A longstanding Woodinville winery, Gorman is founded by Chris Gorman who began his winery shortly after graduating from college in 1991. Before starting he spent 3 years working for a small Italian importer which carefully trained his palate. During that time Chris traveled extensively in the wine areas of Italy, Spain and Germany and finally started his winery in 2002. The winery has been a small operation, crafting consistently good wines from the Columbia Valley. Currently producing roughly 8,000 cases a year Chris focuses on the terroir from Red Mountain and works with great vineyards such as Kiona, Shaw and many others. They also make an excellent Chardonnay called their ‘Big Sissy.’
It has been several years since I had tasted the new Gorman lineup and I was really impressed across the board. The wines came from warm vintages, 2017 and 2018. I love the 2020 Gorman ‘The Devil Wears Pink’ Rose (OB, 91) which is fresh and nicely textured, just needing a warm summer day. I adored the 2019 Gorman ‘Big Sissy’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is seamless, and showing a sinfully good mouthfeel, with great length. This Chardonnay really has some good cellaring potential. Learn more about these fantastic new wines at gormanwinery.com. Here are the great new wines by Chris Gorman and his Gorman Winery.
2020 Gorman Winery ‘The Devil Wears Pink’ Rose- Sourced from the ‘Boushey Vineyard’ this Rose shows crisp and vibrant green apple and green papaya tones with just a touch of sweetness. The soft texture and good length add to the enjoyment here. Drink 2021-2024- 91
2020 Gorman Winery ‘Luanne’ White Wine- This proprietary white blend was sourced from the ‘Boushey Vineyard’ in the Yakima Valley. Fragrant and wonderfully textured, this beautiful wine shows ripe peach and kiwi flavors alongside wet stone and shades of cantaloupe. Rich and layered, showing a vibrant acidity, this is an awesome new wine by the talented Chris Gorman that is best enjoyed over the next several years. Drink 2021-2026- 92
2019 Gorman Winery ‘Big Sissy’ Chardonnay- This Columbia Valley bottling catches your eye with the seamless texture and great sense of freshness. Meyer lemon and pineapple upside down cake mingle with minerals, smoke, and shades of butterscotch on the palate. This is just sinfully good stuff even at the two year mark, as the 2019 ‘Big Sissy’ Chardonnay has some great cellaring potential. Drink 2021-2029- 93
2018 Gorman Winery ‘Sleeping Giant’ Syrah- The 2018 ‘Sleeping Giant’ was sourced from the esteemed ‘Boushey Vineyard’ and shows really good aromatic range from dark currants to bacon fat and cigar ash tones that all meld in the glass. The palate is soft and very pretty with its core of red and dark fruits. The soft texture entices as this beautiful wine has another decade or more to go. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2018 Gorman Winery ‘Pixie’ Syrah- Sourced from Red Mountain, this Syrah opens with kirsch cordial and scorched earth tones alongside shades of black tea and exotic spices that all take shape in the glass. The palate is dense and hugely inviting with a massive core of red and dark fruits alongside chocolate, pipe tobacco and coffee ground flavors. This is seriously good now and will cellar well at least for another ten years. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2018 Gorman Winery ‘Bully’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This Red Mountain AVA bottling shows off a great sense balance and texture. Silky smooth throughout, this unveils layers of ripe blackberries and dark currants ,mingle with smoke, minerals and scorched earth tones on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, showing great balance and poise, this outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon will enjoy another fifteen plus years ahead of it. Drink 2021-2035- 92