2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
93 points ~ Stephen Tanzer,Vinous 91 points ~ Robert Parker,Wine Advocate 90 points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
This deep ruby, 100% Syrah shows notes of mature dark fruit, blackberry, boysenberry, raspberry confiture, and mocha. Swirling brings bacon fat, sandalwood, leather, oak spice, and roasted popcorn. Beautifully sweet and meaty, the mouthfeel is rich and round, with polished tannins and a very long finish.
Production notes
Wines from the Winemaker’s Select Series are manually harvested and carefully sorted from the best spots of our vineyards. The fruit was barrel fermented and aged in 100% new French oak for 20 months before going into bottle. This is a beautiful Syrah for those who love a Northern Rhone style.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Syrah
Appellation: Royal Slope
Designation: Lawrence Vineyards
Aging: Aged in 100% new French oak for 20 months
Alcohol: 15.50%
pH: 3.75
Cases Produced: 77
2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Lawrence Estate Wines
Made from the best part of our best vineyard blocks, our Winemaker’s Select Cab Sauv is a treat for any hard-core Cab lover.
As with the past vintage, this Cab is made exclusively from the Scarline Vineyard and a combination of clones 6 and 2. Fermented mostly in stainless steel and then aged in 100% new French oak 300Ls. Elevage was a touch longer due to the tannin content on the 2017 wines allowing us to find a better balance for fruit vs. structure.
The “Winemaker Select” series is our winemaker’s opportunity to use all of our estate vineyards to craft a truly iconic wine. No restrictions are placed on the site, yield, winemaking technique, or the barrels used to age these wines. In some cases, these wines are barrel fermented, one of the costliest and laborious ways to ferment a wine but one that yields wines with unmatched concentration and refinement. Enjoy what our winemaker thinks is truly the best we have to offer.
2017 Gård Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve, Lawrence Estate Wines
92 points ~ Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Tasting Notes
Barrel select release of 100% Syrah qualifying for the Grand Klasse line of Gård wines. Inspired by the French Grand Cru wines, Gard “Grand Klasse” is our reserve-level program, aptly named in reflection of our Scandinavian heritage.
Intense floral blue fruits, hardwood smoke, bacon fat, and garrigue. Swirling brings up plum, blueberry, and blackberry compote with black pepper and spicy charcuterie. The palate is dense with sweet and smoky fruit, silky tannins, and a bright lifted finish. An uncompromising Syrah.
Production notes
Fermented in 80% concrete tanks, 6% whole cluster. Aged in 75% new French oak puncheons for 20 months. Made from 4 picks and 3 different clones from the Scarline blocks. 60% Joseph Phelps, 20% Sara Lee, and 20% Tablas Creek Clone. Meant to deliver pure, dark, and concentrated flavors. With the addition of the Thunderstone and Winemaker’s Select, this wine drops right in between the savory nature of the Thunderstone and the smoldering intensity of the Winemaker’s Select.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Syrah
Appellation: Royal Slope
Vineyard: Scarline Vineyard
Designation: Lawrence Vineyards
Aging: 75% new French oak 500L’s
Alcohol: 15.1%
pH: 3.85
Cases Produced: 215
Winemaker: Aryn Morell
What’s Included
3-bottles:
1x 2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
1x 2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Lawrence Estate Wines
1x 2017 Gård Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve, Lawrence Estate Wines
Case:
4x 2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
4x 2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Lawrence Estate Wines
4x 2017 Gård Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve, Lawrence Estate Wines
Gård, meaning “farm” in many of the Scandinavian languages, is a tribute to our family’s Scandinavian heritage and farming tradition.
Our mission at Gård is to capture and bottle the unique characteristics of the land we farm. We humbly craft value-driven, award-winning wines from our sustainable estate vineyards to create lasting memories for our customers. Gård Vintners is dedicated to crafting world-class wines from its sustainably-farmed estate vineyard on the Royal Slope of Washington’s Columbia Valley AVA. We produce 6,000 cases a year for our wine club, three tasting rooms, and select distribution in the northwest and across the country.
