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.

 

California Reds
Tasted a few new California Reds this week.
Chameleon North Coast Sangiovese (13.9%) '96: Med.color; attractive bright cherry bit dusty/earthy slight bretty nose; tart light bright cherry/buttery some dusty/lean tannic flavor; med.long tannic/lean bright cherry bit earthy/dusty finish; needs a yr or two; very nicely done Sangiovese.
Venge Oakville Napa Valley Penny Lane Vineyard (14.0%) Sangiovese '96: Med.dark color; big rich deep lavishly oaked/cedary rather dusty/black cherry/rose petal slight bretty nose; rather tannic/hard fairly cedary/pencilly/oaked some bretty rather black cherry/rose petal flavor; long tannic black cherry cedary/oaked finish; lots of oak; pretty big & intense for Calif Sangiovese; needs 3-6 yrs; one of the best Calif Sangiovese yets.
Rochioli Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (13.0%) '96: Med.color; fragrant black cherry dusty/mushroomy spicy some pencilly/oaked classic RRV PN nose; soft lush light black cherry mushroomy/dusty some pencilly/oaked flavor; med.long dusty light cherry/black cherry some pencilly/oaked finish w/ light tannins; very nice drinking classic RRV Pinot; way overpriced at $34.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Cuvee Laurene (13.0%) '95: Med.color; strong dusty/walnutty/oaked low fruit nose; tart lean acidic walnutty/dusty/earthy little fruit flavor; med.long hard/tannic lean/acidic dusty/walnutty finish w/ ample tannins & fair amount of toasty/oak; needs age but doubtful future w/ so little fruit; extorniate price of $44.
Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel (14.4%) '96: Med.dark color; strong dusty/black cherry chocolaty bit earthy some oaked/cedar nose; fairly rich ripe dusty/blackberry/ chocolaty very spicy perfumed light oak flavor; very long black cherry/chocolate some cedary/pencilly/Fr.oaked very spicy/thyme finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; an absolutely lovely spicy very balanced very well made Zinfandel; great price at $19.
Edmunds St.John Brandlin Ranch Mt.Veeder Zinfandel (15.9%) '96: Dark color; very strong very ripe/raisened chocolaty/pencilly/oaked dusty/mountain Zinfandel nose; very intense blackberry/black cherry bit hot/alcoholic dusty very ripe very lush mouthfilling flavor; very long very ripe blackberry/boysenberry some hot/alcoholic/late harvesty rather dusty/old vine finish w/ fair tannins; bit on the overripe & late harvesty side but a big honking Zinfandel in the Turley style.
St. Francis Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Reserve Pagani Vnyd (14.0%) '96: Black color; intense Pagani/Alicante blackberry dusty/old vines very ripe intense Am.oaked/vanilla/ milky nose; soft big rough blackberry/Alicante dusty/old vines complex very strong Am.oaked/vanilla flavor; very long milky/vanilla/Am.oaked dusty/old vines ripe blackberry/Alicante bit funky/brett finish w/ fair tannins; needs 3-6 yrs; good Zinfandel fruit but loaded w/ Am.oak but less than previous ones; doesn't seem to have the fruit to support the oak; stupid price $36.
Saddleback Napa Valley Zinfandel (14.5%) '96: Very dark color; very strong toasty/charred Fr.oaked smokey chocolaty blackberry/black cherry ripe nose; very ripe licorice/ chocolaty/boysenberry toasty/charred/smokey/Fr.oak flavor; very long strong licorice/chocolate/blackberry/boysenberry some jammy very charred/toasty/pungent Fr.oaked/smokey slight herbal finish w/ fair tannins; needs 3-6 yrs; a rather eccentric overblown ripe Zinfandel w/ lots of toasty oak; killer stuff at a good price. $22.50.
Saddleback Napa Valley Cabnernet Sauvignon (13.5%) '95: Black color; intense chocolaty blackcurranty Cab toasty/pungent/Fr.oaked lush ripe nose; big rich chocolaty/ripe blackcurrant strong toasty/smokey/pungent/Fr.oaked flavor; very long ripe tannic strong blackcurranty/Cab some dusty strong pungent/smokey finish w/ ample tannins; needs 4-8 yrs; very well made ripe oaked Cab that should be a good one.
Venge Oakville Napa Valley Cabnernet Sauvignon Family Reserve (13.5%) '94: Black color; intense toasty/charred/Fr.oaked/pungent big ripe blackcurranty/dusty bit reduced nose; smoth ripe charred/toasty/Fr.oaked some menthol/pungent hard ripe blackcurranty/Cab complex flavor; very long tannic strong toasty/pungent/smokey/ charred/Fr.oaked dusty ripe blackcurranty/Cab finish w/ ample tannins, needs 5-15 yrs; a killer Cab but still w/ complexity & polish to it; will be a great one w/ age; worth the $45.
Perrin Gigondas (60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre) '95: Med.dark color; fairly oaked rather Rhonish/dusty/bit roasted/gamey fairly complex nose; dusty low fruit bit roasted/earthy flavor; med.long dusty/earthy low fruit some roasted slight funky/brett finish w/ light tannins; interesting nicely done Southern Rhone.
Qupe Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah (13.5%) '95: Med.dark color; some herbal very gamey/Syrah/blackberry some oaked/roasted complex nose; rich bit lean/hard rather gamey/blackberry/Syrah some smokey/roasted/pungent/ herbal flavor; med.long rich gamey/blackberry/Syrah slight herbal/pungent/smokey complex finish w/ fair tannins; needs 3-6 yrs; lost some of that opulent blackberry/Syrah fruit & showing that complex/gamey/slightly roasted Syrah; developing very well & will be a great Calif Syrah.
Qupe Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah (13.8%) '96: Dark color; intense blackberry/boysenberry/blueberry slight gamey/pungent/bretty nose; rich blackberry/ blueberry/boysenberry/Syrah light oaked/ pungent/smokey flavor; bit lean/hard/tannic ripe blackberry/blueberry finish w/ ample tannins; hasn't developed that gamey/Syrah character much yet; seems a bit leaner & harder than the '95 at this same point in time; will be a great one.
Ojai Santa Barbara County Bien Nacido Vineyard (Hillside) Syrah '96: Black color; very intense gamey/blackberry/Syrah dusty bit stemmy/extracted some toasty/pungent/oak nose; hard/tannic extracted intense blackberry/Syrah bit gamey/dusty pungent/light oaked almost medicinal/cough syrup huge flavor; very long tannic hard intense blackberry/Syrah some toasty/pungent/oaked finish; needs 5-15 yrs; a big huge extracted Syrah loaded w/ fruit; killer Syrah.
Yalumba Barossa Reserve Bush Vine Grenache '95: Med.dark color; strong fragrant grapey/strawberry/Grenache light oaked perfumy/aromatic nose; rich very strong strawberry/Grenache dusty/old vines rather spicy/perfumy flavor; very long soft lush strawberry/Grenache bit dusty/earthy complex finish w/ light tannins; loads and loads strawberry/Grenache fruit & not the usual overwhelming use of oak; a very tasty red for the short term; great value at $16.

