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. Andre Brunel/Laurence Feraud Image du Sud VdT Francais (13%) NV ('98): Med.light color; pleasant grapey/fruity light strawberry/Grenache slight earthy/horsecollar bit volatile nose; tart/ metallic/sour rather earthy little fruit flavor; short sour/metallic light strawberry/fruit finish w/ little tannins; pretty dull wine and not worth price. $13.00
2. Maryline Pages Ch. LaClotte-Fontac Mathierou Coteaux de Languedoc Salinelles/Gard (60% Grenache/40% Syrah) 2001: Med.color; rather Grenache/strawberry CdP-like lots of fruit light earthy/salt-marsh/CdP attractive nose; soft/lush/grapey/Grenache/strawberry rather earthy/dusty slight toasty/oak rather smmoth/balanced flavor; fairly long/smooth Grenache/strawberry finish w/light tannins; a very attractive CdP-like wine at a great price. $13.00
3. Cano Tinto de Toro Garnacha (13.5%) 2002: Med.light color; fragrant strawberry/Grenache/fruity rather simple/Oz-like nose; soft juicy/jammy/simple Grenache/strawberry/soda pop flavor; short/ soft/juicy/jammy/ripe strawberry/Grenache finish w/ no tannins; rather simple/Oz-like wine and not worth drinking. $9.00
4. Rotallan Torra Priorat Torrojadel Priorat (13.5%; www.RotalanTorra.com; CS/Grenache/ Carignan) 1998: Med.dark color; slight bretty/horsecollar/dishwater earthy rather jammy/grapey fairly interesting nose; tart bit hard/tannic/astringent earthy/dusty blackberry/strawberry/ Grenache flavor; med.long bit tannic/earthy/rustic bit bretty rather blackberry/ripe finish w/ some tannins; interesting/rustic red but not worth the price. $16.00
5. Altos de la Hoya Finca Hoya de Santa Ana Monastrell Jumilla (14%) Ungrafted Old Vines 2001: Very dark color; rather earthy/dusty bit SouthernRhone slight medicinal/band-aid some plummy/blackberry/licorice bit gamey nose; rich/big/extracted licorice/plummy somewhat earthy/ gamey bit oaked/toasty flavor; med.long some extracted/tannic/hard strong licorice/plummy/ Mourvedre finish; needs several yrs; a very attractive Mourvedre at a great price. $11.00
6. Pinhal da Torre Quinta do Alqueve Syrah (14%) VR: Ribatejano Georg Ordanez 2001: Black color, beautiful blackberry/boysenberry some toasty/oak rather Calif-style slight earthy/dusty nose; ripe/intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah rather toasty/vanilla/oaked pretty tannic/extracted/ hard very juicy/ripe flavor; very long/extracted/tannic intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah slight dusty/earthy finish; needs much age; very ripe & structured much like some of the Napa Valley Syrahs but an interesting dusty character to it. Terrific Syrah. $nc (BP)
7. Pinhal da Torre Quinta do Alqueve Touriga Nacional (13.5%) 2001: Med.dark color; slight herbal/ pickle juice/volatile earthy some charred/toasty/oak bit exotic/Zin-like nose; tart earthy/tannic plummy/very ripe/blackberry exotic slightly rough/earthy flavor; long tannic/hard plummy/ripe/ blackberry rough/rustic/exotic finish; needs much age; very interesting hard/tannic wine. $23.00
8. Marr Sonoma County Syrah (14.8%; VineHill&Frati vnyds, PrestonVnyd, GlaiserVnyd/Solano 400 cs) MarrCellars/Woodland, Btld by TudalWnry/St.Helena 2001: Med.dark color; strong jammy/blackberry/ Syrah/boysenberry/juicy bit alcoholic/hot light oak nose; soft blackberry/boysenberry/jammy/chocolaty rather spicy bit sour milk/lactic flavor; med.long chocolaty/blackberry/Syrah some lactic/sour milk finish w/ light tannins; loads of juicy/jammy/Syrah character; ready to drink; great Prima IlConsorzia price. $16.00
9. Jade Mountain Napa Valley Syrah (15.0%) 2002: Very dark color; very intense boysenberry/ Syrah/blackberry/very peppery/ very spicy light toasty/ Fr.oak classic/lush Napa Valley Syrah nose; soft very ripe/chocolaty/ blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah peppery/bit roasted/coffee some toasty/charred/Fr.oak flavor; very long ripe/chocolaty/boysenberry/blackberry/jammy/Syrah light toasty/charred/roasted/oak finish w/ light tannins; very ripe and drinkable; lovely Syrah for the price. $25.95
10. Robert Pecota Monterey Syrah San Bernabe Vnyd (13%; www.RobertPecotaWines.com) 1999: Dark color; rather herbal/peppery very plummy/chocolaty some toasty/oak rather strange nose; soft/fat rather herbal/near vegetal low Syrah some chocolaty/plummy flavor; med. herbal/vegetal plummy/grapey/chocolaty some herbal/vegetal finish w/ light tannins; this was once a pretty interesting herbal/Syrah but seems to be falling all apart now.  $25.00 2820 Wine Co. Napa Valley Syrah "t'aint Hermitage" (14.9%) 1999: Very dark/black color; rather volatile/ earthy bit perfumed talc some blackberry/Syrah rather toasty/pungent/charred/oak nose; bit hot/tannic/ alcoholic hard/tannic/rough some blackberry/Syrah toasty/charred flavor; low fruit light blackberry rough/tannic/hard rather toasty/charred/oak finish; needs age but hard to tell where this will go. $20.00
