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.

 12/13/05 - Oyyyy.... these beady-eyed, silver-tongued, fast-talking, glib, polyester-wearing, bad-hairpiece wine-marketing guys got me exactly where they want me. My stash of EdmundsStJohn arrived ysterday and I kept hearing these voices out in the garage..."Try me"..."No, Try Me, she's a Voignier slut"..."No, I'm Jolly, try me"... plus this deep bass voice rumbling out..."It's me, Tom...Bassetti". Oyyyy.. which to choose? So I went with:

1. EdmundsStJohn TablasCreekVnyd/PasoRobles Roussanne (14.5%; www.EdmundsStJohn.com) 2004: Med.light gold color; light floral/appley/apple pie bit spicy/nutmeg strong/very minerally/chalky nose; tart/lean/austere/severe very stoney/minerally apple pie/spicy/floral hard/tight flavor; very long very minerally/stoney light floral/Roussanne/apple pie finish; badly cries out for age. $30.00
   _______________________
   And a wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. This is a wine that is going to be hard for most people to understand. A bit like a Loire w/o the fragrance, a bit like a SouthernRhoneBlanc w/ its stony character, a bit like a Chablis because of its pronounced minerality. This wine is tighter than a drum and so badly is in need of age. Though severe on the palate, it has a richness and texture and is hardly what you'd call a green wine. It's a bit in the Tablas Creek style of austerity, but a degree beyond what they do. When I tasted this wine, I could see walking thru that vnyd w/ Neil (??) on that hot/summer day w/ the sun bouncing off that white/limestone soil. This is a wine, I feel, is going to be pretty special down the road, maybe even 10-15 yrs. Put it away & give it some time. Sometimes you have to accept things on blind faith...God, ill-fitting codpieces, an end to Iraq... I think I'll listen to BrotherSteve on this one.
   Tom
   

12/11/05 - Couldn't wait to break into the just-arrived DrewFamily stash:

1. DrewFamily CabernetFranc HearthstoneVnyd/PasoRobles (13.7%) 2003: Black color; intense spicy/black fruits/Cab/blackcurranty rather toasty/Fr.oak dusty/minerally very unusual/interesting; tart structured rich/blackcurranty/Cab rather tannic some Fr.oak/toasty/smoky flavor; very long dusty/minerally intense black fruits/Cab toasty/pungent/oak fairly tannic finish; needs 2-8 yrs; one of the best Calif CabFrancs I've ever had; very spicy & different from most; none of that Paso/jammy character many of those Cabs show. Terrific Cab. $28.00
   ________________
   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. I've been following Jason&Molly Drew's wines from the very start, mostly because of their Syrahs, but also like their Pinots quite a lot. I bought this from their latest offering (www.DrewWines.com) just to see what Jason could do w/ a variety that I care little for. Paso Cab has never excited me much.
   I was very/very impressed w/ the wine. It has a minerality & spicy/pepper character I've never seen in CabFranc, w/ no herbaceous character at all. It reminded me a bit of Loire CabFranc w/o the earthiness they oft show. For Cab Franc fans, worth snagging a btl or two. Killer Cab.
   ______________________
   2. Jason&Molly have recently bought land and moved to the AndersonVlly/MendocinoCnty (he once made wines at Navarro). I am very/very excited by that move and
   very eagerly look forward to has working w/ some of the great grapes grown in MendoCnty.
   Tom

   
   
   12/5/05Tasted a dinner Sat night w/ friends:

