A surprise to open this last bottle and find it had improved since the last time we drank this wine in 2015. The wine is showing a nicely balanced Rhone style, still retaining a little spice on a nice fruit/bramble background. I would like to try one in another 5 years, I suspect it will still be going strong and enjoyable fore casual drinking. 91
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Needed about 15 mins of air and then opened up and was excellent with pasta with red sauce and Italian sausage. Tannins are pretty smooth and well integrated. Lots of the usually dark fruits, smoke. Excellent wine from a tough year to grow grapes in WA state.
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Earthy notes on both the nose and taste overpower the otherwise cherry, smoky and leathery components that would otherwise make this a very well balanced wine. Keeping half the bottle for overnight to see if that helps smooth it out.
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Single Vinturi'd. So much improved from last year. Dark purple in glass. Smoke and olives on nose. Sweet herbal qualities and dark fruits on palate. Nice long finish. Really enjoyed this a lot. In a nice window for drinking.
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Decanted 2+ hours. A blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah. The needed air time reveals brooding scents of melted black licorice, smoke, smoldering herbs and lit incense, with notes of shisha, bergamot, sarsaparilla, violet and cured meat that meet the sweeter scents of blueberry, vanilla, blackberry and plum. The palate continues the complex blend of fruit and savory with a smoky undertone with flavors blackberry, marionberry, blueberry, and plum that meet cured meat notes, black licorice, smoke, herbs, shisha tobacco, bergamot, olive, vanilla, pepper, violets and finish with an iron minerality. The lively acidity provides a nice backbone along with moderate ripe tannins. More developed and surprisingly more complex than my last tasting. This has really come together and I am excited to see where a few more years will take this.
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PnP at cellar temp. Very enjoyable Syrah. Tasted more French than American on day one. Deep purple. A reasonably wide, clear rim. Smoke and rubber on the nose. Dark fruits on the palate. Tannins still need a year or two to integrate fully. Good acid on the back of the palate. On day two (after Vacuvin), the wine was shut down and unpleasant. On day four (also after Vacuvin), the wine was very fruit-forward with smoother tannins but was also beginning to fade.
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Smooth as silk, excellent QPR. Supple, with red fruit/berry, spice, graphite, and smoke. Very well integrated at this point in its life. No need to wait, but I don't see this declining much anytime soon either. Long yet somewhat simple finish. Flavorful yet so easy to drink...this bottle was supposed to last 2 nights but was down close to the end before I even realized it!
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Paired this with a bunch of smoked meats (BBQ) PNP. Not much of any tannin bite here. Very smooth, with nice cherry and smoke notes, nice color and mouthfeel. Very quaffable wine. Excellent food/wine pairing
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This was fascinating and definitely delicious. Surprisingly ripe for the vintage, this had a great, powerful nose of pure syrah pepper and meat, and excellent extraction. For value, was one of my favorites for the night.
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Strong nose with blueberry and dark plums. A slight pepper with plenty of oak. Well balanced on the plate with juicy fruits, pepper and vanilla. I like this blend and Mourvèdre adds good color, deep fruit flavors and the extra tannin to support this bad boy.
This wine will be ready for several more years in the cellar.
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Intense aromas followed by mouthfulls of spice - rich fruit and lovely balance for this stage. Mourvedre supports the richness of the syrah with a nice firmness.
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Big and pretty wine the is very well balanced. Lots of graphite and peppers with pretty red and blue fruits with some oak influence but not oaky by any means at all. Went will with a meat and cheese plate too.
