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. Cedarville Vineyards Sierra Foothills El Dorado Grenache (15.5%) 2000: Med.dark color; some earthy/ dusty/mushroomy/ElDorado rather fragrant/Grenache/strawberry/perfumed light oak nose; tart very spicy earthy/dusty/ElDorado/mushroomy bit tannic some strawberry/Grenache perfumed flavor; long bit tanic light earthy/dusty strong Grenache/strawberry finish; a bit of a tannic bite & needs a yr or two; lovely Grenache fragrance w/ a bit of ElDorado earthiness  it a slight Rhonish character.
2. Cedarville Vineyards SierraFoothills ElDorado Syrah (14.7%) 2000: Dark color; deep smokey/ blackberry/Syrah bit pungent toasty/Fr.oak rather bright fruit nose; tart spicy bright/ raspberry/blackberry/Syrah light earthy/pungent/smokey light tannic flavor; med.long bright/blackberry/cranberry/Syrah slight earthy/mushroomy light pungent/smokey/oak finish with light tannins; a bright/spicy Syrah w/ a slight ElDorado earthiness to it; very nicely- made Syrah.
3. Ojai Vineyard Calif TW Vin du Soleil Rouge (14.5%) 1998: Med.dark color; bit reduced/funky nose clears rapidly to spich/fragrant/strawberry/raspberry/celrey seed/plummy light smokey/toasty/ oak some meaty/gamey fairly complex nose; tart bit lean spicy/fragrant strawberry/plummy/ cherry bit meaty/gamey some pungent/smokey/Fr.oak flavor; tart plummy/cherry/black cherry/ blackberry some meaty/pungent finish w/ light tannins; a lovely/complex/fragrant nose but a bit lean/tart on the palate.
4. Ojai Vineyard Calif TW Vin du Soleil Rouge (14.5%) 1999: Dark color; much deeper very fragrant blackberry/black cherry some roasted/toasty/pencilly compley smokey/pungent/Fr.oak nose;  softer very spicy/cloves/cinammon toasty/Fr.oak/smokey/pungent big/plummy/black cherry/black- berry complex/rich flavor; very long tart/rich plummy/black cherry some toasty/pungent/Fr.oak some tannic finish; needs 2-5 yrs; this is a serious red wine.
5. Ojai Vineyard Calif Syrah (13.5%) 1999: Dark color; fragrant/spicy/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry some toasty/pungent/Fr.oak spicy/sage/cloves/smokey some complex nose; soft/lush spicy/sage/ cloves strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry bit meaty/gamey some toasty/Fr.oak/pungent flavor; very long/soft/lush ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/pungent finish w/ some tannins; needs a yr or two yet. Great Syrah for the price. $23.00
6. Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah (14%) 2000: Very dark/black color; some meaty/gamey intense peppery/black pepper/black berry/boysenberry/Syrah loads of fruit light toasty/pungent/Fr.oak complex nose; very tart/hard/tannic rich/blackberry/boysenberry/peppery/black cherry some toasty/smokey/pungent/oak huge flavor; very long/hard/tannic/tart big/blackberry/black cherry/ cola/Syrah/boysenberry light pungent/toasty finish w/ ample tannins; needs a yr yet to  show much & will last maybe ten yrs or so; the Syrah fruit has really come up in the last few months since I first tried this wine; a steal at this price.
7. Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard (13.5%) 1999: Black color; intense blackberry/ boysenberry/Syrah/plummy/black cherry/cola classic BN/Syrah some charred/pencilly/toasty/Fr.oak perfumed/fragrant nose; huge/intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/black cherry/plummy/cola some toasty/charred/oak soft/rich/mouthfilling flavor; very long/lingering black cherry/ cough syrup/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah some pungent/pencilly/oak finish w/ fair tannins; needs several yrs; one of the better recent BN Syrahs.
8. Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah Thompson Vineyard (14.5%) 1999: Very black color; slight volatile very perfumed/aromatic peppery/blackberry/Syrah/blueberry complex milk of magnesia smokey/meaty/ gamey very spicy complex nose; huge/extracted/tannic peppery/blackberry/Syrah/blueberry some pungent/toasty/smokey/Fr.oak/pencilly very spicy huge flavor; very long/extracted/tannic big/blackberry/peppery/Syrah/blueberry pungent/smokey/roasted/Fr.oak complex finish w/ ample tannins; needs much age; almost a weird wine because of its size & extraction.
