Today we share one of the outstanding Washington wineries that has received innumerable accolades by critics across the board. 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. Chris focuses on the terroir from Red Mountain and works with great vineyards such as Kiona, Shaw and many others. They make world-class Chardonnay called their ‘Big Sissy’ and also under his Ashan label. This label has Chardonnays that showcase some of the state’s top vineyards. All three Ashan releases from the Cold Creek, Connor Lee and Celilo Vineyards are sensational across the board and are meant for serious lovers of not only Washington white wine but Sonoma and Napa Chardonnay.
I love the 2022 Gorman ‘Big Sissy’ Chardonnay (OB, 94) which is dense and viscous with beautiful texture. Don’t miss out on the 2019 Gorman ‘Mammoth’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) which is a downright sexy new bottling from this slightly cooler vintage. Learn more about these outstanding wines at gormanwinery.com. Here are the great new wines by Chris Gorman and his Gorman Winery.
2022 Gorman ‘Luanne’ White Wine- The 2022 ‘Luanne’ combines Marsanne, with Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier all coming from the Boushey Vineyard. This comes off vibrant with kiwi, gooseberry and oyster shell flavors alongside shades of cantaloupe. Partially stored in neutral oak, this is a gorgeous wine that will pair so well with shellfish. Drink 2024-2030- 92
2022 Ashan ‘Columbia Valley’ Chardonnay- This 2022 Chardonnay comes from a range of top vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley. This shows a soft texture alongside ripe banana, pineapple and golden Delicious apple. Stored in natural French oak, this is generous Chardonnay that is a steal at 25 bucks. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2022 Gorman ‘Big Sissy’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Big Sissy’ is a stunning new Chardonnay by Chris Gorman. Stored from both the Connor Lee and Cold Creek Vineyards, this was stored in 40% new French oak barrels, this offers a smooth texture with a refined mouthfeel, as this effortlessly glides throughout the mid-palate. Roasted pineapple, peach and passion fruit flavors combine with Japanese pear and stony minerals on the palate. Finishing exceedingly long, this is a total stunner that will live on for another ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2021 Gorman ‘The Devil Makes Three’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Mainly coming from Candy Mountain, the 2021 Gorman ‘The Devil Makes Three’ Cabernet Sauvignon has Malbec and Merlot blended in. This is ripe and juicy, loaded with rich blackberry and black currant flavors with cocoa powder flavors. This offers serious value. Drink 2024-2031- 91
2022 Gorman ‘The Devil Makes Three’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 Gorman ‘The Devil Makes Three’ Cabernet Sauvignon is entirely sourced from Candy Mountain, with small portions Merlot and Malbec blended in. This is fresh and lithe with refined tannins. Ripe blackberry and black cherry flavors combine with black tea and coffee ground notes on the palate. Drink 2024-2032- 91
2021 Gorman ‘The Devil You Know’ Red Wine- The 2021 Gorman ‘The Devil You Know’ Red Wine has a large portion of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Malbec and Petit Verdot. This is rich and viscous with a smooth texture. Layers of tobacco leaf and black currants combine with logabanberry cordial flavors on the palate. This is concentrated stuff that is seriously good right now. Drink 2024-2034- 92
2021 Gorman ‘Old Scratch’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Old Scratch’ comes from Red Mountain. Aged for 20 months in French oak, this delivers chocolate, sagebrush and espresso ground tones on the palate, alongside refined tannins on the palate. Rich and viscous, this is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2024-2040- 93
2021 Gorman ‘Pixie’ Syrah- Coming from Red Mountain, the 2021 ‘Pixie’ comes from the Kipsun and Staton Vineyards. Aged in 40% new French oak, this offers beautiful concentration and texture on the mid-palate. Black olives, boysenberry and smoked meats all fill the palate alongside a refined texture. Herbal accents line this generous wine that is drinking beautifully now. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2021 Gorman ‘Evil Twin’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Evil Twin’ combines Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain. Aged in all new French oak, this offers smoked BBQ beef ribs with Umami, black olive tapenade and shades of creosote on the nose. The palate is dense and heady with a reined texture. Gorgeous to enjoy now, this is a stunning new wine that will cellar well for another ten plus years to come. This would be incredible with a juicy ribeye. Drink 2024-2038- 95
2021 Gorman ‘Zachary’s Ladder’ Red Wine- Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, this is named after Chris Gorman’s son and was first made in 2002. Very soft and round on the mouth, this offers sagebrush and milk chocolate alongside dark currants and Morello cherry on the palate. Drink 2024-2035- 92
2021 Gorman ‘The Bully’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘The Bully’ was entirely sourced from Red Mountain and was stored in 100% new French oak barrels before bottling. Mainly coming from the Quintessence Vineyard, this shows off black tea and dark currants line the nose alongside mocha, tar and anise tones. The palate is refined and silky with soft tannins. Black currant jelly, and scorched earth tones combine with shades of espresso grounds and kirsch notes on the palate. This is going to age gracefully. Drink 2024-2040- 94
2021 Gorman ‘The Albatross’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A really big wine from a warm vintage, the 2021 ‘The Albatross’ Cabernet Sauvignon also comes from Red Mountain and was stored in 100% new French oak before bottling. Fresh thyme, anise and Black Forest Cake mark the nose aulnigsude Turkish coffee notes. The palate is soft and seamless with great concentration and underlying finesse. Drink 2024-2044- 95
2019 Gorman ‘The Mammoth’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon was stored for 38 months in oak barrels from 200 year old trees (barrels designed for DRC). This comes from Block 3 from the Quintessence Vineyard. The nose is intense and highly complex with blackberry and Earl Grey tea alongside espresso ground notes. The palate is soft and seamless with incredible length, texture and weight. A joy to drink right now, this will live on for at least another twenty years. Drink 2024-2044- 97