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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.

Harlequin/Portland Trip - August 4 & 5, 2004

My first day of the Portland trip (8/4/04), I headed up to Renton to visit long-time friend Robert Goodfriend and his wife Elizabeth Cook and meet for the first time their son, Alexander. Dinner that night was a simple grilled rack of lamb and fresh veggies, plus the fabled raz-maz (raspberry mazarin) from Robert's e.k.mas days. Other guests were Ed Wolfe, a friend of Robert's who helps him a lot during crush, and Lorne Mews, National Marketing Director for BentonLaneWines. The wines:

  1. Harlequin Cellars Chenin Blanc (14.5%) 2002: Med.gold color; beautiful/fragrant quite minerally slight Loire-like perfumed/melony nose; tart very minerally rich/lush ripe melony light smokey flavor; verl long rather minerally ripe/melony finish; a bit like a rich/lush Chappellet OldVine CB, a bit Loire minerality; one of the best US CBs ever.
  2. Benton Lane Oregon Pinot Gris (12.7%) 2003: Very attractive perfumed/flowery/PG some Alsatian-like nose; tart/lean bit minerally floral/fragrant flavor; very attractive bit Alsatian-style PG.
  3. Harlequin Cellars Milbrandt Family/Clifton Vineyard Columbia Valley WA Viognier (14.3%) 2003: Med.light gold color; beautiful fragrant/perfumed/pear/Viognier almost Alsatian some Condrieu-like/ minerally complex nose; ripe/lush tart very floral/pear/peach/Viognier/pineapply some minerally/Condrieu rather complex flavor; very long/lingering quite minerally lush/tart/ripe floral/pear/peach finish; a beautiful minerality to this wine; one of the better USofA Viogniers I've had
  4. Latitude 46N GWT Celilo Vineyard (13.9%) 2003: Med.yellow color; very fragrant/perfumed/floral citric/pineapply slight lychee/GWT nose; lush/ripe/soft strong pineapply/floral/lime flavor; not particularly Alsatian but quite a nice GWT.
  5. Kent Rasmussen Wnry Carneros PinotNoir 1990: Bit brown/murky color; rather strong pungent/ toasty/oak stewed/cooked/fruit slight musty (corked?) some complex nose; rather tired/dried out strong pencilly/toasty/charred/oak slight stewed fruit/cherry flavor; interesting nose but pretty tired & dried out; past prime-time.
  6. Benton Lane Oregon Pinot Noir (13.3%) 2001: Med.dark color; slight toasty/charred/oak lots of bright cherry/Pinot slight pine forest nose; tart bright cherry/black cherry/Pinot slight piney flavor; an attractive drinkable 4-square Oregon Pinot.
  7. Benton Lane Oregon Pinot Noir First Class (13.7%) 2002: Lovely/fragrant light toasty/pencilly bright cherry deeper black cherry/Pinot/cola slight earthy more interesting nose; bigger/ richer deep black cherry/cherry/Pinot light toasty/pungent/charred flavor; attractive bigger/ more interesting/deeper Pinot.
  8. Harlequin Cellars Syrah Sundance Vineyard Columbia Valley (15.2%) 2000: Dark color; rather smokey/oak slight coffee/roasted some blueberry/blackberry/Syrah nose; light coffee/roasted/pungent some toasty/charred/oak some blueberry/Syrah slight earthy nose; med.long toasty/charred/oak slight roasted/coffee some blueberry/Syrah finish w/ light tannins; an attractive/likable 4-square WA Syrah.
  9. Harlequin Cellars Syrah MilbrandtFamily/Sundance&Clifton Vineyards Columbia Valley 2001: Darker color; much stronger roasted/toasted/pungent/smokey rather blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah nose; light/smooth/balanced strong coffee/mocha/roasted somewhat blackberry/Syrah/blueberry bit pungent/oak flavor w/ modest tannins; bit smmother & more polished than the '00; very attractive drinkable WashState Syrah.
  10. Harlequin Cellars Syrah Minick Vineyard Yakima Valley (14.6%) 2002: Dark color; very ripe blackberry/ boysenberry/Syrah chocolaty bit mushroomy/earthy light toasty/smokey/oak nose; soft earthy/ mushroomy/chocolaty strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/smokey/oak flavor; med. long blackberry/chocolaty/Syrah light pungent/toasty finish w/ light tannins; a very attractive/drinkable lush WashState Syrah.