9. Eric Rocher St. Joseph Terroir de Champal 1999: Very dark color; rather pungent/roasted/ espresso/coffee/NorthernRhone toasty light Syrah fruit nose; pleasant/tart roasted/espresso/smokey/ meaty light strawberry/blackberry almost thin flavor; med. smoked meat/roasted/espresso light Syrah fruit finish w/ little tannins; pleasant St.Joseph but just that.
10. Alban Vineyards Edna Valley Pandora (14.3%; Grenache/Syrah) 1999: Black color; very intense peppery/black pepper/smokey/pungent/toasty intense strawberry/Alpine strawberry/blackberry/ boysenberry huge fruit nose; big/huge/extracted boysenberry/blackberry/framboise/strawberry/ Alpine strawberry very smokey/pungent/toasty/charred/French roast/oak flavor; very long/ lingering menthol/toasty/charred/smokey/Fr.oak intense blackberry/strawberry/framboise finish w/ ample tannins; lots of very intense fruit and lots of charred/peppery Fr.oak; killer huge/ extracted wine.
11. Alban Vineyards Edna Valley Alban Estate Syrah Lorraine (14.4%) 1999: Black color; very intense peppery/smokey/gamey/meaty/roasted/burning forest/toasty/Fr.oak very intense blackberry/ Syrah/boysenberry/Dr.Pepper/cola complex nose; big/huge/rich/intense/extracted boysenberry/ blackberry/Syrah/cola intense charred/toasted/roasted/smokey meaty tart flavor; very long/ lingering tart charred/roasted/espresso/smokey/burning forest/pungent huge/blackbery/boysenberry/ Syrah/black cherry cola/cough syrup finish w/ ample tannins; loads of charred oak and huge Syrah fruit; killer Syrah; needs much age.
12. Alban Vineyards Edna Valley Syrah Seymour's Vineyard (14.2%) 1999: Black color; very intense boysenberry/ blackberry/Syrah/framboise very spicy/peppery/cloves some toasty/pungent/charred/Fr.oak complex nose; big/huge/extracted very intense Syrah/blackberry/framboise/liquer-like peppery/spicy some toasty/roasted/charred/Fr.oak bit earthy tart complex flavor; very long/ lingering intense framboise/blackberry/boysenberry very spicy/peppery some roasted/pungent almost  tarry finish w/ ample tannins; more intense fruit and less oak than Lorraine; absolutely killer Syrah w/ a long life ahead of it; amazing juice.
13. Franus Mt.Veeder Brandlin Vineyard (70 yr old vines; 13.8%) Mourvedre 1997: Black color; intense blackberry/boysenberry/plummy/licorice/cranberry very ripe/jammy slight alcoholic/fumey/ volatile some menthol/Fr.oaked/pencilly slight gamey complex nose; slight bretty/funky/gamey very ripe/jammy plummy/blackberry/boysenberry/Zin-like some earthy some pencilly/Fr.oak flavor; long/soft plummy/blackberry/boysenberry light earthy/dusty/gamey/funky some pencilly/ oak complex very ripe/jammy finish w/ light tannins; much like a ContraCosta Zin w/ more earthy/funky character; lovely/interesting wine. Larry's mystery wine.

1. John Scogin Braggot Honey/Lavender Mead; March 2002: Deep gold color; beautiful/fragrant lavender/honeyed figgy slight hoppy/pungent complex nose; slight spritz beautiful/complex lavender rather honeyed slight pungent/hoppy off-dry flavor; long honeyed spicy/lavender lightly hoppy finish; a really lovely very unusual wine.
2. Terre Rouge Shenandoah Valley Calif Muscat a Petits Grains Vin Doux Natural (16.5%) 1996: Med/light gold color; very intense muscatty/honeyed very perfumed/fragrant clean/ grapey nose; very sweet muscatty/honeyed/spicy slightly bitter very fragrant/intense flavor;  very long/lingering intense clean/muscatty/grapey/honeyed/spicy finish; a bracing acidity and an muscatty intensity that makes this better than any French muscats or BdV I've had; lovely dessert muscat.
3. Talley Vineyards Arroyo Grande Valley White Riesling Late Harvest (TW) 1994: Dark gold rather browning color;  intense apricotty/peachy/botrytis caramel/honeyed complex nose; very sweet intense/botrytis/ apricotty/peachy soft/fat complex flavor; very long/very sweet intense botrytis/peachy/ apricotty finish; loads of botrytis but aging fast.
4. Agricolas Vino Bianco da Tavola di Sardegna Angialis White Table Wine of Sardinia (13.5%) 1997: Dark gold color; intense grapey/passito rotted apples/figgy/honeyed very complex nose; very sweet intense/grapey/rotted apples/honeyed/caramel/creme brulee/caramel almost ciderey flavor; very long/lingering intense grapey/figgy/rotted apples bit alcoholic finish; a  beautiful/complex passito. Larry's dessert wine.

