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. Congress Springs Santa Cruz Mtn Cab Franc (13.9%) 1984: Med.dark color; very fragrant cedary/ cinammon/tobaccoy quite spicy some charred oak bit earthy/SCM nose; tart very spicy quite cedary/tobaccoy light earthy/dusty smooth complex flavor; med.long smooth dusty cedary/ tobaccoy/spicy finish w/ light tannins; drying out a bit but a fully mature attractive Cab. $12.00
2. Calif Shenandoah Vineyards Amador Cnty Cabernet Sauvignon (13.2%; SaH: 23.3%, pH: 3.4, Hevstd: Oct.7) 1982: Med.color; unpleasant fecal/diaper pail dreadful no fruit earthy nose; very sour/ metallic some charred/oak rather dirty/fecal flavor; not just dead but actively unpleasant. $9.25
3. Buehler Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (13%) 1985: Med.color; rather toasty/cedary/tobaccoy mature Cab slight blackcurranty/Cab bit tea-like nose; tart some dried-out/astringent cedary/tobaccoy old Cab flavor; long astringent/dried-out finish; very attractive mature Cab nose but pretty tired & dried out on the palate. $15.00
4. Buehler Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (#10022; 13%) 1980: Very dark color; strong charred/used fireworks/ toasty/pungent/tobaccoy bit burnt licorice/black cherry cough syrup light blackcurranty/ Cab nose; rich/extracted charred/toasty/licorice/burnt fireworks/old pipe little fruit quite hard/tannic flavor; long hard/tannic charred/pungent/burnt/licorice finish w/ ample tannins; very interesting nose but never gonna come together on the palate. $13.75
5. Santa Cruz Mtn Vineyards Santa Cruz Mtn Cabernet Sauvignon (BatesRanch;  SaH: 25%, TA: 0.8, pH: 3.4; 13.8%; TA:0.71, pH: 3.5) K.D.Burnap, Proprietor; 1980: Med.dark color; very strong dusty/earthy slight herbal/bell pepper rather toasty/pungent complex wonderful nose; tart rather cherry/ black cherry peppery/slight herbal dusty/earthy some toasty/pungent/oak flavor; long/very complex chocolaty/cherry rather herbal/Bordeaux toasty/oak complex finish w/ light tannins; in great shape and can still go a few yrs. $8.79 SantaCruzMtnVineyards SantaCruzMtn Cabernet Sauvignon (BatesRanch;  SaH: 23.6%, TA: 0.98, pH: 3.1; 13.3%; TA:0.73, pH: 3.2) K.D.Burnap, Proprietor; 1980: Dark color; weaker more blackcurranty/ Cab some earthy/dusty light toasty/charred/oak less intense nose; tart/lean/hard classic SCM/ dusty some charred/toasty/oak slight blackcurranty complex flavor; long big acid/tart rather hard/tannic toasty/charred/oak finish w/ ample tannins; less Cab character and so big & hard it may never come together. $8.79
6. Carneros Creek Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon TruchardVineyard (13.4%) 1977: Dark color; attractive black- curranty/Cab licorice/cedary fairly complex nose; soft slight herbal/blackcurranty/Cab slight smokey/pungent/oak fairly lush flavor; rather dusty pretty astringent/dried slight bretty finish; very interesting nose & flavor but pretty much dried out on palate. $8.50
7. David Coffaro Aca Modot Dry Creek Valley RW (EB; U/U; 14.3%) 1998: Very dark color; strong buttery/diacetyl very lush/grapey/fruity Zin-like slight Cab/herbal nose; soft/smooth very buttery quite lush/grapey Zin-like flavor; med.lobg buttery soft/lush/grapey finish w/ light tannins; loads of buttery character; lovely very fruity wine w/ little Cab character. $17.00
8. Ridge Calif Buchignani Ranch Carignane (OldVines; 1% Zin; 14.3%; Drk: 11/02-11/07; 46 brls) 2001: Med.light color; typical Draper perfume rather cherry/black cherry/Carignane light smokey/oak pleasant nose; tart rather cherry/Carignane slight earthy/dusty light smokey/oak flavor; med. light cherry/black cherry/Carignane finish w/ light tannins; on the light and simple side. $24.00
9. Llano Texas Passionelle Rhone-Style Red (Carignane/Syrah/Viognier; 13.5%) 1999: Light color; bit waxy/tobaccoy interesting cherry some earthy nose; very light cherry/fruity some earthy simple fruity flavor; short light fruity/earthy finish w/ little tannins; pretty simple & fruity red; bit dull. Dave's mystery wine.
