is medium-bodied and has a lively, elegant texture, good balance, and a clean finish. It’s going to put on weight with a year of two of bottle age.

This wine hails from one of the valley’s top Syrah sites. Bright, fresh herb aromas are out front, along with violet. Beyond that are notes of whole orange, tobacco leaf and whiffs of smoked meat. The palate is elegant and sumptuous. Pair it with seared flank steak. (Sean P. Sullivan)

Medium-deep red. A step up in fruit intensity and nuance on the nose from the Lagniappe Syrah, offering scents of raspberry, spices and pepper complicated by hints of green olive and herbs. More texture and depth on the palate as well, showing a restrained sweetness but also a distinct greenness to its raspberry, pepper and savory spice flavors. This sexy, soil-driven wine has the concentration to develop graceful, and the smooth tannins are nicely folded into the wine’s fruit. Finishes with sneaky subtle building length. Still, I wanted more sweetness—or maybe simply the sweetening influence of some new oak. (Stephen Tanzer)