Sourced from Ciel du Cheval and Kiona’s End of the Road vineyards on Red Mountain (and prominently displaying that A.V.A on its label), Gorman’s 2009 Syrah The Pixie displays the tannic, opaque personality found in other of his reds, but there is such an abundance of sheer sweet black fruits allied to mouthwatering evocations of saline, multi-boned beef bouillon, that it is impossible not to be impressed. Charred and smoked meats along with a bite of black pepper add interest to the persistent finish of this unapologetically heavyweight Syrah. Interestingly, while it started out in all-new barrels it was moved to once-used barriques midway through its 21 month elevage. From my limited experience with older Gorman reds (namely the two earlier vintages of Albatross covered in this same report) I can only note that this wine is sure to display at least several years of stamina.
With a background in sales and marketing, there’s little question that Chris Gorman’s high profile and reputation in the Washington wine community are partly due to his talents in those areas (his web site, for example, is a think to behold), but it’s obvious in conversation with this decade-long winemaker (since 2007 full-time) that the fewer than 3,000 cases he turns out each year reflect imagination, innovation, and determination. The results, though, simply don’t impress me to the extent they have so many of my and his colleagues. Gorman’s frequent rock ‘n roll points of reference are certainly apt (and I harbor no prejudice against that musical genre) but there is an abundance of tannic fuzz and feedback to nearly all of the eight reds I tasted with him that I thought tended to muddle or muddy their themes, and that left my palate rather ragged and numb. No doubt some will suggest it was that way beforehand By reading attentively and perhaps even between the lines of my tasting notes, hopefully those who will be more enthusiastic than I was about these powerful, tannic wines will recognize that fact.
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