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Biography |
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Home > People
> Chris Gorman |
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Chris Gorman
Wine Reviewer, WineSquire.com
Chris Gorman is a Seattle wine insider and "web"-ster.
Chris Gorman celebrates his 10th year in the Seattle wine world this year. He has been a key wine sales person
for Elliott Bay distributors for the past 6 years. Working with such top accounts as The Ballard Market, Pete's
Bellevue, West Seattle Cellars and Larry's Markets,
he has a firm grasp of what works in this eclectic Seattle wine
marketplace.
"Seattle rules in terms of embracing interesting wines. This town loves quality wine and it doesn't matter
where it comes from. From Albarino to Zinfandel , Seattle is very savvy and it is
very exciting to see what will
be hot next!"
Chris represents wines from every major wine growing region and specializes in smaller wineries with a more
hand-crafting approach to making wine. He is an amateur wine maker, beer maker, web designer and wine consultant.
Currently he authors www.TheWineGuru.com, which provides a fun and informative
look at wine, including tasting notes, wine 101, message boards, quizzes and some irreverent items such as the
Drunk Test and Email Strom Thurmond.
"I developed www.TheWineGuru.com to give the average wine consumer
a foot up on some pretty exciting wines. Being a wine insider I find so many great wines and every week or so
one or two of them really stand out. I used to just tell my wine friends and now the Internet allows me a voice
to tell anyone who is interested. Since I focus on top quality and many times lesser known wineries, I am turning
people on to wines that they didn't know existed. That's the beauty of the Internet."
Chris welcomes your comments and suggestions-email him at TheWineGuru@TheWineGuru.com.
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Personal
Picks |
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Eden Cellars Forbidden Red Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
(Washington) $45
Here is a new one from an "up-and-coming" Washington Winery. This
Cabernet Sauvignon has a warm, jazzy nose of smoke, toast,
chocolate and black fruit. Full-bodied and layered with gobs of
cassis, berry, cocoa and toasty flavors. Why didn’t they make
more, only about fifty cases of this red were made. Go get it!
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Eden Cellars Forbidden Syrah "The Big F" Syrah 2003
(Washington) $17
Great package, great wine and great price. Does the F stand for
Fun? This Syrah has a lofty nose of blueberry, sweet cherries and
mint. Lots of character. With its silky texture and spicy black
fruits and chocolate notes, this one is a real crowd pleaser.
Enjoy.
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Chappellet Mt. Cuvee 2003 (Napa, California) $35
Another blockbuster Cab-based cuvee from the high-rent district of
Napa Valley. Chappellet, with its cool-cat neighbors like Bryant
family and David Arthur still manage to put together an awesome
red... Matter of fact this is the least expensive red wine to come
off of Prichard Hill. This wine is layered with black cherry,
cola, cassis and tobacco. Its full-body is balanced with plenty of
powerful fruit, velvety toasted oak and a backbone of palatable
tannin. Drink or Hold... ...I'm drinkin' it.
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Clayhouse Syrah 2003 (California) $15
Man, this wine is good! Clayhouse is a new Paso Robles winery who
have done everything right in their first year. These folk own a
chunk of fine vineyards in Paso Robles including the oldest Petite
Sirah vines in the appellation. This estate Syrah is a
Blockbuster! It is very dark and loaded with complex flavors. The
aromas are exotic with lots of smoke, cassis and toast. The
flavors match the color and nose, very dark. Layers of black
cherry, licorice, vanilla and toasty oak. The texture is pure
genius, velvety smooth with lots of nice structure at the end. I
have tasted this wine a dozen times with many different people,
and everyone says the same thing. This wine costs $15 bucks? Wow!
