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.

 6/6/05 - Tried these last night w/ dinner:

1. Palmina Traminer AlisosVnyd/SBCnty (13.6%; www.PalminaWines.com) 2004: Med.yellow
   color; beautiful GWT/lychee/spicy slight earthy very minerally quite perfumed/
   aromatic nose; dry/dry/dry austere minerally/chalky very perfumed spicy/GWT/lychee
   fairly rich/lush flavor; med.long dry/austere lush/lychee/GWT minerally/chalky
   finish; terrific GWT for Calif.
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2. DryCreekVnyd DryCreekVlly Syrah (LmtdBttlg; 14.5%; 725 cs; www.DryCreekVineyard.com) 2001: Black color; very strong blackberry/spicy/Syrah slightly meaty/roasted light toasty/oak classic DryCreekVlly/spicy nose; soft somewhat hard/tannic very spicy/blackberry/Syrah some pungent/toasty/oak flavor; very long bright/spicy/blackberry/
   blueberry some toasty/smoky/oak finish w/ some hard/astringent tannins; loads of spicy/DCV character ontop of classic Syrah varietal character; very good effort at a very good price. $18.00
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   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. Palmina: Good Calif GWT is few & far between. I've only had a handful in the last 30 yrs that I really/really liked. Most are bland/slightly sweet/cloying/boring. This Palmina is the exception. Egads...it's actually dry!! Very much like, say, a Trimbach GWT; it most closely resembles a very good AltoAdige Traminer, like a Hofstader, with that chalky/minerally character that's not often found in Alsatian GWT. A terrific food wine. Alas, sold out at the wnry, but probably somewhere atretail.
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   2. DryCreek: The first DCV Syrah that I've really liked. Previous ones have been a bit too Zinish to my taste; more about the DCV winemaking style, than about Syrah. This one speaks mostly of Syrah and Dry Creek Vlly. And very attractively priced.
   TomHill

6/4/05 - Tried these last night w/ dinner:

1. Cedarville {Grenache} ElDorado (EB; 15.1%; 170 cs) 2003: Med.dark color; attractive
   strawberry/Grenache/raspberry slight earthy bit Rhonish spicy/attractive nose; tart very attractive/bright juicy/strawberry/Grenache light earthy/dusty flavor; med. spicy/strawberry/ Grenache/juicy light earthy elegant/bright finish w/ light tannins; an attractive/bright/spicy Grenache for easy-drinking and may age a yr or two. $22
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2. AlbanVnyds CentralCoast Syrah (15.4%) 2003: Black color; rich/lush/intense plummy/
   blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/very ripe ratherr charred/toasty/Fr.oak/Alban/burnt nose; soft/rich/lush blackberry/boysenberry/plummy/Syrah fairly burnt/charred/pungent light chalky flavor; long bit tannic very ripe/plummy/boysenberry/Syrah/spicy quite charred/burnt/oak some chalky/dusty finish w/ some tannins; needs a yr or two; loads of plummy/jammy/PR Syrah character w/ plenty of burnt/charred oak. Fairly priced at $32.
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   Too tired for a BP today.
   Tom

5/29/05 - Couldn't wait to try two new wines on the shelves ystrday:

1. Garretson EnchantmentCuvee CentralCoast WhiteWine (14%; www.GarretsonWines.com) 2004: Med.yellow color; attractive floral/fragrant/Viognier light peachy quite perfumed nose; slightly bitter rich/tart floral/peachy/Viognier/honeysuckle slight earthy/minerally flavor; med. slight bitter tart/rich/lush peachy/floral aromatic finish; an attractive Rhone blend, probably Viognier/Roussanne; very good value at $19.
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2. Garretson EnchantmentCuvee CentralCoast RedWine (14%) 2003: Very dark color; very strong blackberry/blueberry/Grenache blackberry/jammy loads of fruit nose; soft slight tannic very jammy/PasoRobles/jammy/blackberry/blueberry/Grenache flavor; bit tannic/chalky jammy/Paso/blackberry/Syrah finish w/ bit of a bite; needs a yr or two, nicely done red, probably mostly Paso Grenache/Syrah blend; great wine for the price. $20
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   And a bit of a BloodyPulpit:
   1. Both these wines came w/ a screwcap closure. Gotta love those screwcaps. When I saw these btls standing there on the shelf at the back of the wine shop, I simply unscrewed the cap and took a few swigs straight from the btl in order to take these notes, then returned it to the shelf. Saved me $39. I DO love those screwcaps.
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   2. These wines, of unknown composition, were apparently made for the NewMexico market and are probably not generally available. These marketing guys simply have no shame at all. But it gets worse... the back label contains this tribute to the beauty of NewMexico and then ends with the whine: "..when are you going to come pay us a visit?" So...some seven of us NorthernNewMexico folks having been out there a mere 2 weeks earlier was not enough?? Jeez!!
   Tom