It's been awhile since I've spoken to the flock from the bloody pulpit:
George Chadwick had asked almost 2 wks ago whether he should go for the Qupe Hillside '96 or the Ojai version. Dreadful choice to have to make and, after waffling around a bit, recommended the Qupe as being a bit more balanced. It was very interesting to taste these 3 Hillside Syrahs together. Over the last yr, I've seen some strong herbal/gamey components developing in the Qupe '95. Little herbal character this time, but a distinct gamey tone to it. The wine is really developing some very nice Rhonish/complex character. Of the two '96 Hillsides, I think the Qupe will evolve more gracefully over the next few yrs. The Ojai is such a huge brut of a wine that it's really hard to tell exactly where it will go, other than it's probably eventually going to be an awesome wine. Some very special Syrahs from to extraordinally talented winemakers, Bob Lindquist and Adam Tolmach. They've come a long way from their days in the old dairy barn up in LosAlamos.
Edmunds St.John Brandlin Zinfandel: For a guy that can make some absolutely incredible wines; I could never figure out why Steve Edmunds made such clunkers with the Zinfandel grape. They've tended to be on the overripe/pruney/raisened side, sometimes a bit volatile, usually rather hot & alcoholic, not very attractive Zins to me. So finally he got it right. Though on the very ripe/late harvest side, this Brandlin '96 is a killer Zinfandel; a big mouthful of wine loaded w/ blackberry fruit. Alas, this is his last Brandlin Zinfandel; Peter Franus now owns the vnyd & will take all the grapes forevermore. I really hope Steve is able to line up some alternative source for Zinfandel.... perhaps ElDorado Cnty where he gets other grapes.
Dashe Zinfandel: When I tasted this at ZAP last January, I though it was a nice Zinfandel.... but just that. This time I really loved that wine. It didn't have a lot of that high-toned Dry Creek Valley Zinberry character, more like RussianRiver Zinfandel; but it did have an incredible spiciness to it and just shouted of very skilled competent polished winemaking. Musta learned something all those yrs at Ridge!! :-) I wnry to keep your eyes on in the future.
Saddleback/Venge: I've been sorta hit-or-miss in following Nils Venge's wines over the yrs, except for the Zins. This is the first time I've had a bunch of them together, and an extremely impressive bunch of wines they are. The wines have a healthy dose of toasty French oak to them but they all have plenty of fruit to support the oak, very good balance at a very high level, and the structure for aging. I've seen some 'Net comments on the sweetness/overipeness of the Zinfandel; but I really didn't notice it at all. It didn't seem to me to have residual sugar or the slightly volatility characteristic of stuck fermentations. Not being a Cabernet fan, these two were almost (but just almost) enough to make a believer out of me. But particularly impressive to me was Nils Sangiovese. Many of the Calif versions are lean austere hard thin & lacking fruit. This one was not that at all; it had richness & lushness to it that's rare in Calif Sangiovese.
Chameleon Cellars: Their Sangiovese was a very nicely done wine. This is the third Chameleon wine I've had & they've not been real blockbusters or anything but all have been very good drinking wines at a good price. Another wnry worth following more closely in the future (as if I didn't have enough to follow already!!).