2009 Gorman Winery The Albatross Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Gorman Winery is a Washington State garagiste. In the spirit of young, innovative winemakers in Bordeaux and California, Chris Gorman makes small-batch wines from purchased grapes. His winemaking facility is in Woodinville, a suburban area east of Seattle that is now home to many tasting rooms and artisanal winemaking cellars which are often housed in converted industrial parks and warehouses. Gorman worked for more than a decade for wine importers and distributors, also making wine for himself. In 2002 he founded his commercial winemaking enterprise and today runs it with two assistants. Gorman Winery makes 8,000 bottles annually, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah based wines, though since 2006 he has also produced a Chardonnay. Reviewers have given the wines ratings in the mid-90s, and Wine Spectator named Gorman one of ten rising starts in American winemaking in 2008.

Yakima Valley AVA was the first AVA created in Washington State. The valley, a 600,000-acre area in south central Washington, was granted AVA status in 1983. In 1984 Columbia Valley was given AVA status, and Yakima Valley was enclosed within the Columbia Valley AVA. Nevertheless, Yakima Valley remains home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state. There are more than 60 wineries and some 16,000 vineyard acres, and nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. The most frequently planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking here dates to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production plodded along slowly until the early 1980s when numerous modern pioneers started making well-reviewed Yakima Valley wines. Some of the state’s newest, most closely watched appellations, including Red Mountain AVA and Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are contained within Yakima Valley.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.