  11. Harlequin Cellars Syrah Milbrandt Family/Sundance Vineyard Columbia Valley (14.6%) 2002: Very dark color; much more intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah jammy/ripe classic Calif/Paso/Syrah light toasty/oak nose; tarter/richer very ripe/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/chocolaty light toasty/ pungent/oak/smokey slight roasted/mocha/coffee flavor; very long ripe/jammy/blackberry/Syrah/ boysenberry finish w/ fair tannins; rather ripe Calif-style Syrah w/ lots of intensity; probably the best of Robert's Syrahs yet; terrific rpe Syrah.
  12. Harlequin Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard Yakima Valley (13.5%) 1999: Very dark color; intense smokey/toasty/charred/oak somewhat herbal/green olive slight chocolaty/blackcurranty complex/ perfumed nose; big/powerful/rich beautiful/complex herbal/green olive/chocolaty rather charred/ toasty/burnt/oak flavor; very long charred/pungent/smokey/oak green olive/herbal powerful finish w/ fair tannins; terrific example of WashState Cab and yrs to go yet.
  13. Harlequin Cellars Cuvee Alexander Columbia Valley (14.3%) 2001: Dark color; very ripe/fruity/ chocolaty loads of fruit light pungent/toasty/oak nose; soft/lush very ripe/blackcurranty/Cab loads of ripe fruit slight chocolaty light toasty/pungent/pencilly/oak flavor; med.long soft/ lush/ripe/blackcurranty/Cab/chocolaty finish w/ light tannins; loads of very ripe Cab fruit; more Calif in style than WashState; attractive/drinkable Cab w/ loads of fruit.
  14. Lattitude 46N Syrah The Power And TheGlory Columbia Valley (14.9%) 2002: Med.dark color; attractive toasty/oak somewhat ripe/jammy/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah slight pungent/roasted nose; tart very ripe/jammy/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah slight earthy/dusty light toasty/roasted/charred/ oak flavor; long ripe/jammy/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; lots of ripe Syrah fruit; very attractive drinkable Syrah.
And a BloodyPulpit discourse:
  1. Latitude 46N is a new label for Robert. Wine is made by a former SilvanRidge co-worker, Chris Dowsett at their leased facility over in Touchet, WA with Robert's input as well. It has been interesting to follow Robert's winemaking over the yrs. At e.k.mas; his really big passion was PinotNoir and it was clear if he ever was making wine, PinotNoir was where it was at. He became turned on to Oregon Pinot when the first really good examples started to show up in NewMexico. His stint as AsstWinemaker at Hinman/SilvanRidge and his immersion into Oregon Pinots there pretty much cemented that fixation. When he and Elizabeth opened Harlequin, he was also planning to make WashState wines. My sense was that the grapes were available and nearby and it was just something to flesh out his tableau of offerings. Talking this time with Robert, it soon became clear that making of WashState Syrah and other Rhone varietals has now become a big part of his wine passion now.. maybe even elbowing aside somewhat his passion for Oregon Pinot. It IS nice that he's come over to the dark side. In the last year, Robert has been a partner in the Taste of Washington Tasting Room down at the PikePlaceMarket in Seattle. It is a cooperative tasting room for some 8-10 wineries too small to support their own tasting room. Located on PostStreet off the beaten track in a kind of funky/warehouse type of bldg, it has a really good feel to it and lots of down- home atmosphere. The staff struck me as really warm/friendly and knowledgeable. A great place to try a lot of different wines. Well worth the parking hassle.
  2. I've followed WashState Syrahs from the very start; from David Lake's first ones at Columbia Wnry. I've been mightly impressed by them over the yrs. Some of the larger production-level Syrahs have a chocolaty/soupy/fat/soft character to them some like the Lodi or DunniganHills Syrahs. But the best of them have it all; lots of terroir that you don't get that often in Calif; lots of structure for aging. Unlike some of their Cabs and Merlots; the winemakers seem to show more restraint on the use of heavily charred/toasty/burnt oak. Though not quite that same roasted/espresso character of NorthernRhone; their terroir they show comes much closer to NorthernRhone than many Calif ones. That being said, I've still not found a WashState Syrah that quite measured up to the best of the Calif Syrahs, like an EdmundsStJohn or a Failla or an older Qupe. With more and more WashState Syrah coming on-line, plus other varieties; it's going to be an exciting journey up there.