5/4/05 - Liked the Ramian Grenache so much I had to try this:

1. Ramian CinammonHillVnyd LaMorra (14.4%; www.RamianEstate.com) 2002: Very dark/black color; intense grapey/Dolcetto very perfumed slight licorice some dusty/earthy/minerally nose; bit hard/tannic tart earthy intense grapey/Dolcetto rich/perfumed slight floral/violets flavor; bit hard/tannic very strong Dolcetto/grapey earthy/minerally light toasty/oak finish; needs several yrs; terrific example of Dolcetto. $36.00
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   A bit of a BloodyPulpit:
   1. This wine is mostly Dolcetto w/ a bit of Nebbiolo therein. Grapes come from Ken Musso's CinammonHill Vnyd up in ElDoradoCnty, just North of Placerville. This is easily the best Calif Dolcetto I've yet had. A dead-ringer I thought for a good Dolcetto di Dogliano, like a Bochis. A bit softer than an Italian version, but that classic grapiness w/ a slight tannic bite. I often get a rather earthy/ mushroomy character in ElDorado (the EID flavor Scott Harvey calls it) reds, a terroir character I guess. Did'nt find this in the LaMorra at all. Both a winery and a vnyd to watch out for in the future. Winemaker is Brian Graham. Ken is also making his own wine from his grapes.
   Tom

5/3/05 - Tried the other night two Calif Rhones:

1. Ramian HighlandVnyd PageOne (55 yr old Grenache vnyd near Redding; 2003: Light red color; very fragrant/perfumed lush/strawberry/Grenache/spicy light oak light earthy nose; tart light bright/spicy/strawberry/Grenache light earthy/dusty/OldVines Nehi strawberry soda pop flavor; tart med.short bright/fragrant/strawberry/Grenache finish w/ light tannins; a very pretty/bright/strawberry/Grenache. $24.00
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2. AlexanderVllyVnyds Syrah AlexanderVlly WetzelFamilyEstate (14.0%; www.AVVWine.com) 2002: Very dark color; attractive blackberry/Syrah some earthy bit oaked rather simple nose; tart spicy/blackberry/Syrah/black cherry light pungent/oak bit hard/tannic flavor; med.short light tannic simple/blackberry/Syrah/black cherry finish; needs yr or two; pleasant Syrah at a fair price but a bit on the rustic/simple side. $14.00
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   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. Ramian: This is a Grenache that winemaker Brian Graham states is made in a Spanish Garnacha style. I would agree that it's pretty dead-on for a Garnacha (which usually sell in the low $Teens). On the light side, but a very pretty Grenache for easy drinking. Interesting that the grapes are grown up near Redding (the source is not indicated on their WebSite). Not an area one thinks of for growing grapes. Would like to know more about that vnyd.
   I got, unsolicited, in the mail a few weeks ago this solicition from Ramian for their new release of Cab, this Page One, and a LaMorra (Dolcetto/Nebbiolo blend). Glanced thru it. New wnry, never heard of them, immediately tossed it into the trash. But the CinnammonHill vnyd source for the Dolcetto/ Nebbiolo stuck in the back of my mind. Googled it and found that it's a vnyd up in ElDorado owned by a (cyber) friend, Ken Musso, that I've occasionally e-mailed. So... out it came from the trash and I ordered the Grenache & LaMorra to try, on a flyer. Glad I did... really liked the Grenache and eager to try what Ken's grapes yielded. Ken grows a bunch of Italian varieties north of Placerville, has started making his own wines. I'm hoping to make it up there for a visit when I'm in Sac for Summer Nationals in July. Would love to see what Steve Edmunds could do with those grapes.
   Tom
   

