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. French and California Rhone Reds & Whites
   Tasted yesterday a few Rhone-style reds & whites, French & Calif:
   Morgan VNA Sonoma County Viognier '94: light fragrant peachy/floral nose; soft fat bit charred oak floral light peachy flavor; med.long bit charred oak/peachy finish; nicely done bit lean pleasant Viognier.
   G.Graham Knights Valley Viognier '94: Lush fragrant peachy Viognier floral almost Alsatian PinotGris nose; beautiful lush fragrant floral peachy Viognier soft mouthfilling flavor; very long fat oily lush peachy Viognier finish; a bit soft but a beautiful rich oily Viognier in the Calera style.
   Eberle Paso Robles Fralich Vineyard Viognier '95: Strong fragrant caramel some charred oak smokey light peachy nose; soft rich fat charred oak oily light peachy flavor; long slight bitter charred oak caramel rotted apple spicy cinammon light peachy finish; a big rich interesting rendition of Viognier.
   Terre Rouge Shenandoah Valley Viognier '94: Beautiful lush very spicy floral aromatic peachy Viognier nose; very oily mouthfilling fragrant peachy very spicy nutmeg bit tart grapefruity flavor; very long oily very fragrant lush peachy Viognier very spicy finish; a beautiful very fragrant rich oily Viognier; spectacular debut Viognier for Bill Easton.
   Araujo Estate Napa Valley Viognier '94: Light fragrant peachy slight herbal/ SauvBlanc-like light oaked nose; soft rotted peach/Viognier peachy lush mouthfilling flavor; very long slight spicy/anise fragrant peachy finish; not a flashy Viognier but very nicely made; bit light in the nose but great on the palate. A Margaux/All-Seasons rec. $18
   Tria Carneros Viognier '95: Beautiful fragrant peachy Viognier light oaked/ cinammon & nutmeg nose; tart very spicy fragrant peachy aromatic very spicy flavor; very long tart zippy very spicy fragrant peachy Viognier finish; another Tria gem of a wine.
   Perrin Reserve Blanc (Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Bourboulenc) Cotes duh Rhone '95: Simple grapey bit earthy spicy nose; soft fat flat grapey bit grapefruity earthy flavor; med.short grapey-grapefruity light spicy earthy finish; bit on the dull side but OK at $8.
   Perrin Reserve Rouge (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault) '94: Strong Grenache/strawberry plummy sligt earthy nose; tart bit metallic earthy some Grenache/strawberry-plummy Mourvedre flavor; med.short earthy plummy finish w/ light tannins; a pleasant simple CdR; thankfully not flaming w/ brett like their Beaucastel. Good value at $8.
   Crane Canyon Cellars Sonoma Valley Mourvedre '94: Fragrant plummy spicy licorice some oaked nose; tart spicy plummy licorice bit black cherry flavor; med. long oaked very spicy plummy black cherry finish; a very nicely done spicy Mourvedre, not as heavy & clumsey as Oakly Mourvedre. Another good Margaux rec.
   Joseph Swan Russian River Valley Mourvedre '94: Very dark color; beautiful deep dusty old vines lush licorice/plummy/blackberry smokey rather oaked nose; tart lush rich mouthfilling very deep dusty old vines plummy licorice boysenberry pencilly oaked flavor; very long tart pencilly oaked lush plummy/licorice black cherry toasty smokey pungent finish w/ fair tannins; needs 4-8 yrs; a terrific very Babdol-like Mourvedre. A great Margaux rec at $16.
   Philip Staley Russian River Valley Mourvedre Staley Vnyd '94: Strong plummy licorice oaked light smokey/toasty nose; tart rather sour slight bitter ripe plummy Mourvedre flavor; med.long plummy earthy pungent light toasty oaked finish; nicely done interesting Mourvedre.
   Domaine la Roquette Chatneuf duPape '89: Dreadful stinky pungent H2S unclean barnyardy rather fecal nose that doesn't improve much w/ airing; very sour unclean rich barnyardy/fecal flavor; long dusty/earthy sour fecal finish w/ fair tannins; a big & extracted wine not for the faint of heart.
   Domaine Font de Michelle Cuvee Etienne Gonnet CdP '94: Fragrant Grenache strawberry dusty roasted CdP earthy light oaked nose; tart spicy Grenache strawberry some raosted bit sour/bitter flavor; long tart some sour rather spicy Grenache earthy finish w/ some tannins; needs 2-6 yrs; a pretty well- made CdP.
   Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant (Grenache,Mourvedre,Syrah,Cinsault) '94: Deep lovely lush cinammon/dusty fragrant very spicy nose; soft very lush spicy Grenache strawberry cinammon some oaked flavor; very long spicy Grenache fruity strawberry some oaked cinammon finish w/ modest tannins; needs 3-6 yrs; Randall's version of CdP & one of the best he's made yet.
   Georges Vernay Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah '93: From the hills around Condrieu but outside the AOC area; Light color; light roasted Syrah bit earthy dusty Cote-Rotie like nose; thin tart washed-out light roasted no fruit flavor; tart thin light roasted bit astringent finish; some nice Syrah/roasted nose but little on the palate.
   Castle Vnyds Sonoma Vlly Syrah '94: Strong menthol oaked some blackberry Syrah nose; tart light Syrah blackberry bit thin & lean flavor; med.long light Syrah blackberry finish w/ light tannins; rather on the simple side of Syrah like the McDowell or Preston.
   