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Long thick legs reveal high viscosity. Dark red color with red plum hues. Day bright reflections and a watery rim. After over an hour in the decanter aromas are an excellent blend of fruit, savory and smoke. letting each varietal in the blend shine through. aromas of cassis, dark cherry, blackberry, smoke, violets, ginger spice, sarsaparilla, pepper and wood. Bold on the palate with grilled, smoky flavors and cherries up front, the wine transitions as it moves through a dense mid-plate with flavors of cherry, wood, grilled meats, sassafras and violets before sailing into the long finish that lingers on rich blackberry, baking spice and cherry pie. Laser focused acidity (moderate-plus) from beginning to end lifts this wine quite nicely. Drying slightly dusty tannins are moderate and ripe. Delicious
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Spice and dark fruit on the nose. Some red as well. Rich and chewey on the palate. A big and complex wine with large round tannins. More refined already than many young Gorman wines. Good acid. Good integration.
PDQ93
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A friend and I tasted this at the winery on 7/17/13. It had big, rich and bold bouquet of smoked meat, plum, pepper and spice aromas. The palate was rich, dense and sour with flavors of plum, pepper, burnt toast and spice. 89+
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5/18/2021 - Steve Fishback wrote: 91 Points
A surprise to open this last bottle and find it had improved since the last time we drank this wine in 2015. The wine is showing a nicely balanced Rhone style, still retaining a little spice on a nice fruit/bramble background. I would like to try one in another 5 years, I suspect it will still be going strong and enjoyable fore casual drinking. 91
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11/1/2019 - Quarked wrote: 87 Points
This bottle was too hot and disjoint. Perhaps not the best bottle, or perhaps I waited too long or not long enough.
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3/1/2019 - ibglowin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needed about 15 mins of air and then opened up and was excellent with pasta with red sauce and Italian sausage. Tannins are pretty smooth and well integrated. Lots of the usually dark fruits, smoke. Excellent wine from a tough year to grow grapes in WA state.
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5/15/2018 - jmcmchi wrote:
The fieriness is fading as tannins and spice are more fully integrated.
Still has a lot of mouth appeal.
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7/23/2017 - jmcmchi wrote:
Meaty with tannins fully integrated
Otherwise as previous notes....maturing into a relatively easy-drinking light-heavyweight
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6/28/2017 - bothellwineguy wrote:
Earthy notes on both the nose and taste overpower the otherwise cherry, smoky and leathery components that would otherwise make this a very well balanced wine. Keeping half the bottle for overnight to see if that helps smooth it out.
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1/21/2017 - Jonny d Likes this wine: 92 Points
Single Vinturi'd. So much improved from last year. Dark purple in glass. Smoke and olives on nose. Sweet herbal qualities and dark fruits on palate. Nice long finish. Really enjoyed this a lot. In a nice window for drinking.
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1/15/2017 - bjamesclark Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2+ hours. A blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah.
The needed air time reveals brooding scents of melted black licorice, smoke, smoldering herbs and lit incense, with notes of shisha, bergamot, sarsaparilla, violet and cured meat that meet the sweeter scents of blueberry, vanilla, blackberry and plum.
The palate continues the complex blend of fruit and savory with a smoky undertone with flavors blackberry, marionberry, blueberry, and plum that meet cured meat notes, black licorice, smoke, herbs, shisha tobacco, bergamot, olive, vanilla, pepper, violets and finish with an iron minerality. The lively acidity provides a nice backbone along with moderate ripe tannins.
More developed and surprisingly more complex than my last tasting. This has really come together and I am excited to see where a few more years will take this.
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2/26/2016 - jmcmchi wrote: 91 Points
Drunk single and double Venturi. Recommend the latter - the description applies to this
Soft,ripe, with dark fruit dominating. S and M now fully integrated Acidity. Easing into juicy finish.
Better now than I remember
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2/6/2016 - Jonny d Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP at cellar temp. Very enjoyable Syrah. Tasted more French than American on day one. Deep purple. A reasonably wide, clear rim. Smoke and rubber on the nose. Dark fruits on the palate. Tannins still need a year or two to integrate fully. Good acid on the back of the palate. On day two (after Vacuvin), the wine was shut down and unpleasant. On day four (also after Vacuvin), the wine was very fruit-forward with smoother tannins but was also beginning to fade.
