Originality and quality are Gorman calling cards

Sometime last year I began to hear talk about a mystery winery, Sleeping Giant, that was supposedly making some very exciting wines.

The mystery has now been solved, and Sleeping Giant has emerged from the shadows of myth as Gorman Winery, with a quartet of newly released wines that lovers of big, bold Washington reds should track down. Winemaker Chris Gorman, who calls himself "the Anti-Winery," holds a day job with Elliott Bay Distributing. He makes his limited-edition wines at Woodinville Wine Cellars, and as he describes it, works closely with Mark Ryan. Like Mark McNeilly, the mastermind behind Mark Ryan, Gorman knows how to package and market wine. His wines are good — very good — and his packaging is flat-out great.

It's amazing to me that big corporate wineries, who spend tens of thousands of dollars designing labels and graphics and testing out "concepts" often fail to come up with anything really good. Then along comes a guy like Gorman, who designs his own labels and prints them out himself, and debuts with names and graphics and concepts that jump out at you with their clean, startling originality.

In the final analysis, of course, it's all about the wines, and Gorman's wines are exceptional. Robust and charmingly rough-hewn, this group of reds will absolutely capture your attention and ignite some good conversation around the table. These are not timid wines, but they are crafted from outstanding Washington fruit and deliver concentrated flavors that showcase this state's strengths. Only 450 cases are made annually, so don't wait if you want to try these. The four wines are:

Gorman Winery "The Evil Twin" 2003 Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon; $45. Made from the same late-picked Kiona vineyard syrah as Mark Ryan's "Bad Lands," here blended with Conner Lee cab. It's a benign monster; dense, concentrated, packed with berry, cassis, caramel, coffee liqueur, black tea and butterscotch.

Gorman Winery "The Bully" 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon; $30. Pure cab, a mix of Kiona and Conner Lee fruit, this is the most structured, dense, ageworthy and (perhaps) difficult of these releases. Chewy, tannic and grainy, it needs time, but it's got great fruit, pure and varietal, that bursts into full-blown flavor as soon as it hits the palate. What follows is an explosion of berries, stewed cherries, baking spice, coconut, cassis, cinnamon, sandalwood and more.

Gorman Winery "Zachary's Ladder" 2002 Red Table Wine; $25. Zachary's Ladder was the original Sleeping Giant; now it is the bargain of the quartet. From the 2002 vintage, it has had an extra year of aging and benefits with smoother, more accessible flavors. Mixed berries and red fruits, a dollop of spice, streaks of leaf, tobacco, gravel — it's a lovely bottle, and one that improves dramatically with a few hours of breathing time.

Gorman Winery "The Pixie" 2003 Syrah; $30. Raspberry, black cherry and red licorice, with scents of violets, rose petals and hints of cracked pepper.

Gorman Winery wines are currently being featured at these wine shops and grocery wine departments around Seattle: McCarthy & Schiering, Esquin, Pete's, Seattle Cellars, Fine Wines in Redmond, West Seattle Cellars, Morgan Street Thriftway, Larry's (Redmond and Bellevue) and QFC (Bellevue and U-Village). For updates or direct ordering, see the Web site at www.gormanwinery.com.

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines." His column appears weekly in the Wine section.

He can be reached by e-mail

at wine@seattletimes.com.