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. The Ojai Vynd Vin du Soleil Blanc (60% Stolpman Roussanne; 40% Bien Nacido Viognier; 14%) 2002: Light gold color; fragrant waxy bit honeyed/butterscotchy/hazelnutty some perfumed talc very slight corked nose; tart/rich bit stoney/earthy some perfumed/hazelnut/honeyed rather fragrant/waxy flavor; long/tart/rich lush/ripe hazelnutty/honeyed finish; a very attractive Rhone blend; quite perfumed/fragrant but structured; lovely wine. $24.50
2. Edmunds St. John Los Robles Viejos Rozet Vineyard Paso Robles WTW (13.7%; Roussanne/Viognier/ Marsanne) 2001: Light gold color w/ some haziness; bit reduced/stinky/cabbagey some pungent nose clears some to earthy/stoney light perfumed/pear nose; tart/rich some stoney/earthy pungent/hazelnutty slight cabaggey slight bitter flavor; long pungent/reduced/cabbagey some stoney/earthy/hazelnutty finish; hard/tart/stoney but lots of richness; needs age. $20.00
3. Domaine Rene Rostaing Les Lezardes (L 2001;12.5%) RareWineCompany NV: Med.color; slight smokey/ roasted rather raspberry/strawberry/Syrah bit herbal/dusty/earthy nose; very tart/lean/thin/ astringent slight roasted some strawberry/raspberry/Syrah flavor; med.short tart/lean slight buttery/diacetyl astringent/thin/hard finish w/ little fruit; a thin/mean/eviscerated little Syrah; way overpriced. $33.75
4. Petite Rousse Paso Robles Syrah (15.0%; www.ClosMimi.com; 300 cs) ClosMimni/ SantaMaria 2002: Very dark color; bit hot/volatile/fumey rather grapey/overripe earthy bit oaked nose; soft/fat grapey/overripe some hot/fumey/burney rather earthy slight strawberry flavor; med.long some hot/fumey grapey/lush/overripe finish w/ light tannins; tastes very ripe/overripe and more of Petite Sirah than Syrah. Bit too hot/overripe for my tastes. $16.00
5. Margerum M5 Santa Ynez Valley (#3206 of 3702; 24% Syrah/Vogelzang, ColsonCnyn, GreatOaksRanch, PurismaMtn, Alondra de los Prados vnyds; 20% TablasClone Mourvedre/ ZacaMeas Vineyard; 20% Alban Clone Grenache/Purismamtn Vineyard; 20% Cinsault/Stolpman Vineyard; 16% Counoise/Stolpman Vineyard; www.MargerumWineCompany.com) 2002: Dark color; strong Grenache/very boysenberry/blackberry very grapey very spicy up-front nose; soft bit hot very grapey/juicy/ blackberry/strawberry/boysenberry flavor; bit hot juicy/Nehi strawberry soda pop/grapey/boysen- berry finish w/ light tannins; bit on the overripe side; tons of juicy Grenache fruit; bit on the soft/unstructured side but I liked it brazen/ripe fruit; good value at $22.00
6. The Ojai Vineyard Calif TW Vin de Soleil (14.5%; 85% Grenache/Stolpman&Beckman vnyds; 15% Syrah/RollRanch Vineyard) 2000: Very dark color; light toasty/oak very spicy some blackberry/Syrah/ strawberry rather ripe/juicy nose; rich fairly lush quite spicy/cinammon/blackberry/Syrah very balanced/drinkable flavor; very long bit tannic lovely/spicy/cinammon light toasty/oak juicy/ blackberry/Syrah finish w/ light tannins; needs a yr or two; a lovely/balanced drinkable red; great restaurant wine and well-priced at $24.50
7. Carlisle Russian River Vineyard Two cres RW (15.0%; Mourvedre/PS/Valdepenas/ AlicanteBouschet; 150 cs) 2000: Med.light color; beautiful grapey/lush bit licorice slight menthol/floral some cedary rather dusty/old vines rather RRV/peppery almost Zin-like complex nose; soft/smooth lush dusty/old vines licorice/very spicy slight menthol/cedary almost violets/ floral flavor; long slight tannic smooth very RRV/spicy/peppery perfumed/sandlewood/cedary finish; pretty drinkable & balanced; a very interesting/exotic red. $30.00
8. Carlisle Russian River Valley Two Acres Red Wine (14.8%; 80% Mourvedre, 14% PS, 5% Valdepenas, 1% AlicanteBouchet; 200 cs) 2001: Very dark color; deep blackberry/licorice almost Syrah-like bit earthy/dusty very interesting/deep nose; rich/tart some buttery/oaked very spicy/exotic some Zin-like bit astringent exotic flavor; very long bit oaked quite licorice/ spicy/plummy slight toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; needs a yr or two & will last; a very interesting/exotic complex red. $29.50
9. The Ojai Vineyard Calif Syrah Roll Ranch Vineyard (15.0%) 2001: Very dark color; strong toasty/Fr.oak ripe very blackberry/jammy very spicy/Syrah slight earthy nose; soft/rich/lush very rich/ripe/ blackberry/boysenberry/jammy very spicy/licorice/plummy light toasty/pungent/oak some tannic flavor; very long bit tannic soft/ripe/lush strong/blackberry/jammy/boysenberry light toasty/ smokey/Fr.oak finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; a big/ripe/jammy tons of fruit Syrah. $38.50