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11/1/2015 - blabbott wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was big and spicy with good dark fruit and a long finish. It played very nicely against rich Italian food.
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9/23/2015 - Quarked wrote: 90 Points
Very smooth, but not enough going on to merit a higher score.
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9/17/2015 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth as silk, excellent QPR.
Supple, with red fruit/berry, spice, graphite, and smoke.
Very well integrated at this point in its life. No need to wait, but I don't see this declining much anytime soon either.
Long yet somewhat simple finish.
Flavorful yet so easy to drink...this bottle was supposed to last 2 nights but was down close to the end before I even realized it!
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6/22/2015 - ibglowin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Paired this with a bunch of smoked meats (BBQ) PNP. Not much of any tannin bite here. Very smooth, with nice cherry and smoke notes, nice color and mouthfeel. Very quaffable wine. Excellent food/wine pairing
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4/7/2015 - bajayngo wrote:
similar to previous notes with graphite, peppers, pepper and big pretty fruits.
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1/26/2015 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Substantive, meaty, peppery and even a bit earthy, especially on the second day. Rounded, balanced, and bracing, nice finish. 91-92.
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1/26/2015 - Johnfromspokane wrote: 90 Points
This was fascinating and definitely delicious. Surprisingly ripe for the vintage, this had a great, powerful nose of pure syrah pepper and meat, and excellent extraction. For value, was one of my favorites for the night.
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5/30/2014 - brouigu1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I'll do 91 points on this Syrah blend.
Strong nose with blueberry and dark plums. A slight pepper with plenty of oak. Well balanced on the plate with juicy fruits, pepper and vanilla. I like this blend and Mourvèdre adds good color, deep fruit flavors and the extra tannin to support this bad boy.
This wine will be ready for several more years in the cellar.
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5/27/2014 - Bauman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really good wine with a great label
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4/19/2014 - jmcmchi wrote: 91 Points
Intense aromas followed by mouthfulls of spice - rich fruit and lovely balance for this stage. Mourvedre supports the richness of the syrah with a nice firmness.
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1/11/2014 - jmcmchi wrote:
Deep purple... Nose keeps going. Lovely palate and long finish
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11/19/2013 - bajayngo wrote:
Big and pretty wine the is very well balanced. Lots of graphite and peppers with pretty red and blue fruits with some oak influence but not oaky by any means at all. Went will with a meat and cheese plate too.
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11/10/2013 - jmcmchi wrote:
complex nose opening out nicely. Plenty of juice and dark tannins with a lovely long finish
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11/10/2013 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine:
Easy drinking and a decent value.
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10/27/2013 - bjamesclark Likes this wine: 93 Points
Long thick legs reveal high viscosity. Dark red color with red plum hues. Day bright reflections and a watery rim.
After over an hour in the decanter aromas are an excellent blend of fruit, savory and smoke. letting each varietal in the blend shine through. aromas of cassis, dark cherry, blackberry, smoke, violets, ginger spice, sarsaparilla, pepper and wood.
Bold on the palate with grilled, smoky flavors and cherries up front, the wine transitions as it moves through a dense mid-plate with flavors of cherry, wood, grilled meats, sassafras and violets before sailing into the long finish that lingers on rich blackberry, baking spice and cherry pie. Laser focused acidity (moderate-plus) from beginning to end lifts this wine quite nicely. Drying slightly dusty tannins are moderate and ripe. Delicious
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9/15/2013 - pdemaio Likes this wine: 93 Points
Spice and dark fruit on the nose. Some red as well. Rich and chewey on the palate. A big and complex wine with large round tannins. More refined already than many young Gorman wines. Good acid. Good integration.
PDQ93
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7/17/2013 - garambler wrote: 90 Points
A friend and I tasted this at the winery on 7/17/13. It had big, rich and bold bouquet of smoked meat, plum, pepper and spice aromas. The palate was rich, dense and sour with flavors of plum, pepper, burnt toast and spice. 89+
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