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.

As I headed out for HdR last month; we stupidly tasted (4/25/07) some New PinotNoirs:

1. Radio-Coteau Savoy/AndersonVlly PinotNoir (480 cs; U/U; 14.8%) 2005: Med.dark color;
   very bright cherry/black cherry slight earthy light pencilly/oak lovely nose; tart/lean bright cherry/spicy/PN/Nehi soda pop bit tannic flavor; very long tight/tart bright cherry/spicy/cherry pie slight earthy finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; classic AndersonVlly PN w/ lots of bright cherry character. $50.00
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2. Radio-Coteau Alberigi/RussianRvrVlly PinotNoir (390 cs; U/U; 14.4%; www.RadioCoteau.com) 2005: Med.color bigger/lusher earthy/mushroomy strong black cherry/cola/RRV PN spicy slight toasty/oak nose; tart richer/lusher earthy/mushroomy strong black cherry/cola/PN flavor; long/lush black cherry/cola light earthy/mushroomy/Burgundian light toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs yet; classic RRRV PN w/ ripe black cherry
   character. $45.00
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3. Derbes LesPinots RussianRvrVlly (50% PinotNoir/Pinot Meunier; 13.5%; U/U;
   www.DerbesWines.com) 2004: Med.color; rather earthy/dusty/mushroomy slight toasty/Fr.oak/
   charred low fruit bit spicy nose; soft very light cherry/earthy/RRV PN some toasty/oak rather simple flavor; short some toasty/oak very light fruit finish w/ little tannins; pretty underwhelming and way overpriced at $45.00
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4. Failla PinotNoir KeeferRanch/RussianRvrVlly (14.2%; 510 cs) 2005: Med.color; some charred/
   toasty/oak earthy/black cherry/peppery/PN bit low-key/closed nose; tart bit lean/tight earthy/black cherry/PN some spicy some toasty/oak flavor; med.long tart bit lean/hard black cherry/spicy/earthy finish w/ some tannins; seems a bit hard & closed right now; needs several yrs of age. $51.00
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5. Failla PinotNoir RanchoSantaRosa/Sta.RitaHills (13.7%; 150 cs) 2005: Med.dark color;
   rather strong black cherry/spicy/PN slight herbal rather toasty/charred/oak nose; tart quite spicy rich/black cherry/PN some toasty/oak flavor; tart rich/ripe black cherry/cola/ PN bit herbal finish; needs several yrs; tasty SRH Pinot. $46.00
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6. Failla PinotNoir SonomaCoast (13.9%; 250 cs) 2005: Med.color; med.strong very spicy/
   perfumed/peppery/black cherry/PN slight smokey/pungent complex nose; tart very spicy light peppery very spicy/black cherry/PN very interesting flavor; very long tart bit toasty/ smokey/pungent/oak quite spicy/black cherry/cola slight tomatoey finish w/ some tannins; needs 2-5 yrs; easily the most interesting of the Faillas. $40.00
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7. HugCllrs RanchoOntiveros/SantaMariaVlly PinotNoir (13.5%; www.HugCellars.com) 2005: Dark color; very strong blackberry/boysenberry/PN slight earthy some toasty/oak very attractive
   nose; soft/rich/lush black cherry/blackberry/ripe/PN slight earthy some toasty/pungent/ oak flavor; med.long rich/lush black cherry/blackberry/cola finish w/ light tannins; seems much like some of the ABC Pinots; very nice Pinot for the price. $35.50
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8. VinoV PinotNoir ClosPepeVnyd/Sta.RitaHills (14.5%; www.VinoV.com) 2004: Very dark color;
   rather aromatic/perfumed slight VA(?) very bright cherry/cherry cola/cough syrup slight toasty/ pencilly/oak very aromatic/perfumed nose; tart strong black cherry/cherry/PN/cherry cough syrup some spicy/peppery light toasty/pencilly/oak balanced flavor; very long spich/black cherry/cola light pencilly finish w/ modest tannins; needs a yr or two;loads of spicy black cherry character. $45.00
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9. Radio-Coteau LaNeblina SonomaCoast PinotNoir (1740 cs; U/U; 14.4%) 2005: Med.dark color;beautiful very strong black cherry/PN bright/perfumed/fragrant/alpine strawberries vibrant/ spicy nose; tart very perfumed/fragrant bright/black cherry/cherry/strawberry/PN light pencilly/ oakcedary flavor; very long tart bright cherry/strawberry/PN light pencilly/oak finish w/ light tannins; very lovely drinking now but could use a yr or two; lovely aromatic Pinot at a good price. $42.00
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10. Radio-Coteau Terra Neuma/SonomaCoast PinotNoir (59 cs; U/U; 14.6%) 2005: Med.dark color;deeper/richer black cherry/cherry/strawberry/PN slight earthy bit more toasty/charred/oak
    quite fragrant/perfumed nose; tart quite rich/lush bright/black cherry/strawberry/PN some toasty/oak flavor; very long/lingering rich/lush tart black cherry/cherry/PN light toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; a big/rich but bright PN w/ great structure; will be a keeper for several yrs at least; my favorite of the R-C's. $50.00
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11. Rhys PinotNoir FamilyFarmVnyd/SanFranciscoBay (13.8%; www.RhysVineyards.com) KevinHarvey/WineMaker/Woodside 2004: Very dark color; slight bretty/horsecollar/Burgundian nose that clears to earthy/dusty/SCM some black cherry/PN/licorice some toasty/oak complex nose;
    tart rich/dusty/earthy some black cherry/brambly/PN some toasty/oak slight funky/Burgundian flavor; long earthy/dusty/mushroomy licorice/black cherry/PN some toasty/pungent/oak finish w/ fair tannins; rather classic mountain/SCM PN that doesn't have that bright cherry character of NorthCoast; some like the MtEden or Burnap Pinots of old w/o the oak; bit Burgundian in character; very interesting Pinot. $49.00
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12. Drew PinotNoir Threesome/SantaRitaHills (13.8%; 150 cs; 60% Fiddlestix, 35% RioVista,
    5% Cargasacchi-Jalama vnyds) 2005: Med.dark color; bright/pretty cherry/black cherry/PN light toasty/oak attractive nose; tart bright cherry/black cherry slight dusty/peppery some toasty/ smokey/oak flavor; med.long cherry/black cherry/bright/PN some toasty/oak/pungent finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; doesn't have the bass notes some SRH Pinots seem to show. $40.00
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13. Alesia PinotNoir ChilenoVlly/SonomaCoast (14.0%) 2004: Very dark color; strong very
    spicy/black cherry/PN slight leathery/horsecollar light oak/toasty very interesting nose; very tart rich black cherry/PN/spicy some dusty bit toasty/smokey/oak slight funky/Burgundian/merde flavor; long tart/rich black cherry dusty/pungent bit toasty/oak finish w/ some acids; plenty of acid & structure for aging. $39.00
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14. Alesia PinotNoir SonateraVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.2%) 2004: Very dark color; slight bretty/
    horsecollar nose clears to richer/riper strong black cherry/PN/spicy bit peppery slight earthy complex nose; tart rich/ripe strong/black cherry/PN bit earthy/dusty some toasty/charred/smokey/oak very/very spicy sort of peppery flavor; very long toasty/charred/oak strong black cherry/PN very spicy bit peppery slight Burgundian finish w/ fair tannins; needs several yrs; a rather exotic Pinot w/ some Burgundian character to it; my easy favorite of the Rhys/Alesia set. $39.00
    