Founded in 2006, Gård Vintners is a family-owned and operated estate winery in the heart of Washington’s Columbia Valley AVA, with vineyards on the Royal Slope, wine production in Walla Walla, and tasting rooms in Woodinville, Walla Walla, and Ellensburg.
The winery was founded by Josh and Lisa Lawrence, along with Josh’s dad John Lawrence and uncle Sandy Lawrence, who had farmed the Royal Slope for more than 40 years. The winery and estate vineyard is now owned and operated by Josh and his wife, Lisa, who oversees sales and marketing, while Josh oversees the vineyard and other farm and orchard operations.
In 2011 Aryn Morell joined the team as winemaker, and winemaking is now managed at M&L Production in Walla Walla, a partnership between Morell and the Lawrences.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
Peering through the long list of emails from retailers I need to unsubscribe from I see a familiar name which immediately draws my attention toward…ah Alice! This is not one of those on the list to unsubscribe from but rather one I need to add a rule to my email to add to the top of the list.
Moving on to the star of the show.
2017 Gard Syrah Lawrence Estate Wine
Pulling the cork out, the ever comforting sound of a well sealed bottle filled the room. Pop!
Visually the wine is dark, opaque yet has a silky nature to it.
Floral and dark berries were very evident with this wine, very fragrant, very inviting. The aromas alone lets you know this will be a good wine.
First sip I felt the high acidity hit the back of my tongue followed by heavy tannins and a long dry finish. Small notes of pepper hit your senses, with the wine being very bold yet well rounded.
The wine was paired with a home chef food kit, sirloin steak with a brown butter bordelaise along with roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts. This kit showed up just in time with the wine bottle because both paired very well with one another.
This wine definitely needs a companion to pair with, wife and I had another glass later in the evening on its own and it was quite big and bold. Decanting could help with tempering this wine down, but with children running a muck around the house, who has time for that when you’re ready to unwind.
Overall this bottle made quite the impression, felt quite elegant, and is one we cannot wait to try again. Seeing the sale of a variety bottles to try sealed the deal for us to get in on the sale.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Gård Vintners 92+ Points Reds Collection - $50 = 12.49%
We enjoyed this wine with a NY strip steak . Medium - full bodied with a complex smooth and velvety mouthfeel. Plums, coffee, cherries and a vanilla finish. Fresh leather and almost a cocoa flavor with oak spice on the nose, once it opens. I would recommend this wine to drink now or sit for another 5 years.
I would definitely recommend this wine for anyone looking for a great example of a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Curious if the winemaker select is significantly better than the grand klasse. This offer is about $8 more per bottle than the previous offers of the grand klasse lines of cab and Syrah. Decisions decisions.
@dgoldberg Since no CT either- I’ll pivot to a question i’ve been wanting to throw out for a while now unrelated to this wine. Does anyone ever have days where no matter what wine you open it tastes off ? For me, when it happens, all wine tastes acidic and almost metallic. Very frustrating, especially when I’ve opened a nice bottle.
If so, any tips in terms of food or anything else to reset the pallet and get it back to being able to appreciate the smooth velvet taste of a great wine, besides drinking better wines
@dgoldberg@Mattskimz That’s a great question!! Not sure what wine you tend to drink and the age of the wine. I may have noticed that once in a long while. I’ve learned to pop the cork & let the bottle sit on the counter for 1 to 2 hrs. I find that a lot of the wine that I’ve bought is even much better the 2nd day after capping the bottle and pump vacuuming as much air out as I can at the end of the 1st day. Other times I’m just in a funky mood and nothing tastes right. Then there are times I start eating before sampling the wine…kinda firing up the old tastebuds before consuming the juice. I remembered once I brushed my teeth late in the day and my taste was way out in left field. Maybe I should have used a white wine rinse!! LOL
@dgoldberg I’ve gotten so spoiled since PA opened up that, getting this message after completing the entire purchase process, I wondered if the whole day was an April Fools joke.
