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.

 

New Zinfandels
Tasted last night a few (mostly) New Zins:
Pedro Domecq VinoTinto de Variedad Zinfandel X-AA Valle de Calafia, Baja Calif (12%) '94: Med.light color; pleasant simple light raspberry/earthy nose; tart sour bit dried out earthy/metallic weak raspberry flavor; short sour/tart metallic/earthy light raspberry finish w/ little tannins; pleasant nose but unattractive on the palate.
Ridge Calif Mazzoni Home Ranch (65% Zinfandel, 23% Carignane, 12% PS; 14.5%) '96: Med.color; lush spicy raspberry fragrant strong milky/Am.oaked nose; tart clean bright raspberry light dusty strong Am.oaked/milky flavor; med. spicy/bright/raspberry light dusty very strong milky/Am.oaked finish w/ light tannins; a pretty little Zinfandel w/ lots of Am.oak; bit on the simple side.
DeLoach Russian River Valley Zinfandel Gambogi Ranch (14.5%) '97: Med.color; dusty blackberry/boysenberry some oaked nose; soft bit leaner blackberry/ boysenberry some dusty light milky/Am.oak flavor; long fairly lush blackberry/boysenberry/raspberry finish w/ light tannins; bit more brightness & high-toned character than the others.
DeLoach Russian River Valley Zinfandel Barbieri Ranch (15.5%) '97: Dark color; strong dusty/blackberry/boysenberry some pungent/licorice light oak nose; bit more intense blackberry/boysenberry light licorice/pungent/dusty flavor; med.long dusty/blackberry/boysenberry light licorice/pungent finish w/ light tannins; bit bigger & richer than Gambogi.
DeLoach Russian River Valley Zinfandel Pelletti Ranch (15.5%) '97: Med.dark color; strong pungent smokey/dusty/old vines blackberry/boysenberry bit alcoholic very ripe light oak nose; bit tart/lean spicy/blackberry/ boysenberry some pungent/dusty/licorice some milky/Am.oak flavor; med. long tarter/lean very spicy/boysenberry/blackberry bit licorice/dusty old vine finish w/ light tannins; a bit of over-ripeness peeks thru on this wine. $21.00
DeLoach Russian River Valley Zinfandel Papera Ranch (16.0%) '97: Med.dark color; strong pungent blackberry/boysenberry rather dusty/old vines some oaked/ milky pungent pretty spicy/licorice nose; soft round lush pungent/spicy blackberry/boysenberry fairly rich dusty/old vines oaked flavor; med.long dusty/old vine blackberry/boysenberry light oaked light tannins finish; my very slight favorite of the four.
DeLoach Sonoma County Estate Zinfandel '96 (NB:older vintage): Med.dark color; rather reduced/burnt rubber slight stinky nose that clears to licorice/ pungent/boysenberry/blackberry dusty/old vines pungent/smokey nose; tart lean bit hard/closed blackberry/boysenberry/raspberry very slight dusty/ old vines flavor; med.long tart/lean/hard fresh blackberry/raspberry some bretty/oaked finish w/ light tannins; seems to be getting rather lean & hard.
DeLoach Russian River Valley Zinfandel OFS (14.5%) '97: Med.dark color; very strong blackberry/boysenberry old vines/dusty ripe strong Am.oak/milky/dill nose; soft lush very ripe boysenberry/blackberry some dusty/old vines some pungent/licorice flavor; med.long dusty/old vines Am.oaked/milky soft ripe boysenberry/blackberry finish w/ light tannins; only slightly bigger & richer than the single vnyds w/ a bit more oak. Way overpriced at $29.00
Carlisle Cellars Russian River Valley Zinfandel (16.0%) '97: Very dark color; beautiful complex minty/menthol/eucalyptus bright lush raspberry/ blackberry aromatic/cough syrup pencilly/oak nose; rich tart very spicy/ peppery aromatic blackberry/raspberry/cough syrup minty/menthol/oaked complex flavor; very long minty/menthol/oaked aromatic very spicy/peppery blackberry/raspberry minty/menthol pencilly/oaked finish w/ some tannins; needs 1-2 yrs & will last longer; lots of minty/menthol/eucalyptus character w/ fair oak but a very spicy/blackberry character; a bit more racy/high-toned character than most RRV Zins. $nc From the Montafi vnyd, planted in 1926, about 1 ton/acre, eucalyptus trees lining the south side of the vnyd.
Carlisle Cellars Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel (16.4%) '97: Med.dark color; deep dusty/ old vines blackberry/black cherry cola some high-toned/cranberry/Zinberry complex pencilly/oaked nose; softer bright raspberry/blackberry very dusty/old vines rather pencilly/oaked some black cherry cola/cranberry some tart flavor; very long very spicy raspberry/Zinberry/blackberry rather cranberry some pencilly/oaked finish w/ fair tannins; needs several yrs yet; will last 5-7 yrs or more; lots of high-toned Zinberry cranberry character typical of DCV Zins. $nc From the Ray Teldeschi vnyd on the east side of the DCV; very very old vines that were old when his grandfather bought the ranch in the early 1900's, with about 20% equally old PetiteSirah.