   Musings
   
   1. Ahhhh Viognier..... one of the best sets of Viognier I've had in a tasting. The Terre Rouge & Tria were stunning; the Araujo, Eberle, and Graham out- standing. The Tria is the first (to my knowledge) Carneros Viognier produced. And it shows it; a tartness & zippiness that is unusual in Viognier. Connoisseur's Guide really blew it on the Tria (no meadow muffins). Maybe the Carneros is REALLY Rhone, rather than Burgundy, country?? The Terre Rouge Viognier was the debut vintage Viognier for Bill Easton and it's a killer; better than the Renwoods & Shenandoah Vnyds Viogniers. Terre Rouge/Easton is a winery to keep your eyes on up in Amador. The Eberle Viognier was his best yet. The charred oak/caramel character, Gary insists, come from the Viognier grape (at least in Paso Robles) and NOT from exposure to new,toasted oak. It's a character that I find sometimes in the Vernay Coteaux de Vernon Condrieu, so he's in good company. It will be interesting to see what WestSide Paso/Perrin vnyd Viognier tastes like. No denying that Calif makes great, world-class Chard. They fail sooooo miserably at aromatic whites like Riesling & GWT (I know..... the Novarro GWT....... it IS good..... but NOT GREAT), the Alsatian types of wines, which I regard as ever bit as great as WhiteBurg. I think Calif Viognier is the ONE aromatic, Alsatian-style dry white that they can make great, world class wine with. They don't often have that minerally character and the structure of great Condrieu, but many Calif Viogniers are some of the best in the world. Too bad about the prices!!
   2. Ahhhhh Mourvedre..... another enigmatic variety in Calif. Most of the early Mourvedre wines came from Cline grapes down in Oakley/Sacramento Delta area. They tended to be wines on the saft, fat, mushy, flat side; only the Bonny Doon Old Telegram showing much character. There are more plantings coming on line from cooler areas in Calif & wer're starting to see some very good Mourvedres now. Even Cline Mourvedre, from Oakley grapes, is showing much more inspired winemaking than their first ones. It'll be exciting to watch the evolution of the variety in Calif. The Swan Mourvedre, though a bit heavy on the oak, was probably one of the best, most structured, most Bandol-like Mourvedre yet from Calif. Not Domaine Tempier yet, but getting there. Over the last few yrs, Rod Bergland has continued to improve his winemaking there at Swan and some of his Rhone wines, many made from very old vines, are outstanding.
   3. For those that like Tavel Rose (and I am a closet rose drinker), you should try the Eberle Connouise (sp?) Rose...... not great... but good drinking.
   4. The Qupe Bien Nacido Hillside Block Syrah '94 has been released, about $35- $40/btl. Probably the best Calif Syrah ever made, of Cote-Rotie calibre. It ain't gonna be floor-stacked at your local Piggly-Wiggly!! Try the Wine Cask in SantaBarbara or LosOlivios Wines& Spirits.
   
   
   
   
   
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