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Castle Rock Carneros Pinot Noir 2003 (California) $10
Well the holidays are here and time to eat like Santa Clause. This
means roasts, gravies and stuffing's and you will need a versatile
wine to work with everything and please all your guests. Sure you
would like to serve Pinot Noir, but good ones are too expensive
and crazy Aunt Betty will drink two bottles herself. So why is
Pinot Noir so expensive? Well, its because to make serious Pinot
Noir in the great growing areas you need very low yields of
grapes. Sometimes as low as 1-2 ton of fruit per acre. In
comparison your average Chilean Merlot might be farmed at 8-10
Tons per acre. With that said and with no hesitation I strongly
recommend Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2003. These folks have been
producing great ten buck Pinot Noir for years and this might be
the best one yet. The aromatics are fresh and appealing with lots
of strawberry and dried rose pedal. In the mouth this mid-weight,
beautifully made wine is velvety textured with plenty of
strawberry, raspberry, brown spices and lavender. Don’t tell your
guests how much you paid. This wine is not just rare in the Pinot
Noir world it is unique. Enjoy!
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Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvee 2002 (Oregon) $30
I love this wine! Archery Summit is considered a leader in
American Pinot Noir production. They have made a name in
super-premium Pinot for their attention to detail in the vineyards
and the winery. If you have read my review on the Castle Rock
Pinot Noir 2003, you know some of the challenges in producing this
"fickle" grape at a reasonable price. That said, this amazing
Oregon Pinot does represent a Value in premium wine. The 2002
vintage in Oregon was exceptional and top producers like Archery
Summit have made some of the finest wines to date. The 2002
Premier Cuvee is an absolute treat. Full bodied and plush with
wild aromatics of plum, strawberries, lavender and barrel toast.
The palate is seamless and richly textured, layered with dense yet
creamy fruit. The finish is long and silky with good acidity to
match most Holiday fare. At $30 dollars on the shelf this may not
be an everyday wine for all but it could be enjoyed at those
special holiday meals. Just keep it away from crazy Aunt Betty.
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Mark Ryan Winery “Long Haul” 2000 (Washington) $32
It's about time young man! We have waited a very long time for the
debut wine from this Washington State winemaker. Mark Ryan's Long
Haul is a fantastic example of where Washington winemaking is
heading. Great extraction of color and intense aromatics of dark
berry fruit, cassis, leather and smoke fill the glass. The
seductive nose of this wine is prelude to its magnificent texture
and flavors. Its explosive flavors of black cherry, licorice,
vanilla and warm brown spices glide through the palate. The
texture and mouthfeel of the wine may just be its greatest
attribute. The Long Haul offers up silky tannins and a velvety
smooth structure while still maintaining it's full-bodied appeal.
This is quite a wine and a spectacular first effort from what I
would consider Washington State’s hottest new winery.
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Three Rivers Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2000
(Washington) $18
The 2000 Columbia Valley Cabernet is the second release from this
Walla Walla all-star winery, and it is a direct hit. Focused and
powerful with lots of dark berry and chocolate flavors. As full as
this wine is, it is drinking absolutely wonderful right now. This
is a candidate for MY 20 BUCK CABERNET FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
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Angus the Bull Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Australia) $18
Oh sure Parker gave it a good review, but I'm talkin' now. OK,
this comes off more as a tip than a review. Only 56 cases of this
stellar wine hit Seattle. By the time you read this it may not be
available, but who knows. Here is the rundown: 100% Aussie
Cabernet Sauvignon, Super-rich and Super-sexy, cool package and
limited. Hell, I'll take a case. |
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Sheridan Vineyards Red Wine 2000 (Washington) $37
Again, so what if the Spectator gave this wine 92 points, and look
beyond the humble 600 case production of the single-vineyard,
estate grown, lovingly-pampered bottle of wine. The real story
behind this wine is its extraction. The term "full-bodied" is
thrown around all too much in describing wine, so let me say the
Sheridan Red is big boned. This wine gets your attention with its
power and slides in with its fantastic texture and balance.
Drinking great right now and has the stuffing to go for a few
years. At about $35, find a special occasion to have this...like
tonight's dinner.