We were delighted to participate in the lab rat program yesterday. We received the wine a few hours before tasting, and popped and poured. At first, the Gard Gran Classe Syrah was extremely tightly wound, heavy on alcohol, and heavy on strawberry pie. It was very one-note, and I was nervous about this one! However, after a full hour decant, the wine was a completely different beast. Suddenly, blueberry emerged, as did blackberry, and a rich mouth-coating balance of fruit compote and cedar.
We happened to have a steak with broccoli rabe on the menu, and this wine was a perfect accompaniment with that meal. Though we planned to not drink the whole bottle, it was easy to imbibe and have “just one more sip” of this beautiful Syrah.
After drinking the wine, I then looked up more information on it and found that this wine is made by a team of heavy-hitters in the industry, using phenomenal clones when planting, and winemaking experience that would make most winemakers blush. The fact that this was expertly crafted, and then aged for 20-months in barrel, lends to a complex, well-made wine, that will also have the benefit of aging and maturing in bottle for years to come.
This was the most impressive Casemates wine for us so far, and we look forward to trying the other bottles on offer from Gard.
@ttboy23 I look like I’ve only tasted their 2016 grand klasse cab, and the vaucluse blend. I’ll have to open a bottle of the grande klasse cab & syrah later this evening to see if I need to pounce on this offer.
Uh oh, haven’t ever seen this tracking update before:
Returning to Sender
The package has been damaged and the sender will be notified. The undamaged portion has been returned to the sender.
2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
93 points ~ Stephen Tanzer,Vinous
91 points ~ Robert Parker,Wine Advocate
90 points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Production notes
Specs
2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Lawrence Estate Wines
92 points ~ Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
91 points ~ Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Specs
2017 Gård Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve, Lawrence Estate Wines
92 points ~ Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Tasting Notes
Production notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
756.00/Case for 4x 2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines, Gård Winemaker’s Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Lawrence Estate Wines, & 2017 Gård Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve, Lawrence Estate Wines at Gard Vintners
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 25 - Thursday, Apr 28
Gård Vintners 92+ Points Reds Collection
3 bottles for $99.99 $33.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $349.99 $29.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Syrah
2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Gård Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve
Black tie
@losthighwayz maybe my standards for black tie have gone up but this is at best a “sport coat over jeans”
@losthighwayz silk suit!
/giphy thoughtful-ponderous-string
Peering through the long list of emails from retailers I need to unsubscribe from I see a familiar name which immediately draws my attention toward…ah Alice! This is not one of those on the list to unsubscribe from but rather one I need to add a rule to my email to add to the top of the list.
Moving on to the star of the show.
2017 Gard Syrah Lawrence Estate Wine
Pulling the cork out, the ever comforting sound of a well sealed bottle filled the room. Pop!
Visually the wine is dark, opaque yet has a silky nature to it.
Floral and dark berries were very evident with this wine, very fragrant, very inviting. The aromas alone lets you know this will be a good wine.
First sip I felt the high acidity hit the back of my tongue followed by heavy tannins and a long dry finish. Small notes of pepper hit your senses, with the wine being very bold yet well rounded.
The wine was paired with a home chef food kit, sirloin steak with a brown butter bordelaise along with roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts. This kit showed up just in time with the wine bottle because both paired very well with one another.
This wine definitely needs a companion to pair with, wife and I had another glass later in the evening on its own and it was quite big and bold. Decanting could help with tempering this wine down, but with children running a muck around the house, who has time for that when you’re ready to unwind.
Overall this bottle made quite the impression, felt quite elegant, and is one we cannot wait to try again. Seeing the sale of a variety bottles to try sealed the deal for us to get in on the sale.
Salude!
@i8dacat
@i8dacat Thank you for the great review and for not unsubscribing
/giphy fertile-perceptive-creature
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Gård Vintners 92+ Points Reds Collection - $50 = 12.49%
2017 Gård Winemaker’s Select Cabernet Sauvignon
We enjoyed this wine with a NY strip steak . Medium - full bodied with a complex smooth and velvety mouthfeel. Plums, coffee, cherries and a vanilla finish. Fresh leather and almost a cocoa flavor with oak spice on the nose, once it opens. I would recommend this wine to drink now or sit for another 5 years.
