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.

We tried last night (12/7/05) some More New Calif Rhones:

1. SierraVista ElDorado Viognier (EB; 14.2%) 2004: Light gold color; attractive/fragrant
bit minerally/earthy perfumed/pear/Viognier nose; tart light earthy bright/pear/ Viognier flavor; long/bright/pear/Viognier finish; one of the best SierraVista Viogniers I yet had; bright/clean/purity of Viognier fruit. $20.00
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2. CedarvilleVnyd EstateBttld/ElDorado {Viognier} (14.3%; 250 cs; www.CedarvilleVineyard.com) 2004: Light gold color; strong pear/peach/ripe/Viognier light toasty/oak nose; soft very ripe/pear/Viognier light pungent/toasty/oak slight bitter minerally/earthy flavor; very long ripe/pear/Viognier light toasty finish; very well made light oaked Viognier at a great price. $22.00
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3. Anglim BienNacidoVnyd/SBCnty Viognier (15.5%; www.AnglimWinery.com) PasoRobles 2003:
Light gold color; very ripe pear/Viognier slight minerally/earthy slight spicy/minty nose; soft/fat lush/pear/peach/Viognier some hot/alcoholic light spicy off-dry(?) somewhat overripe flavor; long soft/fat peachy/Viognier slightly hot finish; bit on the overripe side but tasty at a godd price. $18.00
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4. Sean Thackrey Pliades XIV OldVines Calif RTW (14.2%; www.Wine-Maker.net; Syrah/ Sangiovese/Mourvedre/Barbera/Carignane/PS/Viognier/others) NV: Med.color; rather dusty/ earthy/damp cellar light minty/eucalyptus interesting non-varietal nose; soft rather dusty/old vines rather earthy/rustic some cherry/strawberry bit coarse light minty/eucalyptus flavor; med.long soft rustic/coarse light cherry finish w/ light tannins; bit rustic but fairly interesting. $18.00
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5. EaglePointRanchWnry Grenache MendocinoCnty (14.2%; www.EaglePointRanch.com) 2004:
Light color; bright/spicy/strawberry/Grenache slight earthy very fragrant/vibrant nose; tart bright/spicy/strawberry/Grenache light earthy zippy/vibrant flavor; long bright strawberry/alpine strawberry light earthy finish w/ light tannins; a bright/ zippy rendition of Grenache; great drinking at a great price. $18.00
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6. SierraVista ElDorado Grenache (EB; 14.1%) 2004: Med.light color; bright/fragrant
strawberry/Grenache some earthy/dusty/mushroomy nose; tart bit tannic bright/straw-
berry/Grenache light earthy/dusty flavor; med.long tart bit astringent bright/
strawberry/Grenache finish; needs a yr. Attractive Grenache, $18.75
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7. SierraVista SierraFoothills LaGrande Syrah (13.8%) 2002: Very dark color; strong blackberry/ Syrah/ripe slight earthy/mushroomy attractive nose; tart/citric/screechy bright strawberry/blackberry/Syrah light earthy flavor; med. tart/screechy light earthy attractive blackberry/Syrah finish w/ some tannins; lots of nice Syrah fruit present but pretty acid on the palate. $19.50 (*'s)
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8. SierraVista SierraFoothills Syrah(54%)/CS(46%) (13.5%) 2003: Dark color; intense Cab/
green olive spicy/cloves light earthy interesting nose; tart/acid very green olive/Cab blackberry some spicy/cloves flavor; long rather Cab/green olive tart/citric finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; attractive/interesting Cab at a good price.$16.00
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9. CedarvilleVnyd EstateBttld/ElDorado {Syrah} (14.7%) 2003: Dark color; slight pungent/
reduced very strong/ripe/blackberry/Syrah dusty/gamey some coffee/roasted/smokey light minerally/earthy nose; soft/rich/lush blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah light gamey/roasted/smokey beautiful flavor; very long/lingering ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah light gamey/meaty/roasted finish w/ some tannins; lots of bright fruit but lots of other/interesting things therein. Great price. $24.00
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10. Samsara PurismaMtn/SantaYnezVlly Syrah (14.8%; www.SamsaraWine.com; 110 cs; U/U) 2003:Black color; bit reduced/used fireworks very intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah some
smokey/charred/toasty very complex nose; soft/rich/lush boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/ cranberry/chocolaty some toasty/charred/coffee/gamey some tannic flavor; very long intense/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/chocolaty rather tannic some roasted/charred finish; needs 3-8 yrs; classic SB Syrah w/ loads of ripe fruit. Very attractive price at $30.00
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11. Dehlinger Syrah RussianRiverVlly/Estate (14.9%) 2002: Very dark color; strongfragrant blackberry/black cherry/Syrah very spicy rather pencilly/oak lovely/perfumed nose; tart/bright Syrah/blackberry/black cherry very spicy pencilly/oak fragrant slight meaty flavor; very long bit tannic strong blackberry/black cherry/Syrah light gamey some pencilly/oak finish; needs several yrs; maybe the best Dehlinger Syrah yet. $37.80
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12. Dutton-Goldfield Syrah DuttonRanch/CherryRidgeVnyd/RussianRiverVlly/GreenVlly (13.8%;
www.DuttonGoldfield.com) 2003: Near black color; beautiful/intense blackberry/Syrah
green olive/roasted/peppery/cold climate rather toasty/smokey/oak complex nose; tart
intense blackberry/Syrah/peppery light coffee/gamey smokey/toasty/oak flavor; very long intense/blackberry/Syrah very peppery/cold climate some toasty/smokey finish w/fair tannins; needs 2-6 yrs; terrific cold-climate Syrah w/ lots of pepperycharacter. $35.00
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13. HugCllrs SLOCnty Syrah BassettiVnyd (14.9%) 2003: Black color; very intense black-
berry/boysenberry/Syrah/smokey slight peppery/coffee bit toasty/oak some complex nose; tart very intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah some peppery/coffee/cold-climate Syrah quite perfumed/aromatic flavor; very long/tannic ripe/intense/extracted blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah bit peppery/roasted/coffee/Rhonish finish w/ ample tannins; needs 4-10 yrs; absolutely killer Syrah w/ huge fruit but structure for long aging. $40.00
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14. HugCllrs BassettiVnyd/RenaBlock SLOCnty Syrah (14.9%; www.HugCellars.com) 2003:
Black color; huge/intense/extracted boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah intense toasty/charred/ Fr.oak/smokey some coffee/roasted/espresso very Alban-like complex nose; tart quite tannic extracted/intense/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/peppery strong charred/burnt/toasty/oak bit roasted/espresso flavor; very long very tannic very extracted boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/huge fruit very charred/toasty/burnt/oak finish; huge/extracted Syrah for the long haul; rather similar to Alban Reva in style and not the purity of fruit in the regular. $nc (AH)/$47.00
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15. HugCllrs BassettiVnyd/SLOCnty Syrah (14.0%) 2000: Black color; intense charred/toasty/ burnt/Fr.oak rather stinky/reduced huge/intense/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah very peppery/ cold-climate/Syrah nose; tart rather reduced/diaper pail/funky veryintense peppery/blackberry /boysenberry/Syrah charred/toasty/oak huge/extracted flavor; very long/lingering funky/reduced huge/blackberry/Syrah cold-climate/peppery finish w/ big tannins; needs much age; first Bassetti Syrah I believe; would have been better if decanted several hrs ahead to let the stink go; very
much in the Alban/reduced/charred/oak style; killer Syrah eventually. $30.00