4/25/05 - Couldn't resist that stack of new Ojais last night so cracked open:

1. OjaiVnyd SantaBarbara Syrah (14.0%; 50% VogelzangVnyd/25% WesterlyVnyd/Stolpman/ RollRanch/BienNacido vnyds) 2003: Black color; very strong licorice/blackberry/Syrah bit toasty/ oak dusty/minerally bit closed nose; tart bit hard/tannic/closed/tight big/rich blackberry/Syrah/ licorice slight pungent/roasted flavor; long/tannic big/blackberry/licorice some toasty/roasted/ oak/pungent finish; everything you want in a young Syrah, needs a yr or two and should go 6-8. A QPR champ on pre-release at $25
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   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. This Syrah is a bit on the tight side right now, but it'll be killer down the road. The Ojai SantaBarbara Syrah was and is one of the best Syrahs out there for the price. Just can't be beat.
   Tom

3/27/05 - Had this wine the other night w/ my ragu:

1. BonnyDoonVnyd SantaCruzMtn Syrah (EB; 14.1%) 1994: Med.dark color; slight reduced/ gunpowder/used fireworks nose on opening; cleared to dusty/pungent/StJoseph-like light blackberry/ blueberry/Syrah bit toasty/oak some complex nose; balanced/smooth spicy/blueberry/ blackberry/ Syrah slight smokey/pungent/Rhonish bit earthy/dusty/mineral complex flavor; very long smooth/ polished/elegant/balanced blueberry/Syrah/dusty some roasted/pungent/Rhonish finish w/ light tannins; one of those rare Calif reds that has come together beautifully.
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   A wee BP:
   1. I seem to recall that this was Randall's last Syrah from his BonnyDoon/SCM vnyd afore the Pierce's did it in. It has that classic earthy/dusty character that you often find in SCM reds; yet still has plenty of Syrah fruit left. This wine has come together marvelously and reminds me a lot of a good St.Joseph/Rhone. Wonderful mature red in an understated sort of way. Randall hits one outta the park here.
   Tom
   

3/23/05 - Tried last night w/ dinner:

1. RaymondVnyd NapaVlly Chard (13.4%) 1981: Deep burnished gold color; strong nutty/hazelnutty slight oxidized some toasty/caramel/butterscotchy/oak slight celery/Chard complex attractive nose; tart nutty/hazelnutty/earthy butterscotchy/caramel/oak celery/complex spicy flavor; med.long hazelnutty/nutty finish; rather hazelnutty in character in an old-Rhonish sort of way; still a pleasure to drink.
   Tom

3/23/05 - The night before RhoneRangers, I got together for dinner at Greens Restaurant w/ Alan Rath and Drew Spaulding. Two of the wines we had:

1. Olabisi SuisunVlly Syrah (king vineyard. aka. radiohead red.) Calistoga/Napa 2002: Dark color; incredibly dirty/barnyardy/bretty nose w/ virtually no Syrah fruit; soft/fat very unclean/barnyardy/ bretty/fecal slight plummy/earthy fruit flavor; avoid this wine at all costs.
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2. Ignaz Niedrist AltoAdige Sudtiroler Lagrein Gries (13.5%; Oliver McCrum import) 2002: Very dark color; strong earthy/dusty/old vines deep/black cherry/blackberry some new/oak/toasty nose; rich dusty/earthy/pungent some new/vanilla/oak strong black cherry/bing cherry/blackberry rather rough/tannic flavor; very long dusty/earthy black cherry finish w/ fair tannins; needs several yrs; pretty classic Lagrein.
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   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   Alan also brought a Dehlinger PinotNoir '99 that was marvelous; very classic pencilly Dehlinger Pinot, probably near its peak.
   I've always been impressed w/ the Greens wine list and it looked just as good as ever. The Olabisi Syrah I had never heard of and they were pouring it by the glass, so I ordered one. Hard to believe that Greens would feature a wine that was so incredibly dirty.Not a wnry I'd be inclined to gamble on again.
   Greens has always been one of my favorite restaurants since me eating/cooking tends towards the vegetarian side. The meal Fri night was no exception.
   Tom
   

