All from the Les Collines vineyard and a 100% Syrah aged in a scant 18% new French oak, the 2011 Syrah is a perfumed, elegant effort that has loads of class and refinement. Lavender, olive, underbrush, pepper and plum and blackberry styled fruits all emerge from the glass and this medium to full-bodied Syrah has beautiful focus and precision on the palate. I don’t think it will make old bones, but it should gain additional complexity with a handful of years in the cellar and offer loads of pleasure over the following 5-7 years. Drink 2015-2021. These top-notch efforts are made by Greg Harrington, with help from assistant winemaker Brandon Moss, and always show the fresher, more edgy and lean side to the region. Normally fermented with varying degrees of whole cluster and aged in neutral oak, they have Old World, classical profiles and will benefit from short-term cellaring. While I’ve been drinking the Rhone blends from this estate for years, this was the first time I’ve been able to taste Greg’s Bordeaux releases. The house style certainly persists and the wines all show firm, concentrated and age-worthy profiles. From a much warmer vintage, Harrington’s 2009s are more voluptuous and textured than the 2010s, yet still play in the same classically styled ball park of the estate. While more approachable today, I think they will have a similar, if not broader, drink window than the 2010s. Time will tell but at the moment, I generally like the 2009s more due to their fruit, yet I still think the tannin quality in the 2010s is better.www.gramercycellars.com

The 2011 Syrah Walla Walla offers pretty red and black fruits, peat, loamy earth, ground pepper and plenty of herbal notes to go with a medium-bodied, rounded and beautifully textured feel on the palate. Overall supple and yet nicely focused and pure, it has solid mid-palate depth and building, fine tannin on the finish. It’s a beautiful effort in a difficult vintage and will have 10 to 12 years of prime drinking. Master Sommelier turned winemaker, Greg Harrington is fashioning some of the top wines in Washington from his base in Walla Walla. His 2011s showed beautifully from barrel last year, and didn’t disappoint this year from bottle. His 2012s will be even better. Tel. (509) 876-2427; www.gramercycellars.com