1. EdmundsStJohn DurellVnyd/SonomaVlly Syrah (12 1/2%) 1990: Med.dark color w/ little browning; beautiful/complex smokey/toasty/coffee rather Rhonish some blackberry/Syrah nose; tart smokey/ pungent/roasted some meaty/gamey bit cedary light blackberry/Syrah complex Rhonish flavor; long smooth complex light meaty/blackberry/Syrah somewhat smokey/roasted/pungent finish w/ light tannins; in great condition but probably a bit beyond its peak; beautiful/complex mature Syrah w/ some Rhonish character.
   ________________________
2. Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 1998: Very dark color; intense green olive/roasted/espresso beautiful/complex classic NorthernRhone nose; beautiful very tart complex green olive/roasted/ coffee/espresso bit hard/lean flavor; very long tart/bit schreechy roasted/green olive/espresso finish w/ some tannins; classic beautiful NorthernRhone; bit schreechy on the palate but beautiful aromatics and should go another 5-10 yrs.
   _______________________
3. OjaiVnyd BienNacidoVnyd/SBCnty Syrah (13%) 1995: Dark color w/ no browning; very strong toasty/cedary/oak smokey dusty/blackberry/Syrah bit complex nose; smooth/tart rather dusty charred oak/cedary/pungent slight blackberry/Syrah flavor; bit hard/dried out/tannic pungent/charred/smokey slight blackberry/Syrah finish; lost a lot of fruit and a bit hard on the palate; maybe beyond its peak now.
   _______________________
4. Qupe BienNacidoVnyd/SBCnty Syrah (12.5%) 1994: Med.color w/ little browning; strong smokey/ pungent/oak/toasty peppery/spicy dustyblackberry/Syrah some complex/aromatic nose; slight peppery/ green olive toasty/smokey/oak dusty/blackberry/Syrah bit lean/hard/tart flavor; long smokey/pungent some green olive/blackberry Syrah finish w/ light tannins; seems a bit beyond its peak but very good drinking.
   _______________________
5. MarkWest RussianRiverVlly GWT LateHrvst (11.5%; SaH: 26.8; RS: 7.0%; botrytis affected) 1991: Med.dark golden color w. some browning; strong peachy/botrytis/apricotty very orangey/orange rind complex nose; quite sweet intense/apricotty/peachy/botrytis orangey/spicy soft/fat flavor; very long soft very sweet intense peachy/botrytis/canned peaches/apricotty finish; still going strong and will go another 10 yrs.
   ____________________________________
   Wee BP:
   1. The EdmundsStJohn was a terrific wine. Some Rhonish but not one you'd mistake for a NorthernRhone. I was expecting more from the Ojai and Qupe, but they seemed rather hard & austere on the palate, the Qupe a bit more attractive. The AlainGraillot....it's NorthernRhone... as good as Syrah gets.
   Tom
   

   

12/5/05 - Tried this new wine for Adam last Friday:

1. Novy VanDerKampVnyd/SonomaMtn PinotMeunier (14.8%) 2004: Very dark/near black color; intense black cherry/earthy/boysenberry/Pinot some toasty/oak rather aromatic nose; tart earthy/black cherry/boysenberry/Pinot/black cherry cola slight toasty/oak flavor; long black cherry/colaPinot some toasty/smokey/oak finish w/ some tannins; a very rich/tasty red w/ some Pinot character w/ earthy overtones; not the high-toned Pinot character of the PinotNoirs; great value at $20.
   _________________________
   BP:
   1. Price is pre-release plus shipping. An interesting new wine from Adam that I liked quite a lot. Tiny production. Had very distinct Siduri style but more earthiness and less finesse than Adam's usual Pinots.
   Tom

11/30/05 - Tried this last night:

1. Eberle PasoRobles Zin (14.8%) 1989: Very dark color w/ slight browning; some pungent/ gunpowder/ used fireworks cedary/pencilly some licorice/jammy/blackberry complex/perfumed nose; soft bit dried out/astringent cedary/pencilly/licorice/pungent slight blackberry/jammy/Zin/peppery flavor; very long bit astringent/dried out very cedary/pencilly licorice/pungent finish; lost most of its fruit but still a pleasure to drink as it starts to slip over the edge from being an aristocatic/courtly old gentleman into being a bawdy/lecherous old fart wearing one of those stupid T-Shirts.
   ________________________
   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. This is one of Gary's early Zins and came from the Belli-Sauret Vnyd. This, I recall, was a Zin which was highly praised by one wine writer for its lower level of alcohol as 15%-17% Zins were becomming the norm. In fact, its alcohol level was nearly 16%. The wine carries its alcohol well and shows no hot nor fumey character nor over-ripeness. I was surprised at how delish it still was.
   Tom

   

   11/27/05 - Tried last night at dinner w/ a friend:

1. EdmundsStJohn LosRoblesViejos PasoRobles WW RozetVnyd (13.3%; Viognier+Marsanne/Roussanne) 2003: Light gold color; light pear/Viognier/fragrant quite minerally/chalky nose; tart/lean/nervy light pear/apple/Viognier chalky/minerally lean/tight flavor; lots of minerally/chalky character; needs 2-6 yrs of age; great food wine.
   ______________________________
2. FirestoneVnyd SantaYnezVlly Syrah (13.5%) 2002: Very dark color; strong boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/oak rather Oz-like nose; tart/angular boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah some toasty/vanilla flavor; med. boysenberry/Syrah finish; a bit tight/hard/lean w/ lots of Oz-Shiraz character; would like a bit more lush/ripe fruit; good value at $16.00
   _______________________________
3. EdmundsStJohn Calif Syrah (14%) 2001: Dark color; lovely pencilly/cedary/complex bit Rhonish/smoky some dusty/blackberry/earthy/Syrah very interesting nose; tart pencilly/dusty/earthy rich/blackberry/Syrah slight Rhonish flavor; long pencilly/cedary/smokey bit tannic blackberry/dusty/Syrah finish; really good drinking and will go another 2-5 yrs at least; dishonest to by a wine this good at $18.
   ________________________________
   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. EdStJ Whites: Steve tends to make his whites on a leaner style than many other Calif Rhone producers. This LRV is just one such. Not very flashy or flamboyant as Calif Viognier goes, but just really good drinking. It reminded me some of a Loire white; a great food wine. We had gone thru the whole friggin' btl afore we realized it was all gone. It'll win no big Arpy scores, but exactly the kind of wine you want to drink another glass of.
   Tom

11/22/05 - Tried this the other night:

1. Elyse L'Ingenue Calif WW (15.4%; 4 Rhone varieties; Naggiar & Noble Vnyds) 2003: Med.light gold color, light pencilly/oak perfumed/fragrant/aromatic peachy/Viognier nose; very soft/fat floral/peachy/Viognier light pencilly/oak attractive flavor; med.long aromativ/peachy/pear/Viognier rather soft finish; very attractive aromatics but lacks structure/acidity and soft/fat and a bit hot on the palate. $27.00
   __________________________________________
   Bloody Pulpit:
   1. Ray Coursen's first venture into white Rhone varietals. Seems to be dominated by the Viognier component. The Naiggar Vnyd (www.NaiggarVineyard.com) is located in the "Sierra foothills" betwixt Auburn and GrassVlly. The NobleVnyd is located over in Knight'sVlly. Like the aromatics of the wine but it's a bit porky on the palate.
   Tom
   

11/17/05 - Tried this last night blind. Due to the ubitiquous presence of Uruguain Dessert Tannats in the US market, I thought everyone would identify it. But...nope:

1. Alcyone Atlantida/Uruguay Tannat Dessert Wine (16%) Vinedo de las Vientos NV: Very black color; weird/intense vanilla extract/toasted coconut/chocolaty very alcoholic grapey nose; very sweet bizarre/vanilla/extract/chocolaty hot/fumey very grapey flavor; very long bizarre/vanilla extract/chocolaty finish. $24/500ml
   __________________________________
   The BloodyPulpit:
   1. Definitely one of the most bizarre wines I've tasted. Almost like drinking chocolate-flavored vanilla extract. However... perusual of their WebSite (www.vinedodelosvientos.com/other.htm) indicates that:
   Alcyone is made with Tannat wine sweeted with cane sugar and boiled with aromatic herbs. Then it is fortified with grappa to reach 16 % of alcohol by volume.
   So.... if the wine is viewed in the context of Italian Barolo Chinato... it's not so bad. Maybe an ideal match for a Molten Chocolate Cake, perhaps.
   Recommended only for the adventurous or the fool-hardy.
   Tom
   