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Castle Rock Pinot Noir Carneros 2001 (California) $10
Carneros Pinot Noir for Ten Bucks? What the heck? I heard recently
that only 1% of the U.S. buys 90% of the wine produced here. I
would imagine that Pinot Noir drinkers represent 10% of that 1%,
and under $10 Pinot Noir drinkers might represent 10% of that
1%…if that’s true, only .01% of the population may even care about
this review. That’s OK. I care. This wine is the best $10 Pinot
around. This wine is fully saturated with bright raspberry, cherry
notes, earth, and leather. It has a texture unlike most wines in
this price range. All this may have to do with the masterful
winemaking of August Briggs. If you don’t know his name that’s OK,
He hangs around with the $40-$50 dollar-a-bottle crowd.
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Corino Barolo Vigneto Arborina 1998 (Italy) $55
If you believe sexy aromatics and intriguing flavors of brown
spice, tar, leather and black cherries represent Barolo, then hunt
down one of the sixty bottles of this wine that made it to
Seattle. In the last Ten years this is one of the best Barolos I
have had! Sound interesting? You Betcha! Full-bodied and glorious,
this is absolutely fantastic wine. One small note: I bought 6,
there are only 54 left.
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Three Rivers Winery Merlot, Columbia Valley 1999 (Washington)
$30
Buy It!
The Three Rivers 1999 Merlot is one of the first red releases from
this Walla-Walla area winery. The intensely fruited nose is
vibrant and loaded with high-end, dried cherry aromas. Scents of
green olive, cedar, violets and ripe black cherry fill the glass.
In the mouth the flavors are very aggressive with a full-bodied
attack of black currant, red licorice, baking chocolate and sweet
oak. The finish is substantial with a hefty amount of ripe fruit,
bitter cocoa and woody notes. This is a first- rate Northwest
Merlot.
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Prado Rey Ribera Del Duero 1999 (Spain) $10
This may very well be the best under $10 red wine I have had in
recent months. If you like a full-bodied and mouth-filling red
wine with plenty of round, lush blackberry, chocolate and oak
flavors, this is for your. Don't be fooled by the rustic looking
label, this wine is very modern and enticing. I had a chance to
try this one over several days and was equally impressed each
time. Seek this wine out.
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L'Ecole No 41 Merlot Columbia Valley 1998 (Washington) $28
There is a lot of good wine coming from the Northwest in the 1998
vintage. This Merlot is totally approachable and enjoyable right
now. Dark in color with scents of menthol and plums with ripe
cherries and toasty French oak. The palate is an explosion of
lusciously smooth black cherries and spice melding nicely with the
core of vanilla bean oak and exotic clove and brown spices. The
finish is velvety and lingering. Go get it at $28.
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Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Sonoma County 1997 (California) $10
This has got to be one of the most surprising wines I have ever
tasted and reviewed. Very dark in color and about a shade darker
than you would expect from Zinfandel. The nose is a pungent
assortment of tar, menthol and black cherries. Oh so soft in the
mouth with a very velvety and powerful hit of intense, fleshy
mid-palate fruit. This wine hangs on the tongue with a vengeance
and finishes with a hint of petrol and bitter-sweet chocolate. To
sum it up: dark, velvety black fruit and supremely decadent.
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3 Rivers Winery Late Harvest Gewurztraminer Walla Walla Valley
1999 (Washington) $11 (373 ml)
Here is the first offering from the new Walla Walla winery 3
Rivers featuring wine maker Charlie Hoppes (formerly of Chateau
St. Michelle). This wine shows a spicy Gewurztraminer character in
the nose of sweet figs, peaches, orange zest and tropical fruit.
It hits the palate with green apple, strawberry and rich, viscous
exotic fruit nectar. Its zesty acidity balances nicely with its 8%
RS. Finishes sweet and strong.
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3 Rivers Winery Chardonnay Columbia Valley 1999 (Washington)
$25
Uncanny scents of fresh cut pears and wildflowers fill the glass.
This Chardonnay is very aromatic and youthful. On the palate it is
absolutely lovely with its full-bodied tropical fruits,
butterscotch, dried fig, and clove. Super long finish of glycerin
fruit and vanillin toasted oak. The Three Rivers Winery Chardonnay
1999 has it all, power, finesse and structure. In the world of
overpriced Chardonnay this is a bargain at $25.
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