On Thursday, headed down to Portland to meet up with high-school classmate Jan Cox & her husband Don. Flying in from Sacramento was another high-school classmate, Karen Martinez. Thurs night was a simple grilled Albacore tuna. Didn't take notes on the wines, but sure there must have been plenty. Then picked up Karen at the airport. Visited into the night....finding out about all our high-school chicks who had the hots for TomHill way back then...and I didn't even know it!! Fri was spent touring in the southern Willamette Valley. Back to Portland and then a bunch of apps at Noble Rot. Terrific wine bar w/ great food. Then across the street to Esparza's, a Tex-Mex restaurant. Amazingly good food that I'd not expected from this dive. Beer worked very well. Sat Don & jan did dinner at home. Invited over were Marshall and Carolyn Manning. A great evening was had by all. Marshall repeatedly try to fun me on my age, but his attacks were repeatedly defended by a deft parry au quatre and riposte, and nary a touch was landed. Don's menu, all executed with an amazing degree of aplomb:

Stuffed Jalapenos
Grilled Shrimp with Curry Peanut Sauce Sauvignon blancs:  Whitehaven; Cloudy Bay and Patty Green
Fricco with Scallops and greens Viognier:  Penner-Ash; Harlequin
Grilled quail with caramalized cauliflower
Smoked trout Rieslings 2 '71 Spatlese
Wild Mushroom pasta Italian Corti Bros
Leg of Lamb
Green Beans with Bacon Kansas Style
Pinot Noir
98's  Lauren Hood
DDO Laurene
Cristom Marjorie
Tom's Choice Cheese Platter
Syrahs
Renninger Walla Walla
Fruit Tart
Assorted wines

Amazing food, the most special of company, and the wines didn't suck either:

  1. Penner-Ash Oregon Viognier 2003: Light yellow color; elegant/low-key pear/Viognier/peach rather fragrant/attractive nose; tart/lean/austere slight pear/Viognier light peach/pineapple slight stoney/low-key flavor; a pretty Viognier on the lean/austere side.
  2. Joseph Swan Sonoma Zin TW 1982: Med.dark some brown/murky color; rather cedary/pencilly/oak some ripe/jammy/raspberry slight earthy nose; tart/dried-out/astringent quite pencilly/cedary/charred/ oak very slight raspberry/jammy/overripe flavor; interesting nose but pretty tired on the palate; a has-benn Zin.
  3. Laurel Hood Willamette Valley Yamhill Cnty Pinot Noir (13%) Pearlreserve 1998: Med.light color; attractive pencilly/toasty/oak somewhat light cherry/Pinot slight earthy bit simple nose; tart rather pencilly/oak/toasty light cherry/Pinot light earthy/dusty flavor w/ light tannins; a kinda blocky/chunky Pinot w/o much development showing; likable but just that.
  4. Ken Wright Cllrs Abbey Ridge Vineyard Willamette Valley Oregon PinotNoir (12%) 1998: Dark color; levely black cherry/cherry/Pinot fragrant light toasty/oak some complex nose; smooth/round/supple strong black cherry/cherry/cola light toasty/pencilly/oak somewhat complex flavor; smooth/ balanced black cherry/cola/complex finish w/ light tannins; a lovely/mature/complex Oregon Pinot.
  5. Les Cretes Coteau LaTour Vinode Tavola (Syrah) 1999: Beautiful/intense very smokey/cracked black pepper complex green olive/blackberry/Syrah very complex/perfumed nose; tart very smokey/ espresso/roasted cracked pepper green olive/blackberry light dusty/earthy complex flavor; bit astringent/drying beautiful espresso/black pepper complex intense green olive/blackberry finish w/ fair tannins; a beautiful very Rhonish Syrah.
  6. Edmunds St John Durrell Vineyard Sonoma Valley Syrah (14.2%) 1996: Med.dark color; lovely/complex toasty/ roasted/pungent/smokey some peppery rather blackberry/Syrah slight dusty nose; tart charred/ smokey/pungent/roasted/coffee smooth/round complex peppery/blackberry/Syrah slight earthy flavor; bit astringent complex coffee/pungent/smokey/peppery some blackberry/Syrah finish w/ some tannins; seems close to peak; lovely example of mature Calif Syrah.
  7. OwenRoe Abbots Table Columbia Valley RedWine (14.6%) 2001: Dark color; slight herbal/Bordeaux-like/ olive some ripe/chocolaty/blackcurranty/Cab some toasty/smokey/oak fairly ripe/lush nose; soft/rich/lush chocolaty/herbal rather blackcurranty/Cab light toasty/oak/smokey flavor w/ some tannins; really attractive/drinkable WashState Cab; lovely wine.
  8. Schloss Vollrads Auslese WeissKap 1976: Deep burnished gold color; incredible complex buttery/ butterscotchy/caramel pineapply some valve oil/petrol classic old Rheingau nose; tart off-dry beautiful/complex buttery/butterscotch/caramel/creme brulee flavor w/ a finish that goes on and on; beautiful example of complex old Rheingau but drying out a bit on palate; amazing wine.
  9. Errazuriz Late Hrvst SauvignonBlanc Casablanca Valley/Chile 1998: Med.gold color; some botrytis/ peachy some rotted/rotted apple/apple cider very ripe/figgy some complex nose; very sweet apple cider/rotted apples slight peachy flavor; more like very overripe/passito fruit and little botrytis character; interesting passito wine.
  10. Santino Amador County Dry Berry Select White Harvest Zinfandel (TA: 1.6 gm/100ml; pH: 3.58; 5.4%; TBA; Htvstd: 12/6/89 @ 52.0Brix; RS: 38.8%) 1989: Dark brown/PX color; very intense raisened/pruney/peach/botrytis/peach syrup some old Riesling/complex perfumed nose; very/very sweet very tart intense raisened/pruney some botrytis/peach syrup/rotted apricots rather complex flavor w/ a very sweet finish that goes on and on; more like a tart PX than anything; very unusual dessert wine.
BloodyPulpit -Part II:
  1. This was my first visit to Portland. I was mightly impressed by the town and hope to return again someday. We spent two days (Fri & Sunday) touring around over in the Willamette Valley. I had never toured before the Oregon wine country. Far/far different from what I was expecting. Unlike Calif where I'm used to seeing large vnyds carpeting the valley floor and hillsides, Oregon was much different. I was struck by the steepness of these small chains of hills snaking across parts of the valley floor with little blocks of vnyds perched atop them scattered amongst the heavy forests. The wineries were much smaller than I expected. The tasting rooms were invariably very friendly and low key. What I revelation to walk into a tasting room and actually being made to feel welcome and that they're glad you stopped in to taste their wines. We also stopped into Domaine Drouhin and Don had lined up a tour at Domaine Serene. It was clear that these are much different operations, more Napa Valley in ambition, and lots of money behind them. This is usually a turn-off for me and the point I beat a hasty exit. But, even here at these two, I was quite struck by the welcoming staff and a genuine feeling that you'd stopped in for a visit. Waaaay far different from in the Napa Valley. Especially at Domaine Serene. I asked a number of geeky/detailed questions during the tour that the lady didn't know the answer. Yet afterwards, she went and tracked down someone who had the answers. Pretty impressive, I thought.
  2. Carleton Walk-In-The-Park: On Sunday, we drove over to the Willamette Valley and did the Carleton thing. It is a wine tasting, food tasting, and art show. Didn't try the food as Don and I went straight to the wine. The women-folk headed off to the art stuff, where we caught up with them later. The weather was quite hot; the wine tasting was not a very good venue, cost a $/pour in a tiny plastic cup; kinda wasted experience. But I DID get to meet Brian O'Donnell (BellPente) which was my primary reason for going there. He had a really neat 4-btl metal/brass wine holder that you filled the center w/ ice. Very classy, wisht I knew where you could get one. Before WitP, we visited a number of tasting rooms. By far, the best experience was the Carleton Wine Studio. We tasted thru 4 flights of wines blind. I went 8 out of 8 blind...not bad for a kid. The place is well worth a stop. Wound up ordering a case to be sent home. After WitP, we went over to Dundee and had dinner at Tina's. Terrific meal...highly recommended...great wine list and all reasonably priced.

    3. TomHill

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