1. Cedarville: I've followed Jonathan & Susan's Cedarville wines from the very start; as many of us have. They are not huge/intense/extracted wines but show a lot of bright/vibrant fruit that you don't typically find in ElDorado Rhones, with a slight touch of that ElDorado earthy/mushroomy character to give them a bit of a Rhonish character. Most of the people in the group preferred the Grenache for it fragrant/bright fruit. I preferred the Syrah,  though some thought it a bit unfocused in it's Syrah character. Both very well-made wines and very good values.
2. Ojai Vin du Soleil: I've followed Adam's VdS from the very start. It is probably one of the most serious Chateauneuf-blends currently being made in Calif. Probably the EdmundsStJohn LesCotesSauvage (no longer made by Steve) is the only other that comes  close. Oftentimes, the Rhone-blends seem to be a lesser wine in a producer's lineup or, worse, a dumping ground for leftover batches of varietal wines. This Ojai is mostly Grenache- based, presumably Stolpman grapes, and shows a depth and intensity that you don't often see in Grenache, other than JohnAlban's.  The EdStJ LosRoblesViejos Rouge and the Qupe LosOlivosCuvee are two other Rhone-blends I particularly like. As the Rozet vnyd gains additional maturity, I think that will be a wine that eventually rivals the LesCotesSauvages in character. The Qupe LOC is a deceptive wine. It is not a big & extracted red, but it just seems to age so well into a very lovely interesting red.
3. Ojai Calif Syrah: I've followed Adam's CalifSyrah from the very start, when that was the only Syrah he made, from EstrellaRiver grapes. The more recent ones bear a Calif appellation because of the RollRanch/Ventura County grapes in with the rest of the Santa Barbara grapes. This '00 version, no RollRanch, bears a Santa Barbara appellation. It is a bit hard & closed wine right now, but it's evolving and is going to be a killer Syrah in a year or so. And, at that price, it's a no-brainer wheter to buy it or not. Kudos to Adam for keeping the price reasonable & not knocking it up when it became a Santa Barbara appellation. A great introduction to the Ojai line. When we were there in early June, Adam did a small vertical for us of the Calif Syrahs. Tasting notes from that trip report are copied below.
4. Ojai Single Vineyard Syrahs: I've followed all of Adam's single vnyd designate Syrahs from the  very start. In general, I usually prefer the Thompson for it's big/huge rather pungent/ peppery slight earthy character. Sometimes I prefer the RollRanch for its unique spiciness, but it often doesn't have the structure of the Thompson. And the Bien Nacido, though often softer & rounder, always shows that black cherry/plummy character that typifies Bien Nacido Syrah. His BN Syrah, in fact, come from the same HillSide block as does Bob Lindquist's Hillside Reserve Syrah.  This '99 Thompson was the one that got the huge 96 score from certain Monktown attourneys. Whether it deserves that score or not is not important; they're just numbers. I didn't think it was THAT much better than either the Bien Nacido or the RollRanch, nor that much better than Adam's previous Thompson Syrahs. But its review prior to Adam's release of it certainly caused a lot of problems for Adam and made it very difficult for the rest of us to get our usual supply. Thank gawd certain Monktown attourneys didn't realize how great the Santa Barbara Syrah was for the $$$'s!!
5. Certain Monktown Attorneys: It's not hard to see why they were very taken/excited by the Thompson'99 Syrah. Because of its size and extraction, the presumption is that it will age forever and turn into a marvelos/complex wine at some point down the road. I'm not  convinced that that's a given. I think there are a lot of people who, 10-20 yrs down the road are going to be holding onto a lot of these wines which never really evolve and develop the complexity that their early-on huge extraction had led them to believe. Although I liked this Thompson quite a bit because of its peppery characteristic Thompson Vineyard character; it was almost a characterization of Syrah, almost a bit grotesque because of intensity and extraction. Almost like looking at some of those body builders on the cover of some of those magazines. You're in awe of their accomplishment of what they've done to/with their bodies; but they look a little unreal and wonder if they can talk about anything but steriods and bench presses. Or the Thompson reminded me of some of the  exaggerated depictions you see in many of the political cartoons of people. Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to follow this Thompson thru the yrs and see if it has the balance to carry it yrs down the road. I'll be there taking data on it 20 & 30 yr BD!!
