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. Fetzer Mendocino Zinfandel Mariah Vineyard Reserve (12.3%) 1990: Med.dark color; some toasty/oak light berry slight fruit slight licorice weak nose; soft/smooth bit dried-out light toasty/pencilly/oak slight berry flavor; short/smooth some dried-out rather astringent finish; pleasant old-Zinfandel nose but weak & dried-out on the palate.
2. Gundlach-Bundschu Sonoma Valley Zinfandel RhineFarm Vineyards (EB; 13.6%) 1986: Med.color; very spicy/peppery/ black pepper slight blackberry nose; soft bit metallic very cracked black pepper/spicy slight blackberry flavor; long very strong cracked black pepper light blackberry finish w/ light  tannins; lots of black pepper but a bit washed  out on palate.
3. Mt. Veeder Winery Napa County Mt.Veeder Vineyards Zinfandel (14.6%) 1982: Med.color; little fruit rather dried-out  dusty/Fr.oak/pencilly some perfumed talc/complex nose; smooth pencilly/Fr.oak/spicy slight berry flavor; med.short smooth spicy/pencilly/Fr.oak tobaccoy light berry finish w/ little tannins; rather light but interesting and holding on; pleasant old Zinfandel.
4. Summit Lake Vineyards Howell Mtn Napa Valley Zinfandel (14.3%) 1984: Med.dark color; deep/complex blackberry dusty/old vines slight volatile aromatic slight earthy nose; tart bit dried-out very ripe earthy/ dusty some blackberry rough/tannic flavor; long earthy/dusty some very ripe/blackberry finish w/ some tannins; still going strong; classic HM Zinfandel w/o a lot of fruit, some like old Ridge HM Zins.
5. Michael & David Phillips Old Vine 7 Deadly Zins Lodi Zinfandel (14.8%) 2001: Dark color; classic Lodi jammy/mushroomy/earthy strong vanilla/oak very ripe/jammy almost blackberry/Oz shiraz nose;  soft/fat very overripe/jammy some earthy/mushroomy/Lodi light vanilla/oak flavor; med. very ripe/ jammy/blackberry Oz shiraz-like some Lodi/mushroomy finish w/ light tannins; pretty nicely-done Lodi Zinfandel.
6. Peters Family Winery Mendocino Zinfandel (14.8%) 2000: Med.light bit murky color; loads of charred/burnt/ toasty/smokey/oak some jammy/tomatoey nose; soft very charred/burnt/espresso/oak very vanilla/ extract some tomatoey/Zinfandel/berry flavor; med.short light walnutty very ripe/tomatoey strong burnt/ charred/forest fire finish w/ light tannins; any fruit pretty much buried under burnt oak; lots like a blazing forest. Too pricey at $28.00.
7. Ridge Calif/Sonoma County Geyserville (66% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 17% PS; 14.9%; 20% Selection; Drk: Now-12/'08) 2000: Med.dark color; some vanilla/Am.oak strong raspberry/blueberry quite spicy bit licorice pretty/lush/fragrant nose; soft/round spicy/licorice lots of raspberry/ Zinfandel some vanilla/oak flavor; med. lush/spicy/raspberry/Zinfandel/up-front fruit light vanilla/oak finish w/ light tannins; lots of pretty raspberry fruit but not the depth or extract of other vintages; should put on some weight over the next 6 months and improve a lot; for drinking over the near term.
8. Ridge Calif/Sonoma Valley Zinfandel PaganiRanch (88% Zinfandel, 9% AlicanteBouschet, 3%; 15.0%; Drk: 3/'03-3/'07) 2000: Med.dark color; beautiful pungent/licorice smokey/blackberry/blueberry big/lush fragrant/spicy dusty/old-vines nose; soft/rich/lush blackberry/licorice bit pungent/ dusty/old-vines complex flavor; very long rich/lush licorice/blackberry/boysenberry dusty/old-vine/ pungent finish w/ some tannins; needs a yr or two yet; biggest & most interesting of these '00 Ridges; good value $27.50.
9. Ridge Calif/Sonoma Valley Pagani Ranch (88% Zinfandel, 9% AlicanteBouschet, 3% PS; 14.2%;  Drk: Now-1/'05) 1998: Dark color; rather funky/strange pungent/earthy/dusty Alicante/tomato sauce bit rotted grapes/cardboardy maybe corked(?) little fruit nose; soft/bit lean strange/funky some cardboardy little fruit flavor; med. soft funky/musty oak low fruit/licorice pungent finish w/ light tannins; not obviously corked but really strange & funky; don't understand thius wine.
10. Ridge Calif/Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (88%, 7% Mataro, 3% PS, 2% Alicante Bouschet; 14.6%; Drk: Now-1/'04) 1997: Very dark color; beautiful/deep blackberry/boysenberry dusty/old-vines perfumed talc complex licorice/pungent/smokey perfumed nose; big/rich/lush some tannic pungent/rich/blackberry/boysenberry ripe/dusty/old-vine light oaked complex flavor; long fairly tannic boysenberry/blackberry/pungent dusty/old-vines fairly tannic finish; needs more age; lovely/classic Pagani.
11. Seghesio Family Vineyards HomeRanch Alexander Valley Zinfandel (15.1%) 2000: Med. color; intense raspberry/ blackberry/boysenberry fragrant/spicy/classic Zinfandel nose; soft/lush blackberry/boysenberry loads of  ripe Zinfandel fruit slight Am.oak flavor; med.long bit tannic blackberry/boysenberry/Zinfandel finish; an attractive up-front Zinfandel for near-term drinking.
12. Ridge Calif/Napa Valley Zinfandel Late Picked York Creek (75% Zinfandel, 25% PS; 15.8%; SaH: 27.8%;  RS: 0.7%; Drk: Now-2/'09) 2000: Med.dark color; bit volatile/alcoholic appley very ripe Zinfandel/ raspberry/spicy loads of very ripe fruit nose; off-dry bit hot/alcoholic very ripe/jammy/raspberry slight tart (tastes acidified) loads of very ripe fruit flavor; long off-dry very ripe/overripe/ jammy/raspberry finish w/ light tannins; very Smuckers raspberry jam in character; good for its genre.
13. Franus Napa Valley Zinfandel Late Pick (16.7%; SaH: 27.2%; RS: 1.1%) 1991: Med.dark color; intense licorice/ blackberry/boysenberry very ripe to overripe complex slight pungent nose; off-dry very ripe/jammy/ boysenberry/blackberry/blackberry cobbler some dusty/old vines flavor; very long/lingering very ripe/jammy/blackberry light dusty complex finish w/ light tannins; aging very well and should go for another 10 yrs; not overripe/raisened or pruney.
14. Ridge Calif/Napa Valley Zinfandel LatePicked YorkCreek (98% Zinfandel, 2% PS; 16.0%; SaH: 32.1%; RS: 1.2%; Drk: Now-1/'06) 1999: Near black color; beautiful/intense blackberry/jammy very ripe slight alcoholic very perfumed nose; rather sweet bit alcoholic very intense blackberry/boysenberry/ jammy huge loads of fruit flavor; very long slightly sweet loads of ripe/jammy/blackberry/Smuckers/ fruit lingering finish w/ light tannins; huge/ripe loads of jammy fruit; will age a long time.
15. Cline Contra Costa County Zinfandel Reserve (13.9%) 1990: Med.dark color; strong pungent slight volatile tomatoey/tomato sauce fragrant bit minty/complex slight dusty nose; soft/smooth bit eucalyptus/ minty rather plummy/tomato sauce some dusty/earthy flavor; long smooth/round/soft light earthy/ dusty slight eucalyptus plummy/tomato sauce finish w/ light tannins; still hanging in there but lost all the ContraCosta character. Howard&Rhoda's mystery wine.
16. Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Insignia (88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot) 1993: Very dark color; intense earthy/slight funky nose that clears to quite pungent/smokey/toasty some meaty/gamey perfumed talc/baby's bottom ripe fruit/curranty/plummy complex very perfumed nose; soft/rich/lush licorice/toasty/smokey/pungent blackcurranty/blackberry some tannic rather toasty/smokey/Fr.oak flavor; very long/lingering ripe/plummy/curranty toasty/smokey/oak finish w/ some tannins; big/ripe fruiit & toasty oak. Andrrew's mystery wine.

