by Tom Hill

A self-admitted wine geek, Tom lives in Northern New Mexico and works as a computational physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory doing numerical neutron transport & large scale code development. He has been tasting wines since 1971, participates locally with a couple of large tasting groups in his area, and is practically a fixture at most California wine festivals, such as the Hospice du Rhône, Rhône Rangers, and ZAP. Other interests: Tom is heavily into competitive sport fencing (foil & epee), biking, cooking, basketball, skiing, backpacking, mountain climbing.

 
1. Jacques et Nadine Sire Domaine des Schistes "Tradition" Cotes du Rousillon Villages  (13.5%; 30% Syrah, 40% Carignane, 30% Grenache) 1999: Dark color; strong blackberry/ funky some alcoholic pungent/earthy/herbal/dusty bit metallic nose; hard/tannic rustic rather metallic slight blackberry flavor; med.long hard/tannic/earthy/dusty rustic slight blackberry finish; a rough & rustic red w/ not much fruit & a distinct herbal character.
2. Jacques et Nadine Sire Domaine des Schistes "Les Terraces" Cotes du Rousillon Villages  (13.5%; 70% Syrah, 15% Carignane, 15% Grenache) 1999: Dark color; stronger blackberry/ blueberry fragrant some earthy/dusty nose; rather hard/tannic blackberry/fruit/Syrah some earthy/dusty bit rustic flavor; long bit hard/tannic some blackberry/Syrah earthy/dusty finish; needs several yrs; a bit rough & rustic but more fruit than #1.
3. Torbreck Barossa Valley Woodcutter's Red (13.5%) 1999: Very dark color; rather Am.oaked boysenberry/strawberry/cinammon aromatic nose; soft Am.oaked strawberry/boysenberry perfumed spicy rather bright flavor; long soft lush strawberry/framboise some vanilla/ Am.oaked bright strawberry/cranberry finish w/ light tannins; pleasant zippy red but a bit pricey at $26.00.
4. Torbreck Barossa Valley Juveniles (60% grenache, 20% mataro, 20% Shiraz; Unoaked; 13.0%); 2000: Dark color; strong blackberry bit spicy/herbal/strawberry/Grenache bit SO2/ gunpowder/pungent nose; soft lush spicy/blackberry/strawberry/Grenache rich floral bit earthy flavor; med.long soft boysenberry/strawberry/Grenache light earthy finish w/ light tannins; not as good as the '99; nice Grenache but expect more for $35.00.
5. d'Arenberg The Stump Jump 85% Grenache/15% Shiraz McLarenVale (13.9%) 1999: Med.light color; very floral/floozy/aromatic bit dusty slight volatile slight oaked nose; bright/ forward strawberry/Grenache/floral off-dry/sweet perfumed light flavor; med.short floral/ strawberry/Grenache off-dry finish w/ no tannins; a rather frivolous silly little wine w/ a bit too much residual sugar.
6. Rosenblum Cellars Chateau La Paws San Francisco Bay Cote du Bone Roan (13.8%) 2000: Dark color; rather funky/earthy/Lodi/pungent slight black cherry rather burnt pumpkin (think Jack-O- Lanterns) pungent nose; soft earthy strong burnt pumpkin bit plummy off-dry pungent flavor; med.short soft burnt pumpkin pungent finish w/ little tannins; tastes of Antioch Mourvedre/ Carignane character; rather weird stuff but decent for the price. $10.00
7. Rosenblum Cellars San Francisco Bay Mourvedre Continente Vnyd (13.6%) 2000: Med.dark color; strong blackberry/black cherry/plummy/chocolaty/ContraCosta fragrant/pungent nose; soft blackberry/ plummy/chocolaty earthy/mushroomy pungent flavor; med.long soft/fat blackberry/plummy/ chocolaty bit earthy/funky finish w/ light tannins; nicely done ContraCosta Mourvedre at a good price. $14.00
8. Balgownie Estate Bendigo Shiraz (13.5%) 1999: Dark color; intense minty/menthol some volatile some spicy/cinammon/blackberry/Syrah slight dusty nose; soft spicy/blackberry/ Syrah/cloves rather minty/menthol/oak bit lean flavor; med.long rather minty/menthol/ eucalyptus some spicy/blackberry/Syrah dusty finish w/ light tannins; rather interesting Oz Shiraz at a decent price. $23.65 
9. Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage (13%) 1999: Black color; strong fragrant roasted/smokey/ pungent/NorthernRhone bit green olive/Syrah nose; very tart/acid/bone-jarring some roasted/ smokey/pungent very hard/tannic some blueberry/Syrah flavor; long very hard/tannic/acid green olive/blueberry/Syrah some roasted/pungent/espresso finish w/ ample tannins; a lovely NorthernRhone/roasted nose but it hits the palate like a sledgehammer or an  Italian Barbera; like sticking your tongue out between the jaws of a vise and torquing that sucker down; will be interesting to watch this wine evolve. Good price. $20.00 
10. Fontodi Case Via Syrah Colli della Toscano Centrale IGT (13%) 1995: Very dark color; some funky/gunpowder/licorice blackberry/Syrah some toasty/Fr.oak nose; hard/tannic bit funky/ bretty/unclean strong blackberry/black pepper rather toasty/smokey/Fr.oak flavor; long hard/tannic funky/chocolaty/licorice/black pepper/Syrah finish; needs 2-5 yrs; some strong Syrah varietal character but w/ an Italian slant; tastes like a Syrah made by an Italian producer. Bit pricey at $50.00.
11. Justin Vnyds & Wnry Paso Robles Syrah Halter Vnyd (14.1%; Unfltrd; 30% BeaucastelClone, 70% ChapoutierClone; 36% NewOak) 1999: Black color; intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/ jammy/chocolaty loads of fruit light toasty/Fr.oak/pungent bit roasted complex nose; rich intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah some toasty/oak pungent/roasted/smokey complex flavor; very long intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah pungent/toasty/Fr.oak chocolaty/ jammy finish w/ some tannins; lots of ripe/jammy Syrah fruit but good structure; a terrific Paso Syrah; best Justin wine I've had. Great price at $25.85.
12. Andrew Murray Vnyds Syrah Best Barrique Cuvee Santa Ynez Valley (13.9%) 1999: Black color; very intense beautiful/fragrant boysenberry/blackberry/blueberry/Syrah gobs of fruit bit menthol/ oaked very aromatic/perfumed nose; rich bit tannic huge loads of fruit/blackberry/ boysenberry/Syrah/chocolaty light menthol/oak very aromatic flavor; very long/lingering perfumed/aromatic rich very intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/chocolatey loads of fruit light menthol/oaked finish w/ some tannins; one of Andrew's best Syrahs ever w/ more intense Syrah fruit than any ever; not quite the structure & tannic backbone of the Hillside Reserve but very close; stunning Syrah. $35.00(?)
13. Luigi Cataldi Madonna Malandrino Alto Tirino IGT (13.5%) 1998: Med.dark color; rather dusty/earthy licorice/pungent/spicy/perfumed talc aromatic interesting nose; tart/lean earthy/dusty pungent bit smokey/smoked sausage some Cotes du Rhone flavor; med.long rather earthy/dusty spicy/smokey finish w/ some tannins; pretty interesting red much like a Cotes du Rhone. (Larry's mystery wine)

1. AndrewMurray Syrah: I've followed young Andrew's wines... from the very start. He's had a few misses along the way (high VA/EA reds in '97; loads of tannins in the early Syrahs, austere low fruit character in the whites); but the wines just keep getting better &  better as the vnyds mature and young Andrew learns. This Best Barrique Cuvee was a special cuvee of the best barrel from his 3 best Syrahs, made onlt for the BestBarriqueClub, and not available for purchase or reorder. Too bad, it's a stunning Syrah, one of Andrew's  best yet.
2. Cataldi Madonna: This was Larry's mystery wine. I haven't a clue where it's from or what grape varieties it is; but it was pretty tasty stuff... for Eye-Talian wine!!

TomHill