3/21/05 - Flew in Thurs morning for RhoneRangers w/ Larry. We had lunch late w/ Steve Edmunds and Oliver McCrum. Tried a few things:

1. EdmundsStJohn Shell&Bone RozetVnyd (Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne; 14.2%) 2004: Pale gold color; rather floral/stoney/earthy bit honeysuckle nose; tart/stoney/earthy light floral/ honeysuckle fairly rich flavor; med.long stoney/minerally/earthy floral/perfumed finish; about $24 in a May 1 release.
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2. EdmundsStJohn PincFroid Calif Rose (73% Counoise/RozetVnyd, 27% Grenache/Eaglepoint Ranch) 2004: Pale orange/onion skin color; rather cherry/strawberry/fragrant slight earthy/dusty nose; tart/crisp/lean bright cherry/strawberry slight dusty nose; med.long perfumed/cherry/strawberry finish; priced about $15 in a April 1 release; a bright/snappy/vibrant rose.
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3. EdmundsStJohn LasRoblesViejos RozetVnyd (14.2%; Mourvedre/Grenache/Syrah/Counoise) 2001: Med.color; lovely Rhonish/earthy/garrigue earthy/plummy complex/CdP-like nose; tart very Rhonish/CdP plummy/earthy flavor; long some complex earthy/dusty/plummy SouthernRhone finish w/ some tannins; very CdP in character.
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4. Nero SanLorenzj Nero d'Avola IGT (14%) 2001: Very dark color; very strong blackberry/plummy very lush fruit some vanilla/coconutty/oak fragrant nose; tart/earthy licorice/blackberry/plummy/spicy some coconutty/vanilla/oak flavor; very long lush/blackberry/licorice/plummy some vanilla/oak finish w/ fair tannins; about $45 retail.
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   A Bloody Pulpit:
   1. Liked the Shell&Bone quite a lot. It has a very attractive fragrance to it w/o a lot of Viognier character; more Roussanne. It has a lot of that Rhone mineral/stoney character. Very much Rhone in character than Calif. Should have a very long life ahead of it I would guess. This is the new name for the LosRoblesViejo Blanc.
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   2. I hadn't had the LRV in about a year. I was struck by how much it has changed from a pleasant/simple Calif/plummy blend into one that has a lot of now-Rhonish character. Should expect it to go on another 4-7 yrs.
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   3. Nero d'Avola: Obviously one of Oliver's wines. I was a bit taken aback by the price; but probably because I'm used to $10-$20 Nd'A. In the whole context of Italian wines, that price is not out of line I would have to say. Because of the lush fruit and noticible oak, I originally dismissed it as an "international style" of wine. But I think it's not that simple; it just didn't have the rustic/earthy character I find in many Nd'As. It was a very polished/well-made wine and a different rendition of Nd'A than I've ever had. Probably wouldn't buy it at that price, but I buy very few high-end Italian wines.
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   4. We (Larry&I) flew in together on an early SW flight. Who should we run into at the baggage carrousel but Deborah Madison (founding chef at Greens; author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone & other cookbooks) and her husband/artist Patrick McFarland, who designs/arts labels for several wineries, including Two-Tone Farm.
   Larry&I headed up to CafeFanny for coffee & then next door to Kermit Lynch to shop. He checked out first & the clerk noted he was from NewMexico. Then I got my btl and he noticed I, too, was from NewMexico. You could see the light go off in his head & he asked.."You guys doing the SideWays thing out here??", in dead seriousness. Cracked us up. I immediately responded..."Yeah...and that's Jack"..pointing at Larry; "now he needs to line us up w/ the chicks"!! We both got quite a laugh over that guy.
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   5. Lunch was at Cafe Rouge, a new one for me. Terrific food, rustic/peasant Med food. Very attractive wine list & very reasonably priced. Worth checking out if you've not been there. Lower Berkeley on 4'th St. Dreadful parking.
   Tom

2/27/05 - Had this wine after KenCollura's Zin seminar up in Taos at de la Tierra restaurant at ElMonteSagrado resort:

1. JosephSwan Sonoma Zin TW 1982: Med.dark color w/ slight bricking; lovely fragrant/perfumed cedary/pencilly dusty/old vines slight blackberry/Zin some complex nose; slight dried out/astringent lovely cedary/pencilly/oak slight earthy/dusty light blackberry/old Zin flavor; med.long bit astringent very cedary/pencilly/complex light blackberry/dusty almost Burgundian finish; lovely aromatics of cedar & pencil but drying out somewhat on the palate; drink up soon.
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   A wee bloody pulpit:
   1. I had this wine, the last btl in my cellar, several yrs ago w/ a bunch of other Swan Zins. Arrgggh...it was corked..badly. I posted my tasting notes, including this '82, on the usual wine boards. A few weeks later, there showed up on my doorstop, totally unsolicited, a replacement btl. Un...friggin'...believable!! Apparently Rod or Lynn Bergland happened to notice my tasting note and, with no prompting on my part, delved into their archives to give me a second chance at the wine. Amazing service.
   Tom

2/27/05 Tried this Fri night:

1. ReneRostaing LesCombes CoteauxDeLanguedoc (12.5%) 2002: Very dark color; slight smoky/roasted/espresso dusty/old vines some oak/mousy bit blackberry/black cherry nose; rather tannic/hard/rustic/dusty slight smoky/charred light blackberry some minerally rather lean/tight flavor; med.short hard/tannic/dusty/rough slight blackberry/black cherry finish; needs several yrs; a pretty rough/rustic/tough as nails Languedoc that needs time but doubtful potential; paying big $ for a Rostaing ordinary wine. $27.00
   No BP today.
   Tom

2/26/05 - Oy....the things I won't do for my InterNet wine buddies. Cracked last night:

1. Coturri SonomaVlly Zin (14.5%; ChauvetVnyd/GlenEllen; half planted in 1935, half planted in 1976) 1995: Very brown/murky almost sherry color; very unpleasant (for Zinfandel) mousy/hantavirus/rat feces oxidized/sherry overripe/raisened no fruit rather earthy nose; very ripe/overripe/raisened/pruney rather oxidized/caramel/sherry/medicinal/Buckley'sCoughSyrup mousy no-fruit flavor; very long/complex mousey/earthy oxidized/sherry overripe/pruney/raisened no-fruit finish w/ little tannins; tastes like a LateHrvst Zin from the early '70's; dead afore its time. $17.00
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2. Coturri SonomaVlly Zin Sweet/BarrelSelect (14.5%; ChauvetVnyd) 1995: Pretty much the same wine except slightly sweet on the palate and a bit more overripe & pruney in character. $17.00
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   And a wee BloodyPulpit, dedicated to Tony & Phil Coturri for expanding my vinous horizons:
   1. These wines were made w/o use of added sulfites. If ever a case was made for use of sulfites in wines, these two are it. The wines tasted 30 yrs old, not 10. The brown/murky color indicates the high degree of oxidation that has transpired in these wines. In their youth, the wines were brimming w/ intense/ripe/blackberry fruit. But that has long fled the scene.
   In point of fact, these two were in much better shape than some old Coturris I've had. There was no signs of rampant biological activity that I've seen in some. And they certainly had complexity. If I stood back and tasted them not as Zinfandels, but as old/oxidized wines; they reminded me a bit of some of the old Priorat Rancios I've had...but that's before most of you folk's time.
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   2. I've had some stunning Zins from the ChauvetVnyd, made by Roudon-Smith some yrs ago. Now there's a name outta the past.
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   3. I think it was in the Cornas MasterClass a few yrs ago at HdR that we had a Cornas made w/o added sulfer that was pretty spectacular. Wonder how that wine is holding up??
   Tom
   

2/20/05 In researching my next article on organic/biodynamic wines, I cracked open:

1. Frey Mendocino Syrah OrganicWine/NoSulfitesAdded (13.9%; www.FreyWine.com) 2003: Black color; earthy/tomatoey some blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah bit fragrant/earthy nose; soft/sour earthy/tomatoey light boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah slight rough/tannic flavor; very short soft/sour slight mousy light earthy/blackberry/Syrah finish w/ light tannins; drink for the short term; a rather soft/soupy/unthrilling Syrah.
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   Wanting something (hopefully) decent, I then cracked:
2. Edmeades MendocinoCnty Zin (15.0%; www.Edmeades.com) 2003: Very dark color; very strong blackberry/Zin bit minerally/dusty/earthy slight cedary/pencilly ripe attractive nose; soft off-dry/overripe blackberry/boysenberry/ripe/Zin light earthy/dusty/tomatoey some spicy/pencilly/ cedary/oak flavor w/ light tannins; med.long soft/off-dry/overripe blackberry/Zin light cedary/oak finish w/ light tannins; pleasant Zin but a bit on the overripe side and the off-dry character is rather tiring; OK wine at $15.00
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   No BP today.
   Tom
   

2/18/05 - Tried this last night w/ dinner:

1. EricTexier CotesDuRhoneBlanc Brezeme Roussanne (13%) 2001: Med.gold color; lovely floral/ honeysuckle/Roussanne some minerally/earthy/stoney exotic/spicy almost Alban-like w/o the oak nose; very tart/lean rich/big minerally/stoney strong floral/honeysuckle/gardenia/Roussanne flavor; very long tart/acid rather stoney/minerally very strong floral/honeysuckle/Roussanne finish; THIS is what Roussanne from the Rhone is all about; big/rich wine w/ acid structure to carry it; killer RhoneBlanc and fairly priced at $25.00.
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   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. Eric Texier's wines NEVER let me down. Although a bit pricey for the CdRBlanc genre; this wine is fairly priced for what it is.... a terrific example of RhoneRoussanne. This is a wine I'm very confident is going to be killer stuff w/ 10 yrs of age or so. I'm picking up more.
   Tom

2/14/05 - Tried this last night for dinner in my first real meal in over a week:

1. AndrewMurray CentralCoast Syrah Tous les Jours (14.5%) 2003: Very dark/near black color; somewhat volatile/EA/pickle juice bit hot/fumey/alcoholic some peppery/blackberry/Syrah slight spicy nose; soft/fat some licorice/boysenberry/very ripe Syrah somewhat hot/fumey/overripe/alcoholic flavor; med.short soft/fat/porky boysenberry/blackberry/licorice finish w/ little tannins; some interesting Syrah character therein but a bit too volatile & fumey for my taste. $13.60
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   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. Andrew's original TlJ Syrahs included Lodi fruit, which gave it a bit of earthy character. This is entirely CentralCoast Syrah and (probably) mostly Paso EastSide (French Camp?); which gives it a lot of overripe/jammy character. Alas, the VA was a bit too much for me.
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   2. I've followed Andrew's wines from the very start and have been a BestBarrique member from its inception. I find his wines frustratingly erratic. Way too many of them are marred by an unacceptably high level of VA/EA character; which makes them seem hot & fumey. And then one will come along that is absolutely terrific. I'm finding I'm having to kiss too many frog's to find a prince (even if it is Valentine'sDay) with Andrew's wines. On the upside, his whites don't seem to have this problem and have continued to improve.
   Tom

2/6/05 - Tried last night w/ dinner:

1. LesGrandesVallees LucPirlet Syrah (60%)/Mourvedre (40%) RedLanguedocWine (Eleve en Fut de Chene; 13%; www.LucPirlet.com) 2001: Very dark color; bit hard/rustic/minerally fairly dusty/earthy/rustic nose; some hard/rustic/minerally quite dusty/earthy light blackberry/black cherry/Mourvedre/gamey slight metallic/austere flavor; med.long rough/tannic/hard minerally/dusty/ earthy finish; needs a few yrs; a pretty rough/rustic/minerally red displaying that Languedoc terroir; hearty drinking red at $10.00.
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   Wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. Eleve en Fut de Chene: I think that translates as "living (or lived) in the foot of a cat". Strange thing to put on a wine label methinks.
   Tom

2/4/05 - Tried last night w/ my Lasagna:

1. Heinrich red RTW (12.5%; regular bottle) NeusiedlerSee/Austria NV: Very dark/black color; strong/lush/grapey/black cherry/licorice slight dusty/earthy WashStateLemberger-like nose; fairly tart earthy/dusty/damp forest rather black cherry/boysenberry/licorice fairly lush no oak flavor; soft/lush licorice/black cherry bit rough/rustic/tannic finish; needs several yrs; much like a WashState Lemberger or a Friuli Refosco in character w/o the oak; interesting red at $15.00
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2. Josef Umathum/Wolfgang Peck Zantho St.Laurent Burgenland (13.0%; www.Zantho.com) 2002: Very dark color; some smokey/oak deep/black cherry/Zin-like bit minerally/chocolaty/ licorice/complex slight earthy nose; soft/fat/lush DrPepper/black cherry/cola slight toasty/oak bit tannic/rough flavor; long/lush/soft licorice/chocolaty/DrPepper/black cherry/cola finish w/ light tannins; needs a yr or two; much like Refosco or Lemberger; lovely/drinkable read for $15.00
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   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. No idea what varieties are in the Heinrich. Would guess Zweigelt or St.Laurent or a blend thereof.
   The St/Laurent is a native/indiginous variety to Austria. Some sources maintain it's "related" to PinotNoir, others claim it's a crossing between PinotNoir and an unknown variety. Nothing I found indicated any DNA evidence to connect it to PinotNoir. I found little resenblance to Pinot in the wine; it reminded more of Refosco or Lemberger; a soft lush/grapey character w/ a bit of earthiness and a slight tannic bite. Interesting variety. Apparently being planted some in Central Otago of NewZealand.
   TomHill
   

2/2/05 - Tried last night w/ my potato gratin:

1. ChaloneVnyd Chalone Chard (EB; #43,098 of 62,135; 13.4%) 1982: Deep golden color; lovely/ complex toasty/FrOak/butterscotchy smokey/pungent nose w/ no trace of oxidation; tart some complex toasty/butterscotchy/FrOak/tobaccoy slight celery/Monterey Chard rich/textured flavor; long/lingering some complex toasty/smokey/FrOak/tobaccoy finish; in wonderful shape w/ no trace of oxidation and a real pleasure to drink.
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   Wee BP:
   1. Wasn't too surprised on how good this one was. It had been stored in my cellar since purchase; so about 60F in the summer and mid-30'sF in the winter. Pretty gunky around the top with a bit of ullage, but no signs of damage from my poor storage conditions. Believe it or not, many Calif Chards CAN age.
   TomHill

1/26/05 - Stumbled across this relic last night, so gave it a test drive w/ very low expectations:

1. DouglasMeador Monterey SauvignonBlanc *12.9%) 1982: Med.gold color; attractive steely/minerally slight herbal/cat pee/SB/varietal nose; tart/smooth minerally/chalky/steely slight herbal/SB crisp/bright rather loire/minerally flavor; med.long steely/minerally slight earthy light herbal/SB finish; in absolutely amazing/fresh condition as if it were made in the Loire only yesterday. Expensive at the time for $11.00
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   BloodyPulpit:
   1. IIRC, this was a btlg before Doug had gone commercial under his VentanaVnyd label. IIalsoRC, this was his first production of Sauvignon Musque, the Bdx SB clone that he developed.
   I was expecting this wine to be totally dead. It was as fresh as could be. And a dead-ringer for a good Loire SB. It had not developed much complexity that you'd expect of 20+ yr wine; but it was a genuine pleasure to drink. Who'd have thunk....20 yr old Calif SB...that's good.
   Tom

1/25/05 - Tried this relic last night for dinner:

1. Cronin MontereyCnty Chard VentanaVnyd TW 1981: Deep gold color; rather oaked/toasty classic Monterey/celery/Chard quite perfumed/complex rather toasted hazelnuts/nutty slight oxidized nose; tart spicy/toasty/Fr.oak hazelnutty/nutty complex celery/Monterey Chard flavor; very long tart hazelnutty some oxidized finish; still very much alive and a pleasure to drink.
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   BloodyPulpit:
   1. Oxidized whites: That nutty/hazelnutty/slightly oxidized character you get in an old/mature WhiteRhone/Marsanne/Roussanne is usually regarded as a positive trait in those wines. For some reason that I've never figured out, that same character in an old Chard is regarded as a negative, a sign of oxidation, and a cause for dumping the wine. To me, if the wine is still a pleasure to drink, I don't regard that bit of oxidation as a reason to be horified of the wine.
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   2. Duane Cronin has been quietly making his wine up in Woodside from a variety of sources. He's not a producer that you hear a whole lot about, probably because of his tiny production. But I've invariably found his wines to be very well-made and interesting. Worth taking for a test drive if you can find them.
   TomHill
   