And a Wedding Celebration for Jim&Nancy Holt:

1. Burklin-Wolf Ruppertsberger Gaisbohl BA Riesling Rheinpfalz (9.0%) 1989: Deep/dark gold color; complex very fragrant/pineapply fusel/valve oil strong peachy/botrytis/apricotty nose; tart very  sweet complex pineapply/peachy/botrytis/apricotty some valve oil beautiful/classic botrytis JR flavor; very long very sweet classic botrytis/peachy/apricotty some pineapply bit complex finish; still a young BA despite the dark color; terrific BA. Howard&Rhoda's wine.
2. Yalumba Barossa FamilyReserve Botrytis Semillon (FBW 490; 14.5%; SaH: 38.0%; RS: 11.7%) 1993: Dark bit browning color; slight oxidized intense botrytis/apricotty/peachy/orangey some complex nose; very sweet soft/fat bit bitter/coffee intense botrytis/apricotty/peachy/orangey  slight oxidized flavor; very long very sweet slight oxidized intense apricotty/botrytis finish; slight oxidation but loads of botrytis & little oak.
3. Campbell's Rutherglen Tokay (17.5%) NV: Very dark gold/brown color; intense vanilla/oak/Bourbon/ Cognac caramel/grapey/raisened complex nose; soft/fat very sweet caramel/butterscotch strong vanilla/oak/Bourbon some tobaccoy/cigar box/smokey flavor; very long/lingering very sweet  caramel/butterscotch pudding very Bourbon/Am.oaked/vanilla complex finish; terrific sticky at a great price. $16.00/hlf, Larry's wine.

1. New Ridge 2000's: Of these three new releases, I far preferred the Pagani. They all reflect the difficulties of the 2000 vintage; lots of pretty/attractive fruit, but not the depth, extract,  structure of the '97 or '99 vintages. Like most Ridges, impeccable balance, which should allow them to age for a few yrs. Best of all... no price increases on these wines in the last three years.... cudos to Ridge.
2. PaulDraper Predictions: Paul always puts his aging predictions on the label as when to drink his wines. They're worth paying attention to. Sometimes over the yrs, I've scoffed at some of those predictions and, for some of the lighter vintages, thought there'd be no way those wines would last that long. Of course, I'd be wrong. If anything, I find the PD predictions to be on the conservative side and have many an old Ridge wine that was a good 20 yrs beyond his "drink up" date and still giving great pleasure. His predictions for these three '00's are out to '07-'09. Believe it!!!
3. Insignia'93: This was AndrewWillingham's mystery wine. I was pretty sure it wasn't Zinfandel , but couldn't put my finger on the variety. Thought it was maybe Oz Grenache or Shiraz. Don't think anyone picked it as obviously Cab of Insignia's stature. Blind tastings are soooo good for the ego.