    
    

1. Failla: I'm always bemused when I taste thru some Failla wines. Ehren has sort of a
reputation for making big/bombastic/alcoholic wines because of his winemaking at Turley. But the wines he makes under his label, which I presume are the wines he prefers to drink, are anything but that. They're reigned in, subtle, balanced and always very/very interesting. I would love to see what he would make w/ vonWeidlich, Lafond, LyttonSprings, or EaglePoint Zinfandel grapes. I expect it would be an eyeopener. Ehren is probably more of a lawn bowler type.
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2. Hug: Guess you could say I've followed AugieHug from the very start. I was making a visit
to JohnAlban's and Augie showed up, as he was making his wines there at John's, to taste
with us. My first time to meet Augie; a likeable/affable character. When we finished w/ John's wines, Augie wanted to try us on his wines there as well. I liked what I tasted. They were pretty big in the Alban style. But sometimes those early Grenache & Syrahs could be a little funky, reduced, and some occasional bacterial problems. But they were always flavorful and interesting.

Over the yrs, as he's moved his winemaking from place to place, now located next to
Garretson in Paso; he's considerably upgraded his winemaking skills, as well as branched out into other varietals. He's now making, I think, the best wines he's ever made. His Bassetti Vnyd is one of the best Syrahs made in Calif.

And now for the rest of the story... For being such a good winemaker, it is so sad that his bowling skills are soooo marginal. Put a bowling ball in his hands out on WilsonLanes and it's one of the most pathetic athletic sights you'll ever see. Can you say "gutter ball"?? As a well driller, Augie travels the world and he may very well be a bowling gawd on WillsonevLanes in Kyrgyzstan, but in Paso he can only stand in awe of the real bowling athletes from NewMexico.
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3. VinoV: This is a new label of Michael Meagher. Michael used to be winemaker under Adam
at Ojai and has ventured out on his own, making his wines at OldCreekRanch in OakView.
I was impressed with this first release. A wnry to keep your eye on. And probably has
passable bowling skills.
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4. Radio-Coteau: It's no secret that EricSussman is making some of Calif's most spectacular
Pinots. This pasel of '05's were very impressive. As winemaker at Dehlinger for some yrs, the wines strike me as somewhat in that style, but w/ toned down oak. Less of a R-C house style and greater expression of the vnyd source I would say. Drinking the two SonomaCoast Pinots was an experience akin to rolling nude down an embankment of alpine strawberries up in the mountains of Switzerland. And his vonWeidlich Zin is one of the best made in Calif. And I love his Syrahs as a more elegant expression of that variety in Calif. Total mystery as to his bowling skills. I'll find out.
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5. Rhys/Alesia: These are wine made by Kevin Harvey. I first tasted the Alesia Syrahs at HdR last year and was quite impressed. I had the '03 SonomaCoast Syrah in Dec and was blown away by it. This was my first Rhys Pinot. I think it is a very good expression of that terrior
character that dominates wines from the SCMs. It reminded me some of the MtEden and the
Burnap Pinots but w/ reigned in oak. The wines all had a bit of funkiness (brett?) character to them that gave them a bit of Burgundian character. All three Pinots I liked quite a bit.

TomHill