1/24/05 - Had this last night at the Great Chefs of Taos dinner at de la Tierra restaurant, presided over by Ken Collura:

1. Chateau Gilette Creme de Tete Sauternes 1955: Med.dark gold color w/ slight browning; strong mature Sauternes/complex creme brulee/figgy some botrytis/peachy amazingly fresh nose w/ no signs of oxidation or going over the hill; tart slightly sweet very complex peachy/apricotty/light botrytis figgy/creme brulee flavor; very long creme brulee/figgy complex finish; amazingly fresh and alive and young for a 50 yr old wine.
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   BP:
   1. Chateau Gilette is a Sauternes estate that you don't hear a whole lot about. Production around 5,000 btls/yr. The wine is frmtd in stainless steel and aged in epoxy-lined concrete vats (i.e. no oak) and generally btld at 20 yrs of age.... a very unusual winemaking regimin for Sauternes. The owners are Medeville, who also own the more commonly available Chateay Les Justices.
   The wine was like it had been suspended in a time warp. Blind, I would have guessed it to be about 10 yrs old or so. It lacked that rich/luscious/uncuntuous character that more conventional Sauternes show and didn't show a great intensity of botrytis/apricotty character. OTOH, it wasn't just another of those intellectual experiences but no sensual experiences; it was a genuine delight to drink. We had it after the dessert course, by itself. Amazing wine.
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   2. This GreatChefs dinner will probably become the showcase event of the Taos Winter Wine Festival, if they continue it, which I presume they will. It was held at the de la Tierra restaurant (one of my absolute favorites in Taos) at the El Monte Sagrado resort there. The event was organized by Ken Collura, the dlT sommelier, formerly of Bern'sSteakHouse. The dinner ran impressively smoothly; the wines were all excellent matches for the dishes. Chefs from five top Taos restaurants got together at dlT and coordinated their efforts to deliver this meal. A wonderful evening it was with Larry & Laura, with a big plus being the Pats victory.

TomHill

1/18/05Tried last night w/ dinner:

1. VinaMein Ribero Vin Blanc (80% Treixadura, 15% Godello, plus Albarino, Loureira, and Torrontes; 12%) Galicia/Espana 2002: Light gold color; lovely fragrant floral/R-like almost Viognier-perfumey slight steely/earthy/minerally very perfumed nose; tart bit steely/metallic/earthy rather floral/perfumed flavor; med.long lovely floral/minerally finish; a very interesting & attractive white at a great price. $12.00
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2. BigMooseRed Calif RW (13.9%; 75% Syrah from CentralCoast & Lodi; 15% PetiteSirah and 10% Grenache from PasoRobles; 60% American oak, 40% French oak; 25% New oak; pH: 3.62, TA: 0.58) C&B by CultWines/Oakville NV: Black color; strong herbal/boysenberry/licorice some earthy/mushroomy/Lodi bit buttery/oak very juicy/grapey bit rustic nose; very soft/lush grapey/jammy/juicy Lodi/earthy Monterey/herbal strong blackberry/licorice flavor; med.long Lodi/earthy herbal juicy/jammy licorice finish w/ little tannin; pretty decent screw-cap red at a more than fair price. $10.00
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   Wee BP:
   1. The BigMoose is a JoelGott wine. The earthy character of the Lodi grapes really shows. The somewhat herbal character of Monterey (probably San Bernabe) Syrah also shows thru strong.
   I had opened this screw-capped wine the night before a did not like it at all on the palate, it had a nasty sour streak to it. The second night it tasted a whole lot better. A great YellowTail alternative. In fact, much more character than YellowTail in that it shows its terroir...always a good thing.
   TomHill