1. The Viogniers: I liked a lot both of the Eldorado Viogniers quite a lot; good food
Viogniers w/ their understated character. By contrast, the Anglim almost seemed
oafish by comparison, with its overripe/DollyParton character. I'm finding I'm
liking more & more Viogniers that are not over the top and show a bit of restraint.
Hmmmmm...maybe it isn't always about intensity...maybe Arpy is wrong!!
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2. Grenache: I find I like the Calif Grenaches much more than the Rhone versions
because they show a purity of fruit those don't often have. The problem may be in
the vast diversity of styles; from light/bright/zippy versions like the EaglePoint
to the serious/profound ones of John Alban. You're never exactly sure what you'll
get unless you are familar w/ that particularly style of that winemaker.
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3. Cedarville: I've followed Jonathan & Susan's wines from the very start and have liked
them from the git-go. They always have a bright fruit component, a judicious amount
of oak, and a balance that few others attain. Very/very attractive wines at very
attractive prices.
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4. Samsara: My first Samsara and I was mightly impressed. This is Chad Melville's
venture into the Syrah field. Very much different from what he does under the
Melville label.
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5. Dehlinger Estate Syrah: I thought this '02 version was the best Dehlinger Syrah I've
ever had. It seems to be a departure in style from previous ones. Before, they have
always tasted like a Syrah made by a Pinot producer; more towards an elegant/
balanced style w/ a Pinotish fragrance. This '02 version seemed to be a much more
serious/extracted Syrah, yet w/ a toned-down amount of that characteristic Dehlinger/
pencilly oak. Great effort by Dehlinger I thought.
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6. AugieHug: I've followed, of course, Augie's wines from before the very start. In one
of my early visits to John Alban, Augie was there tending his wines (before he
was commercial and famous) and joined us w/ Paul as we tasted from btl and barrel.
When we finished, he invited us over to taste his Syrah from barrel. It was rather
reduced and stinky, but very structured and very intense w/ lots of interesting
things therein.
Augie's early wines could often be on the funky and strange side, w/ some sort
of bacterial problems, but, underneath, there was always very intense fruit and
very interesting flavors. Some aged quite well, others got more funky.
But these '03 Syrahs are, to my taste, the best wines I ever done had from Augie.
Huge/intense/extracted fruit; great structure; profound wines from one of Calif's
greatest Syrah vnyds. And no signs of any bacterial problem. I actually preferred
the regular to the RenaBlock, at this point in time. Thought it had more cold-
climate Syrah character and a bit more interesting. But the Rena is gonna be a
killer Syrah down the road I think.
I can hardly wait to try his new Pinots. His winemaking skills have evidently
been improving markedly. Alas, such can not be said about his bowling skills!!
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7. Great Syrah vnyds: I've gotta rate Susan&Ellis Bassetti's vnyd way out towards
Cambria as one of the greatest Syrah vnyds in Calif. Can hardly wait to try
Steve Edmunds '03 version of this wine. Steve, in his typical "aw shucks" manner
thinks it's one of his best Syrahs ever.
Another great Syrah vnyd is AlRago's Que Syrah vnyd up west of Sebastapol. Ehren
Jordan has made some stunning Syrahs from this vnyd, but no longer takes these
grapes. Kurt Beitler (of Caymus) is now farming the vnyd and making the wine under
his own label. The grapes are being picked at a riper level than Ehren did, but I
expect it to be a spectacular wine when it's released.
TomHill