10/21/05

1. SierraVista SierraSyrah ElDorado (EB; 12.8%) 1982: Very dark color; beautiful/complex
   earthy/mushroomy minerally/smokey/pencilly/pungent complex bit Rhonish/Cornas amazing nose;
   smooth/velvety beautiful/complex mushroomy/earthy minerally/smokey/coffee/pungent some
   blackberry/Syrah flavor; beautiful/aromatic minerally/coffee/pungent light blackberry/Syrah
   dusty/earthy/mushroomy finish w/ light/smooth/velvety tannins; an amazingly/complex fully
   mature Syrah that should last another 5 yrs or more; in wonderful shape & no signs of fading;
   lots of ElDorado terroir; a steal at $8.00, I'm gonna buy me some more of this!!
   ____________________________________________________________________________________
   Trippin' down MemoryLane in the BloodyPulpit:
   1. The year 1982 was a watershed year for Calif Syrah. The best Syrah up to then was Gary
   Eberle's EstrellaRiver '77-'79's; pretty strawberry/bright Syrahs but nothing profound.
   In 1982 were the FIRST Syrahs made in Calif that showed what Syrah was really capable of
   there. They were the RandallGraham/BonnyDoon, BobLindquist/Qupe, AdamTolmach/Ojai; all made
   from EstrellaRiver/purchased grapes. And then the forgotten SierraVista.
   Of the foursome, the BonnyDoon was my favorite, closely followed by the Qupe; both
   showing a rich blackberry/Syrah fruit not too unlike a middling Hermitage, w/ a bit of
   smokey oak. The Ojai was pretty interesting, rather big & rich, but a bit too much toasty/
   Burgundian oak that obscured the fruit. The poor SierraVista was a distant 4'th. Lots of
   that mushroomy/earthy ElDorado terroir and only a glimpse of blackberry/Syrah fruit, w/
   a restrained degree of smokey oak.
   I had my last '82 Qupe (the BonnyDoon and Ojai long gone) in 2003 at the HdR Winemaker's
   Luncheon w/ BobLindquist. Magnificently complex & aromatic w/ a lovely roasted/coffee/
   smokey/toasty character in the nose; but a bit dried out/astringent on the palate and
   slipping into geezerhood, unlike some of us. The wine was not too unlike a faded Rhone
   in character.
   This was my last '82 Syrah (I think/never sure) and wanted to try it as a data point
   afore my AmericanWineSociety presentation in a few weeks. Because it was not my favorite
   of the '82's; I fully expected this wine to be DOA. The rest in my tasting group were
   giving me the usual raft for pouring such decrepit wine. But then I started hearing
   ohhhh's left in my wake as I poured. When I poured my glass, I was first struck struck
   by its color. Very dark w/ not the least bit of browning. And then the nose... still that
   earthy/mushroomy distinctive ElDorado terroir. But there was much more blackberry/Syrah
   fruit than I ever recalled, still very/very much alive w/ no traces of oxidation, and
   an amazing complexity; one of the best mature Calif red noses I've had. It reminded me
   more of an old Clape Cornas than anything else I can recall.
   Such old wines often have terrific noses, but don't deliver on the palate; are often
   dried out & astringent. Such was not at all the case with this'n. It was still fairly
   rich and quite smooth/velvety on the palate. Sort of like a 62 yr old epee fencer... not
   dramatically powerful and swift...but still got a lot of polish and smoothness and can
   still deliver the goods and maybe at its peak.
   John & Barbara MacCready first planted their Syrah (and Cab) in 1979 up in ElDorado
   County out on Cabernet Way (wrong choice there, John!!). This was their first vintage of
   Syrah as I recall. John was right there in the Rhone movement from the very start, with
   Lindquist, Tolmach, and Randall. Probably because they're not much of a self-promoter, like
   two of the other three, John & Barbara have not gotten the recognition I feel they truly
   deserve for their contributions to the Calif/Rhone movement.
   So why was this '82 SierraVista such a killer wine?? My guess would be the acidity.
   The other three were made from ripe EastSide (NOT raising any quality issues of EastSide vs.
   WestSide) PasoRobles grapes, not noted for their high acidity. Going back to my first tasting
   note on this wine, I got, in addition to the lack of lush Syrah fruit, a distinctly sharp/
   tart note in the wine. I suspect that acidity was what gave this '82 SV its longevity.
   I've sorta followed the SierraVista wines (particularly the Zin and the Syrahs) from
   the very start. Under daughter Michelle and her husband Vincent, I've noted a distinct
   upturn in the SierraVista wines (not that John & Barbara are being turned out to pasture;
   they still remain very active & involved, in an avuncular sort of way I suspect) over the
   last 2-3 yrs. The Syrahs sometimes have almost a schreechy acidity to them. They will,
   I suspect, be still very much alive at 23 yrs of age as well. And...they still maintain
   a modest degree of alcohol (don't recall any SV wines over 15%, but there may be a few);
   rare in this day & age of California wines. And.... still modestly priced.
   It would be very interesting to sit down sometime and taste thru all four of these
   '82 Syrahs together. Alas, I have no more, so they'd have to come from the libraries.
   I suspect we'd find this SierraVista '82 the only one that made it over the long haul.
   At the 2004 HdR, Michelle & Vincent were pouring the '85 Syrah at the Library tasting.
   My recollection of that wine was similar to the '82, mushroomy/earthy but very complex;
   but not the youthfulness of this '82.
   So kudos to John & Barbara on the '82 Syrah. Maybe not great Cote-Rotie or Hermitage,
   but amazingly good mature Calif Syrah with a complexity few will ever achieve.
   _____________________________
   2. ElDoradoCounty: Like MendocinoCounty, this is an area that doesn't get the recognition
   the quality of the grapes/wines deserve. It is usually lumped in as SierraFoothills;
   the character of which most people associate with ShenandoahVlly/AmadorCounty. But it
   is far more distinctive than just SierraFoothills. The ElDorado wines usually show a
   brighter acidity than many in Calif. And they often have a dusty/earthy/mushroomy
   terroir-driven character that reminds me some of the Rhone or Languedoc. The wines
   coming from the area have been making amazing progress over the last few yrs. The
   Syrahs/PinotGrigio/Gamay of Steve Edmunds are as good as any in Calif, better than most.
   The Rhones of Holly'sHill and Cedarville and Narrow Gate are all first rate. And, of
   course, SierraVista. And there's a whole raft of just good drinking/interesting wines.
   And keep your eye out for the Dolcetto & Nebbiolo grown by Ken Musso at Cinnamon Hill.
   They've come a long way from those dreadful vegetable wines that were made up there
   in the late '70's (what WAS the name of that winery??).
   Tom
   