10. The Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah Stolpman Vineyard (14.5%) 2001: Near black color; beautiful very spicy/peppery some roasted/Rhonish some toasty/smokey/Fr.oak strong blackberry/peppery/ Syrah nose; tart very rich blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/peppery/licorice some toasty/oak quite spicy rather tannic flavor; very long somewhat tannic big/extracted peppery/blackberry/Syrah light toasty/oak structured finish; needs some age; a big/extracted intense/Syrah wine; probably the best Stolpman Vineyard Syrah I've yet had. Very fairly priced at $32.50
11. Edmunds St. John Syrah Sonoma Coast Peay Vineyard (14.9%; first harvest from Nick & Andy Peay's vnyd above Annopolis) 2001: Very dark color; intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah classic EdStJ/peppery/licorice beautiful/complex slight funky/pungent nose; rich bit soft very spicy/peppery/licorice blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry ripe slight earthy flavor; very ripe slight alcoholic very peppery/licorice strong blackberry/Syrah finish w/ some tannins; loaded w/ classic EdStJ peppery character; a very auspicious debut for this vnyd; a bit on the ripe side but a killer Syrah; stunning wine at a great price. $27.00
12. Edmunds St. John Syrah San Luis Obispo County Bassetti Vineyard (13.7%) 2001: Near black color; very intense meaty/ gamey licorice/blackberry/boysenberry peppery/complex slight reduced/pungent/herbal very interesting/exotic nose; tart bit reduced/pungent very peppery/cracked black pepper slight herbal very boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah some roasted/gamey complex flavor; very long some roasted/toasty/pungent very peppery/boysenberry/Syrah complex/licorice gamey/meaty finish w/ ample tannins; one of the best Syrahs Steve has produced yet; an incredible Syrah at a more than fair price; don't miss this one. $42.00
13. Carlisle Dry Creek Valley Syrah (16.5%; RayTeldschi Vineyard + Unti & DelCarlo Ranches/ Dry Creek Valley + PelkanRanch/KnightsVlly; 400 cs) 2001: Very dark color; intense perfumed/fragrant slight menthol/eucalyptus some vanilla/toasty/oak intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/licorice/ Dr.Pepper/cola rather Oz-like very aromatic nose; rich bit alcoholic very intense boysenberry/ blackberry/Dr.Pepper/cola some eucalyptus jammy/ripe some tannic flavor; very long/lingering ripe/jammy/boysenberry/Syrah/licorice/cola some menthol/minty/eucalyptus bit toasty/vanilla/ oak finish w/ some tannins; very Oz-like; loads of ripe boysenberry fruit but great structure; carries the alcohol well and not over-the-top; a killer Syrah at a fair price. $35.50
14. The Ojai Vineyard Santa Barbara County Syrah Special Bttlg Thompson Vineyard (15%; 8 brls) 2000: Black color; very intense/extracted boysenberry/blackberry/peppery huge/aromatic some dusty/old vines some gamey/licorice some toasted/roasted/oak nose; huge/intense/extracted essence of Syrah/blackberry/ black cherry cola licorice/peppery some roasted/pungent flavor; very long intense/extracted/ blackberry/Syrah/black cherry cola meaty/gamey/licorice finish w/ ample tannins; almost an essence of Syrah; not overripe nor over-the-top; huge mouthfilling Syrah; amazing stuff. $47.50
15. Ojai Vineyard Calif Viognier Roll Ranch Ice Wine (7 brls; 10%) 2002: Light gold color; slight herbal very intense/grapey/juicy very fragrant/perfumed somewhat orangey bit pencilly exotic nose; tart very sweet grapey/juicy/orangey loads of stunning fruit very sweet flavor; very long rich/sweet/oily intense grapey/orangey finish that goes on and on; a killer dessert wine at a verty attractive price. $22.50/hlf
16. Qupe Central Coast Syrah 1987: Med.color w/ light browning; slight bretty/horsecollar/Southern Rhone bit smokey/roasted/toasty/charred/NorthernRhone very complex perfumed nose; tart sweetish bit earthy/herbal smooth/round/elegant slight bretty/Rhonish some roasted/toasty quite complex flavor; long smooth/polished/balanced slight bretty/horsecollar/funky/SouthernRhone bit roasted/ toasty/pungent finish w/ light tannins; still holding very well & little signs of drying out; a great example of a mature red that has come together well.