I would definitely recommend this wine for anyone looking for a great example of a Cabernet Sauvignon.
@briancurrie thanks for the rattage. Sounds like a great pairing.
Curious if the winemaker select is significantly better than the grand klasse. This offer is about $8 more per bottle than the previous offers of the grand klasse lines of cab and Syrah. Decisions decisions.
/giphy cunning-fluffy-cleric
What the heck, no PA?!?
@dgoldberg Since no CT either- I’ll pivot to a question i’ve been wanting to throw out for a while now unrelated to this wine. Does anyone ever have days where no matter what wine you open it tastes off ? For me, when it happens, all wine tastes acidic and almost metallic. Very frustrating, especially when I’ve opened a nice bottle.
If so, any tips in terms of food or anything else to reset the pallet and get it back to being able to appreciate the smooth velvet taste of a great wine, besides drinking better wines
@dgoldberg @Mattskimz That’s a great question!! Not sure what wine you tend to drink and the age of the wine. I may have noticed that once in a long while. I’ve learned to pop the cork & let the bottle sit on the counter for 1 to 2 hrs. I find that a lot of the wine that I’ve bought is even much better the 2nd day after capping the bottle and pump vacuuming as much air out as I can at the end of the 1st day. Other times I’m just in a funky mood and nothing tastes right. Then there are times I start eating before sampling the wine…kinda firing up the old tastebuds before consuming the juice. I remembered once I brushed my teeth late in the day and my taste was way out in left field. Maybe I should have used a white wine rinse!! LOL
@dgoldberg I’ve gotten so spoiled since PA opened up that, getting this message after completing the entire purchase process, I wondered if the whole day was an April Fools joke.
@dgoldberg @eldano
@Mattskimz must be Covid long
2017 Gård Syrah Grand Klasse Reserve
We were delighted to participate in the lab rat program yesterday. We received the wine a few hours before tasting, and popped and poured. At first, the Gard Gran Classe Syrah was extremely tightly wound, heavy on alcohol, and heavy on strawberry pie. It was very one-note, and I was nervous about this one! However, after a full hour decant, the wine was a completely different beast. Suddenly, blueberry emerged, as did blackberry, and a rich mouth-coating balance of fruit compote and cedar.
We happened to have a steak with broccoli rabe on the menu, and this wine was a perfect accompaniment with that meal. Though we planned to not drink the whole bottle, it was easy to imbibe and have “just one more sip” of this beautiful Syrah.
After drinking the wine, I then looked up more information on it and found that this wine is made by a team of heavy-hitters in the industry, using phenomenal clones when planting, and winemaking experience that would make most winemakers blush. The fact that this was expertly crafted, and then aged for 20-months in barrel, lends to a complex, well-made wine, that will also have the benefit of aging and maturing in bottle for years to come.
This was the most impressive Casemates wine for us so far, and we look forward to trying the other bottles on offer from Gard.
@lastgoodbye thank you for the report with the added info you found. Table shot is epic.
@WCCWineGirl You got it! Thanks.
@lastgoodbye @WCCWineGirl Great pic, the only thing that would have made it better would be some wine in the glasses!
Nice selection! Their Thunderstone blend, purchased here previously, is some of the best tasting wine I’ve had. IMO
@ttboy23 I look like I’ve only tasted their 2016 grand klasse cab, and the vaucluse blend. I’ll have to open a bottle of the grande klasse cab & syrah later this evening to see if I need to pounce on this offer.
@deadlyapp hey I found 2 of the Vaucluse also, glad I double checked. Yum!
/giphy mobile-kindly-bubble
/giphy clingy-crucial-star
Uh oh, haven’t ever seen this tracking update before:
Returning to Sender
The package has been damaged and the sender will be notified. The undamaged portion has been returned to the sender.