9/25/05 - Mark Vernon brought this unreleased wine to the SantaFe Wine&Chile Fiesta for us to try:

1. Ridge Calif LyttonWest/DryCreekVlly Syrah (9% Viognier; 14.8%; Drk: 3/05-3/15) 2003: Very dark color; slight smokey/toasty/Am.oak strong spicy/blackberry/Syrah slight meaty/gamey nose; big/intense tart blackberry/Syrah/dusty slight meaty some toasty/pungent/oak fairly tannic flavor; long rather tannic strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy/dusty some toasty/pungent/oak finish; needs 5 urs of age or more; very attractive DCV Syrah. $35.00 (futures)
   ________________________________________
   And a wee bloody pulpit:
   1. My tasting group bought a case of this recently on the futures offering from the Ridge WebSite (www.RidgeWines.com), so I was curious to try it and requested Mark to bring a btl to SanteFe. This will be the first national release (non-ATP) Syrah for Ridge, now that they have more Syrah being produced at Lytton West.
   In the past, I thought the Ridge Syrahs were not particularly expressive of Syrah, and spoke more of Ridge winemaking (the Draper perfume of Geo) than Syrah. I liked them as Ridge red wine, but not as much as Syrah. A bit more like spicy Zin/Geyserville than Syrah.
   This unreleased Syrah is clearly a different beast. It is much more reflective of Syrah than any of the Ridge's yet. And it has that typical spiciness that you find in DryCreekVlly reds, particularly Zin. Probably the best Ridge Syrah yet made and one of the better DryCreekVlly Syrahs I've had. Liked it quite a bit.
   Tom
   

8/30/05 - After cracking three '95 Zin that were shakey, decided to switch varieties:

1. Navarro Mendocino Syrah (13.7%) 1995: Black color; rather dusty/earthy/minerally some blackberry/Syrah pungent/toasty/oak/meaty slight coffee/espresso complex nose; tart earthy/dusty/minerally/tomatoey strong licorice/blackberry/Syrah light toasty/pungent fairly complex flavor; very long dusty/pungent rather blackberry/Syrah/licorice bit rough slight tannic finish; will go another 5 yrs or more; tarrific/mature Syrah and a steal at $14 back then.
   __________________________
   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. Navarro is well-known for the quality of their whites, particularly the JR and GWT, whether dry or botrytis-infected. Less well-known are the Navarro reds, other than the Pinots. They can sometimes be a bit hit or miss, but every so often they'll hit one outta the park. This was exactly one such.
   I bought this thru a friend (Howard Sherry) who orders frequently thru their wine club. I ordered it because it was the first Navarro venture into the Syrah waters, as I recall. Made from purchased grapes down in the RedwoodVlly. When I first tried this wine, I thought it a nice Syrah, but just that. Thus I opened it with low expectations, just a throw-away wine with my fentuntta and tomato/basil soup w/ fricco crouton. I was totally amazed has to how much this Syrah had improved. One of the best Syrahs (beyond Casey's
   and one or two McDowell's) I've had from Mendocino Cnty.
   Alas, Navarro doesn't make Syrah very often, depending on the availability of grapes. Whatta shame... if they can make a Syrah this good. Kudos to Navarro and MendocinoCnty on this 'un.
   TomHill

8/12/05 - Tried last night w/ my tomato:

1. TablasCreekVnyd TablasBlanc PasoRobles WhiteWine (EB; 13.5%; Roussanne/Viognier/ Marsanne) 1998: Med.yellow/gold color; very fragrant/perfumed Viognier/peach/floral/Roussanne spicy/nutmeg strong earthy slight smokey fairly complex nose; tart/lush floral/pineapply/peach/Viognier lemony earthy/stoney/minerally slight smokey/pungent rather SouthernRhone flavor; very long spicy/stoney/earthy/minerally rather floral/honeysuckle/peachy finish; beautiful/complec blanc that will go another 10 yrs.
   _________________________
   A wee BP:
   1. I've followed the TablasCreek wines from the very start. The first ones were rather unthrilling, lean/austere/not a lot of fruit. The last few yrs, they've really been upping the bar for blended Calif/Rhones.
   This wine, at release, was underwhelming. Not much fruit and a hard/earthy/minerally character. But it reminded me of young Qupe Marsanne and suggested that it might, just might, evolve into something. Well... this is one gamble that paid off. At 7 yrs of age, it has blossomed into a wonderful/perfumed/fragrant white. No reason that it might not go another 10 yrs is my guess.
   _____________________
   2. Many white wines are alleged not to age and should be drunk up young. But when they have a good acidity and an underlying minerally character, like many of these Rhone blancs have; it can be amazing what they can evolve into. Want a white that's a sure thing to age 10 yrs and beyond??? These Calif/Rhone blancs are a good bet. The EdStJohn whites from Paso are some I'm betting on.
   TomHill

8/9/05 - Tried these two wines Sunday night w/ a special friend:

1. EdmundsStJohn Viognier Paso Robles/RozetVnyd (13.9%; www.edmundsStJohn.com) 2003: Med.gold color; light pear/Viognier some earthy rather minerally/chalky rather perfumed/ethereal nose; tart/lean/spicy quite minerally ripe pear/peach/Viognier slight earthy/chalky flavor; med.long minerally/chalky spicy/pear/Viognier finish; lovely/lean Viognier that needs some age. $26.00
   _____________________
2. EdmundsStJohn Knight'sVlly Viognier (13.7%) 1993: Med.light gold color; beautiful/incredible spicy/minerally ripe pear/Viognier rather pungent/smokey/smoked hot dog very complex/Rhonish stunning nose; soft/lush very minerally lush/pear/Viognier quite smoky/pungent/smoked hot dog beautiful/spicy flavor; very long/lingering very lush/pear/Viognier bery pungent/smokey quite Rhonish finish that goes on and on. $15.50
   __________________________
   And a wee Bloody Pulpit:
   1. We are told by certain Monktown attourneys that Viogniers cannot age and to drink them young. Whatta crock. This '93 of Steve's shoulda been totally shot at 12 yrs of age. It was probably one of the two best old Viogniers I've ever had. The other one being one of Steve's (I brought) at his Oliveto anniversary dinner a few yrs ago, about the same age, maybe even the same wine. This one was still distinctly pear/Viognier but had this beautiful smokey character like ball park hot dogs. Very complex and very Rhonish, though not sure exactly which Rhone region. An amazing wine.
   The 2003 Rozet is probably going to do just as well. Steve is a big believer in Rozet and it has a leanness to it that makes me think it will age equally well. Dolly Parton it ain't.
   Tom
   