6. Rocher St.Joseph: Not a producer I'm familar with. Coming in the middle of the tasting after the Thompson, it was almost a relief for its elegance and grace; much like a sorbet clearing the palate afore charging into the Albans. It had an attractive NorthernRhone nose but didn't deliver much on the palate. The Chave Offerus is a much better St.Joseph.
7. Alban pricing: Just leaves me totally befuddled.... and I've whined to John about it. These three Albans were a 3-pac that are offered to his mailing list, so that's why the odd price  per btl. On most mailing lists, you are given a price break for a pre-release offering. Since  I've seen the Lorraine priced at $55, I believe, it looks like the mailing list customers are given a price-surcharge to buy from the list. Don't quite understand it. For the early yrs, the Alban wines were very underpriced; making them great bargins. In the last two yrs, the pricing has risen so they are more in line w/ the quality of the wines. The whites (Viognier and Roussanne) are still most reasonably priced, I think. The price on the Reva and the Grenache are not out of line. Even with these prices for the special wines, I don't think the prices are out of line. They're every bit as good, IMHO, as Rayas or Henschke HOG, which makes them reasonably priced. But it sure hurts to pay these prices and I worry that before long only Monktown attourneys can afford these wines.
8. Alban Wines: I have, of course, followed JohnAlban's wines from the very start. I first met John at the Taste of Vail Wine Festival back in the mid-'90's. First time I'd ever heard of the guy; totally unknown. Stuck way back in the corner of this big ballroom. Not a sole around his table. But he was pouring a SYRAH.....probably the only one in the room....no... BobLindquist's a skier and he was there as well. So I walked over to try this unknown guy's Syrah. John, of course, didn't know he was dealing with the famous TomHill, who had followed Syrah in Calif from the very start!! The Syrah ('93?) was a bit shy on fruit and lots of toasty/Fr.oak, not nearly the extraction they now have, but I liked the wine quite a lot. It was Edna Valley/cold climate Syrah and showed a lot of character and had an acidity not usually found in Calif Syrahs. Most importantly, as I chatted w/ John, I was immediately taken by his passion for winemaking and the many ideas he had. I knew this was a guy I'd better keep my eye on. Then.....THEN.... he started talking about Grenache!!!! I sorta laughed indside and almost gave him a pat on the shoulder to tell him..."That's nice John... but it's a total waste of time and effort in Calif... it'll never work". But I kept myself in check. Little did I know, in a few short yrs, that he WOULD be making world-class Grenache; probably the best Grenache in the world IMHO. It's been a mighty exciting ride as John as careened/rocketed to the top of his craft and is finally getting the recognition he so rightfully deserves.  I'm looking forward to a good many more yrs on the wild ride!!! One of the things I've observed over the few yrs I've followed Calif winemakers: When a handsome/personable/charming single winemaker (NOT to imply that John is any of the above!), gets married; there's been any number of times I've seen them lose interest in their winery/ winemaking passion and it simply becomes a business/trade for them. Especially when young kids arrive on the scene. So, I've been watching John closely since he married Lorraine with  a slight degree of aprehension. Happily, I've seen NO signs of the happening; John seems to be as excited and passionate about what his winemaking as when we first met. Hope Lorraine doesn't take this personal!! 
9. Seymour Vineyard: This is John's (relatively) new vnyd on the mountain (well... what passes for a mountain in the Edna Valley) out back of his winery/home. Very rugged land to be growing grapes. And some of the most chalky limestone soil I've ever seen in Calif. John has it planted to both Grenache and Syrah/Serine. No doubt about, from the very start; this is one of Calif's premium world-class vnyds.
10. Franus Mourvedre: Terrific wine. Alas, this, I believe was the year PeterFranus bought the BrandlinRanch and ripeed out thise beautiful old Mourvedre vines. He should be shot for that!! This wine will never be replicated in my lifetime. These are the same grapes that Steve Edmunds used to get and, I think, showed a greater appreciation for and made better wines from.
11. Braggot: This is the term used for a mead (honey wine) made w/ hops and various assorted spices. New one for me. I was quite taken by John's effort. Lavender is a very tough spice to get the quantity right; too much and it gives the dish a piney/resinous almost Retsina-like character. John got it just right in this Braggot.
12. Agricolas Angialis/Passito: I really liked this wine tremendously. I've had a number of passito wines from Sardinia/Sicily/Salina that have been mightly impressive. This is a genre that should be being explored much/much more than it is in Calif. Calif should be making world-class passito wines on a routine basis. 
13. Whew..... an incredible evening of very intense wines. It was kind of refreshing to go back and revisit the two Cedarvilles. And finish off w/ a cold bear.