11. Copain Syrah Cailloux & Coccinelle Walla Walla Valley (14.3%; www.CopainWines.com) 2002: Very dark color; very strong herbal/walnutty/licorice/pungent very perfumed/green olive/PeptoBismal some toasty/charred/ coffee/oak very perfumed/fragrant/exotic/complex nose; tart bit herbal/green olive toasty/charred/ smokey/oak blackberry/blueberry/Syrah very exotic/complex flavor; very long/lingering some herbal/ walnutty some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah some toasty/coffee/oak finish w/ fair tannins; needs some age; very exotic/complex/perfumed WashState Syrah. $35.00
12. De Lille Cellars Doyenne Syrah (www.DelilleCellars.com; 14.9%) Chris C. Upchurch, Winemaker 2000 : Black color; bit volatile/hot very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/chocolaty/very ripe nose; soft/fat very overripe/chocolaty/jammy/boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/oak bit hot flavor; long very ripe/overripe plummy/chocolaty/boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/oak finish w/ light tannins; bit on the overripe side; more Calif or Oz in style than WashState; rather pricey. $ 48.00
13. 2820 Wine Co. Napa Valley PetiteSirah "Pets" (13.6%) 2001: Dark color; bit horsecollar/bretty rather peppery/licorice bit toasty/oak some earthy/funky/rustic low fruit nose; rather hard/tannic rough/ rustic/earthy slight peppery/berry/PS clunky/rustic flavor; med. rough/tannic/hard/rustic slight peppery/licorice low fruit finish; needs age but not much fruit; hard to tell where this will go. $25.00
14. Jacob Franklin Napa Valley PetiteSirah HayneVnyd (14.4%; 9 brls) 2002: Black color; very fragrant/ perfumed blackberry/ peppery/licorice/ plummy ripe/lush bit dusty/old vine light toasty/oak lods of jammy/juicy/PS fruit; soft very rich/extracted intense juicy/ blackberry/peppery/licorice /boysenberry some toasty/pungent/oak flavor; very long/lingering rather tannic/extracted intense/ripe/juicy/ black berry/licorice/peppery light toasty/smokey/oak finish; bit disjointed now and needs much age; a big/ huge loads of fruit PS; one of the best Calif PSs in recent memory.]; incredible stuff. $48.00
15. Fetzer Lake County Zin (12.4%) 1983: Bit murky color w/ slight browning; somewhat aged/tired slight tobaccoy/pencilly slight raspberry/cranberry bit spicy/earthy light toasty nose; rather sour/ metallic ripe cranberry/raspberry bit cedary/old Zin/pencilly/tired flavor; med.short slight cranberry/raspberry old/Zin/tired bit toasty/pungent finish w/ little tannins; bit too old & tired but still clinging on to life. JamesLamb's mystery wine.

1. Fetzer 1983: This was served blind as a mystery wine. I was guessing an old/tired Zin from around the '89 or '90's vintage. Surprise.... this was a bottom of the line Fetzer from the '83 vintage. Given to James by a friend who's husband had left it in his office for years under miserable storage conditions. Far better condition than it had any right to be.
2. 2820 Wine Company: I bought both of these wines on a recommendation of a friend. 2820 St.Helena Hwy happens to be the address for Ballentine Wine Company. One presumes that this is excess wine being unloaded under a 2'nd label by those folks.
3. Quinta do Alqueve Syrah: First Portugese Syrah I've ever see'd and a mightly impressive one at that. This showed up on my doorstep as a gift from Brian Pusser, who, apparently, has followed my tasting notes and bloody pulpit from the very start. Thanks Brian for educating me on this wine. And for all the rest of you who read my notes....get those btls in the mail right now!! :-)
4. Quinta do Alqueve Touriga: Larry Archibald noted I had the Syrah and happened to have this wine, so brought this as a mystery wine. This is, of course, one of the important Porto varieties. The few that I have had have struck me as pretty hard/tannic and needing of age. Almost reminds me a bit of Norton/Cynthiana in character, with some exotic perfume that they lack. A variety that should be more widely planted I think.
5. Jade Mountain Syrah: This 2002 was the first, I believe, made by Doug Danilek under the new (Chalone?) ownership. Not sure the source of these grapes. They have, in the past, sourced from both HudsonVnyd in the Carneros and the ParasVnyd on Mt.Veeder. I've always been mightly impressed w/ the Paras btlg, less so w/ the Hudson. This was, however, a very impressive Syrah, whatever the source, and I hope a harbinger of Doug taking Jade Mountain to the next higher level. JacobFranklin PS: This is made by Ray Coursen of Elyse WineCellars, named after their son. He has two other vnyds he makes PS from. Every JF PS I've had I've been mightly impressed with. Ray is making some of the best PSs being made in Calif these days; plenty of structure & tannins for the long haul, but also loads of fruit not often found in Calif Pets.

   TomHill