10. Sierra Vista ElDorado Celestial Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5%) 1999: Very dark color; somewhat earthy/mushroomy strong blackcurranty/Cab some smokey/oak nose; very tart/acid blackcurranty/Cab light oak some earthy/mushroomy flavor; med. light herbal/blackcurranty/Cab some mushroomy light toasty/oak very tart finish w/ light tannins; interesting ElDorado Cab but a bit screechy acid on the palate. $19.00
11. Rosenblum Cellars Chateau La Paws Kangaroo Cab Limestone Coast SA Cabernet Sauvignon (13.6%) 2001: Dark color; strong fruity/blackcurranty/blueberry some oaked nose; soft/fat/buttery very lush black cherry/blackcurranty some toasty/oak flavor; med.long soft/fat blackcurranty/black cherry lots of fruit finish w/ little tannins; lots of fruit but lack structure; soft & fat. Joe & Maxine Montoya's gift.
12. Ridge Calif Monte Bello (72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 2% CabFranc, 1% PetitVerdot; 13.0%; 116 tons from 105 acres; Selection: 42%; Drk: 1/11-1/16) 1999: Black color; beautiful blackcurranty/ Cab slight herbal earthy/SCM some toasty/pungent/smokey/cedary/oak some complex nose; big/ hard/tannic strong blackcurranty/black cherry/Dr.Pepper/cola pungent/smokey/cedary some earthy flavor; very long hard/tannic intense blackcurranty/black cherry cola pungent/very cedary/oak finish w/ ample tannins; needs much age; a classic MB Cab. $65.00
13. Ridge Calif Monte Bello (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% CabFranc; 13.4%; 113 tons from 108 acres; Selection: 43%; Drk: 3/07-?) 2000: Black color; very strong licorice/black- curranty more forward/fruity some cedary/pencilly/oak slight earthy/SCM complex nose; softer ripe blackcurranty/black cherry slight earthy/dusty cedary/oak slight earthy rather tannic flavor; very long ripe/blackcurranty/black cherry/Cab light earthy cedary/smokey/pencilly/ oak finish w/ ample tannins; less MB in character and more mainstream Calif Cab; rounder/ softer/smoother than the '99; beautiful Cab. $65.00
14. Schrader NapaValley Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer/Original Tokalon Vineyard (14.4%; #2006) 2000: Very dark color; bit minty/menthol/eucalyptus rather spicy/Cab/blackcurranty pretty intense some toasty/Fr. nose; soft some herbal very blackcurranty/Cab very ripe bit menthol/toasty/Fr.oak flavor; very long ripe/blackcurranty/juicy/Cab some toasty/menthol/Fr.oak finish w/ fair tannins; a very attractive Cab that needs a few yrs; loads of juicy Cab fruit. $80.00
15. Ridge Calif Cabernet Santa Cruz Mtns (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% merlot; 13.4%; Drk: 5/02-5/07) 2000: Very dark color; very fragrant blackcurranty/Cab slight herbal rather cedary/toasty/oak nose; soft/smooth cedary/pencilly/oak ripe blackcurranty/Cab slight earthy/dusty flavor; med.long ripe/blackcurranty/Cab/fruity some cedary/pencilly/oak slight earthy finish w/ light tanins; nice Jr. MB experience.
16. Shafer Hillside Select Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Stag'sLeap 1993: Dark color; rather strong/ toasty/Fr.oak very ripe somewhat chocolaty/blackcurranty/Cab slight herbal nose; soft ripe/ blackcurranty/Cab/black cherry/lush strong toasty/charred/Fr.oak bit simple flavor; very long ripe blackcurranty/black cherry/chocolaty/Cab rather toasty/charred/pungent/oak finish w/ some tannins; still needs age but a bit underwhelming given its pedigreed. Larry's mystery wine. $80.00
17. Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (12%) 1985: Very dark color; some herbal/Cab/Bordeaux rather ripe/fruity some Fr.oak/perfumed talc/tobaccoy attractive Cab nose; soft/smooth/ polished perfumed talc/cedary/pencilly/tobaccoy some herbal/Bordeaux/blackcurranty flavor; long tobaccoy/cedary/perfumed talc some old Cab/cigar box slight herbal/Bordeaux finish w/ light tannins; pleasant mature Calif Cab that will still hold; bit unthrilling; Howard& Rhoda's mystery.

1. CongressSprings CabFranCabernet Sauvignon: Dan Gehrs, in his early yrs here (I've followed Dan's wines from the very start), made some of the most interesting CabFranCabernet Sauvignon in Calif. I fully expected this '84 to be totally dead, but it was still pretty healthy for an old one.
2. SantaCruzMtn Cabs: These two wines were some of Ken Burnap's first Cabs. There were dreadful on release; incredibly reduced/fecal/diaper-pail in character. And priced in the low $20's. Of course they didn't sell here in NM. But they were highly extracted and packed w/ rich flavors. I was convinced that the MUST age into something good. When they (and the Duriff) were closed out cheap by the distributor, I bought a bunch to inflict on my tasting group. Turns out in 6-8 yrs, my instincts (for once) were justified and the wines shed all that reductive character and really blossomed. These were the last of that stash. It's always nice to be able to say "I told you so". Oftentimes, that doesn't happen with me. This was my first experience with wines made in a highly-reductive manner. Now, when I encounter a stinky Alban or some such, if the flavor's there, I'm not in the least worried and just tuck it away for awhile.