8/6/05 - Tried these two over the last few days:

1. DeLoachVnyds SonomaCnty RussianRiverVlly Chard (13.8%) 1984: Very deep gold color; rather nutty/oxidized complex very pencilly/toasty/oak slight melony/pineapply nose; soft/lush slight pineapply/melony rather pencilly/toasty/oak some complex/spicy/nutmeg flavor w/ little oxidation; long sloght oxidizeed/nutty lush light/pineapply rather toasty/pencilly/oak finish; still a rather interesting old Chard.
   ____________________
2. JosephSwanVnyds Sonoma Chard (EB, TW) 1980: Med.dark gold/brown rather murky/cloudy color; beautiful/complex toasty/pencilly rotted apples/spicy intense old Chard nose; very tart intense tobaccoy/pencilly/toasty earthy/mushroomy nutmeg/spicy very complex flavor; very long/lingering complex pencilly/toasty nutmeg/spicy finish that goes on and on; a lovely/complex/old Chard that's still a pleasure to drink.
   ___________________________
   BP: When I opened the Swan and poured it, the wine came out only in a dribble. Closer inspection revealed that, after removal of the cork, there was this disk of tartrate crystals that nearly closed off the bottle.
   Tom
   

7/28/05 - Trying to reduce my Chard holdings, so cracked these two little old ladies to go with my Roasted Cauliflower/Pimenton/Pumpkin Oil Soup last night:

1. ZD Calif Chard (13.5%) GinoZepponi/Norman de Leuze/Napa 1981: Deep gold some browning color; bit nutty/toasted hazelnuts/oxidized complex/oatmeal/toasty/creme brulee slight celery/toasted celery seed nose; soft complex/smoky/toasted hazelnuts/celery seed slight oxidized flavor; long toasted hazelnuts/celery seed slight oxidized complex finish; mighty tasty. $11.15
   _______________________
2. ChalkHillWnry SonomaCnty Chard FF/Proprietor'sReserve (13.5%) 1984: Med.dark gold color w/ no browning; rather fresh melony/celery/celery seed light toasty/oak spicy/nutmeg complex nose; soft melony/celery slight hazelnutty/toasty bit melony/appley rather youngish/fresh flavor w/ very little oxidation; med.long some complex fairly fresh/lush celery/melony complex finish; in wonderful shape. $7.29
   ____________________________
   Ye wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. These were sorta throwaway wines that I had very low expectations for. Surprise... they were in remarkably good condition. So good, in fact, that I hot-footed it up the street to James' house for them to try. Both were a genuine delight to drink and much more interesting than many young Chards I try. But then when it comes to wine, like people, I'm pretty tolerable of eccentricities and not insisting that they taste like they "should" taste. I've had some from the early-mid '80's that were totally shot & I couldn't drink them. These two were not like that.
   The ChalkHill was from FredFurth's estate vnyd I am presuming. The Calif appelation on the ZD makes me suspect that it was a blend of Gino's vnyd in the Vineburg area and perhaps some Tepesquet grapes.
   The '87 DeLoach on tap tonight.
   Tom
   

7/26/05 - Tried this last night w/ my heirloom tomatos:

1. Niebaum-Coppola Blancaneaux Rutherford/NapaVlly (43% Marsanne, 30% Chard, 16% Roussanne, 11% Viognier; 1423 cs; 14.7%; www.Niebaum-Coppola.com) 2002: Med.gold color; very strong toasty/oak very Chard-like some appley/Marsanne/fruit slight minerally/Mosel valve oil nose; tart slight minerally/Marsanne/appley quite smokey/toasty/Fr.oak flavor; long tart light minerally/appley/Marsanne/pear rather toasty/oak finish; needs a few yrs; pretty slammed by the oak but a bit of interesting fruit peeking thru; quite overpriced at $32.00
   _______________________________
   A wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. This white Rhone blend is advertised as the premium counterpart to there "great" red Cabernet blend Rubicon. Barrel frmtd and aged 12 month in new Fr. oak. And it shows. At this point, the oak pretty much obliterates any fruit in there. More like Caymus Conundrum than any Calif Rhone blend I've had. It may age into something pretty good, but I'm not likely to try and find out.
   Tom