17. Havens Carneros Syrah (13.8%)1995: Dark color; rather earthy slight corked/musty/dishwater bit black cherry/Dr.Pepper/cola slight bretty/funky nose; bit musty/corked earthy some bretty/ horsecollar slight black cherry slight tannic flavor; bit too unclean and the corked character pretty much ruins this wine. Larry's mystery.

1. EdStJohn LosRobles Viejos: I've had this wine any number of times over the last year. All the ones I've had I've liked a lot. This btl was somewhat "off" in the reduced/cabaggey character it showed in the nose. Presumably, it's just a phase or strange btl.
2. Rostaing LesLezardes: This is supposedly a wine (presumably Syrah) grown just outside the CoteRotie AC boundaries. The less-than-pedigree conditions is certainly reflected in it.
3. PetiteRousse: I recall tasting this wine as a barrel sample at HdR in June and liking it. This wine from btl seemed way over the top and too fumey & overripe to my tastes. Tim's BunnySlope 2000 I also tasted then and liked quite a lot; thought it the best ClosMimi I've yet had. Prices on the Ojai/Carlisle/EdStJohn are direct/pre-release prices. With shipping.
4. Stolpman Vineyard: The Syrahs (Estrella & Durell clones)from this vnyd, early on, had a rather simple/ light/elegant character. However the last ones, from Qupe, Jaffurs, and Ojai have been much bigger and much more intense in fruit than any I've had to date. They don't have the bass notes and the spicy/peppery quality that comes from the Thompson Vineyard; but they seem to have a purity of fruit that you don't see in other vnyds. Clearly, the Stolpman Vineyard is producing fruit every bit the equal of any Syrah vnyd in SantaBarbara, I feel. I'm looking forward to seeing what Sashi Moorman has done on his own w/ this fruit.
5. Peay Vineyards: This is the first wine I've had from Nick & Andy Peay's SonomaCoast vnyd up near the town of Annapolis. This is not an area of the Sonoma Coast that I've yet visited. From the photos on their WebSite (www.PeayVineyards.com), the area looks amazingly beautiful. I can hardly wait to visit there. Here's another cold-climate Syrah vnyd that one should keep your eyes on; it going to be, if not already, producing world-class Syrah I think.
6. Bassetti Vineyard: Another cold-climate Syrah vnyd west of Paso out towards Cambria. Grapes go to Mat Garretson, Augie Hug, and Steve Edmunds. When Ellis Bassetti can get his grapes ripened (not always a given way out there... e.g. 2002), I've seen nothing but killer Syrah from them. Already (now on the 3'rd crop I believe) a world-class Syrah vnyd. Amazing.
7. Qupe Syrah: This was Blair's mystery wine. I found a lot of SouthernRhone/Chateauneuf character in it but also a lot NorthernRhone/roasted character. I was pretty convinced from the brett/funky character it was Rhone, but couldn't decide if South or North. Never would've guessed a Qupe. Bob Lindquist's wines a very well-made & balanced and generallu pretty drinkable from the git- go. Yet I never cease to be amazed at how well the frequently age. This wine probably had both Paso grapes (Estrella) and some of the first of the Bien Nacido Syrah as well.