7/25/06 - Had this w/ dinner last night:

1. MarcoReal Garnache DOC/Navarra (14.05) 2003: Black color; very strong nose of classic strawberry/Grenache slight earthy/dusty maybe slight oak nose; soft very lush/ripe grapey/strawberry/Grenache loads of fruit slight dusty flavor; long intense/grapey/strawberry/Grenache finish w/ light tannins. $11.00
   ___________________
   Wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. This is a new EricSolomon wine. Gobs of hedonistic fruit...errrrr... loads of clean Grenache fruit, very new world style. Terrific value.
   Tom
   

7/18/05 - Tried last night:

1. Wolfgang Hebar GrunerVeltliner Auslese 2000: Pale golden color; lovely floral GV rather steely/metallic/minerally slight chalky/flinty nose; tart/lean rather minerally/steely/flinty somewhat rich rather floral/melony/GV beautiful flavors; very long steely/minerally tart/lean/acid yet rich quite floral/GV finish; as fine as any commercial GV I've had, reminds me a lot of the higher-end Nigl GVs; should last another 10 yrs or more. $nc
   _____________________________________
   And a wee BloodyPulpit:
   1. This was a btl brought back directly from Vienna by a special friend who was visiting friends there recently. The label was hand written and supposedly made from his own grapes. So presume it is NOT a commercial wine. But it sure was as good as any of the commercial GVs I've ever had. I'm trying to find out more about the wine now.
   Tom
   

7/17/05 - Picked up last week two Suisse wines that I shared last night:

1. Domaine de Chauvigny AC Bevaix (11%; www.montmollinwine.ch) Domaine E. de Montmollin Fils/Auvernier/Suisse 2002: Pale, near colorless; slight floral/fragrant some earthy/minerally/chalky clean nose; tart/lean minerally/chalky slight grapefruity/floral flavor; med. clean/chalky/minerally slight floral finish; lean/crisp pleasant food wine. $14.00 (CB)
   _____________________
2. Vincenzo Vela Rosso del Ticino/Ligornetto (12.5%) Gianfranco Chiesa/Rouso/Ticino/Suisse 1999: Dark color; rather earthy/dusty some mushroomy slight grapey/floral interesting nose; hard/bit tannicx quite earthy/dusty light grapey fairly tart flavor; med.long dusty/earthy slight grapey no oak rather tannic/hard/lean finish; not a lot of fruit here and rather earthy; good rustic food red. $18.00 (CB)
   _____________________________
   Une petite BloodyPulpit:
   1. Like many of the wines I buy at Darrell Corti's, I had no idea what these were. The Chauvigny comes from the Neuchatel region of Switzerland and is made entirely from Chasselas grape. The Ticino I couldn't identify for sure, but is probably/mostly Merlot. It reminded me much of Fruili Refosco, some of AltoAdige Lagrein.
   My past experience w/ Suisse wines had not been very positive; thin/mean a greatly overpriced wines. These two were actually rather attractive and most reasonably priced.
   All that was lacking was Julie Andrews' lilting trills in the background.
   Tom
   

7/12/05 - Tried this last night from my new stash:

1. DavidCoffaro DryCreekVlly Zin (Estate; 100% Zin; 15.1%) 2003: Med.dark color; lovely classic DCV/spicy/Zinberry/raspberry/blackberry/Zin little oak bright/vibrant nose; med.tart bright/spicy/Zinberry/raspberry/Zin light dusty/earthy flavor; long bright/vibrant/spicy/zesty/Zinberry/blackberry finish w/ light tannins; ready to drink but should last several yrs; the epitome of DryCreek Zin; delicious stuff and carries the alcohol well. $14.00 (futures)
   ______________________________
   A wee bloody pulpit:
   1. Yoikes....this is the kinda stuff that drew me to Zin many/many yrs ago. I've been away from Dave's wines too long. This seems a bit deeper & darker than those of the last few yrs. Just brimming w/ classic DCV Zinberry fruit. This is what drinking Zin is all about.
   Tom