Carlisle Cellars Sonoma Valley Zinfandel (16.3%) '97: Dark color; strong Am.oaked/ pungent boysenberry/blackberry coffee/almost Rhone-like dusty/old vines intense complex nose; tart lean very very spicy very complex very dusty/ old vines complex some blackberry/boysenberry pungent/oaked rather rustic/tannic flavor; very long hard/tannic/rustic/austere rather pencilly/pungent/oaked very spicy very dusty/old vines some blackberry/ boysenberry finish w/ ample tannins; needs much age yet; pretty hard & lean w/ not a very intense fruit to it but a very unusual spiciness to it; obvious Am.oak but not really excessive. $nc From the Rossi Ranch in the hills west of Kenwood; planted in 1910. Very unique Zinfandel clone here w/ thick skins, small berries, loose clusters
Carlisle Cellars Russian River Valley Mondeuse (14.2%) '97: Med.color; strong licorice/pungent/oaked complex dusty/smokey/spicy low fruit some earthy flavor; very spicy complex dusty/earthy/smokey/pungent hard/lean/very tannic/astringent some pencilly/oaked flavor; very long hard/lean/tannic/ astringent very spicy/dusty/earthy/pungent finish w/ loads of tannins; a very interesting wine that needs some flesh, like very ripe Zinfandel, on this rugged structure; no telling how long this will age or what it will become but a very interesting unique wine. This come from a block in a very old 2-acre vnyd that Mike has been returning to life. There are also 2 prohibition-era (French) Syrah vines in the parcel. Mondeuse is grown in the Savioe region of France where it also makes rugged mountain-style of wines (least the few I've tried). Also grown in Friuli/Italy as Refosco di Pedincula Rosso. Used to form the backbone of the great BeaulieuVnyds Burgundy of long ago.
Ca'del Solo Monterey Refosco (Mondeuse; 12.5%) '96: Dark color; strong grapey/Kansas feed store/hay loft dusty rather herbal nose; soft fat herbal/licorice/pungent/earthy hay loft/feed store weird flavor; med.long grapey/herbal/hay loft//Kansas feed store dusty finish w/ some tannins; interesting but on the weird side.
Ridge Geyserville (65% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 15% PS; 14.5%) '92: Very dark color; strong reduced/burnt rubber/stink nose that clears to intense blackberry/dusty smokey/oaked complex blackberry/cranberry nose; soft rather bretty/horsecollar Carignane/black cherry oaked/complex flavor; very long Carignane/black cherry some blackberry dusty/old vines complex pungent/smokey/oaked rather bretty/horsecollar finish w/ some tannins; aging quite nicely; Carignane seems to dominate right now.
Jade Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley/Carneros Syrah Hudson Vnyd (14.5%) '96: Black color; strong blackberry/gamey/earthy/dusty bit herbal rather toasty/ pungent/oaked nose; soft rich rather herbal/earthy/Carneros gamey/Syrah some blackberry complex smokey Bar-B-Que sauce flavor; long soft herbal/ earthy/dusty toasty/pungent/oak gamey/Syrah/light blackberry finish w/ light tannins; lots of Carneros character & a bit on the clunky side but very interesting Syrah at a good price.
Jade Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley/Mt.Veeder Syrah Paras Vnyd (14.5%) '96: Black color; very strong blackberry/smokey/Syrah dusty/gamey oaked high-toned/ blackberry pungent/complex nose; rich earthy/gamey/Syrah/blackberry some lean/hard/astringent toasty/oaked/pungent flavor; very long gamey/Syrah/ blackberry toasty/pungent/minty/menthol/oaked ripe black cherry/cola rather lean/hard/tannic finish; another great JadeMtn Syrah from their new vnyd; not quite as intense as the '95 & a bit lean & hard but a first-class Calif Syrah.

And the customary rant from the bloody pulpit:
The DeLoach Zins: From the very start of their single vnyd Zinfandel program (in '91?), I've faulted these wines for not being sufficiently distinctive to justify vinyard designate status. That is particularly true of these (there are 2 others we didn't taste... and probably won't bother to) from the '97 vintage. Sometimes there are larger differences due to different harvest dates or crop loads. But in some cases the vnyds are separated by nothing more than a road. But I've not even come close to identifying a Pelletti or a Gambogi character in any of the wines. When you taste all 4 of these wines side-by-side, you CAN pick up differences. But they aren't large enough to even argue about, something my group does verrry well. But the reason it's done is pretty obvious; each one becomes scarcer & you can charge $3-$4 more a bottle for it. We were speculating last night if some consumers see 4 or 6 different vnyd designate Zinfandel, get overwhelmed by the choice & don't know which to buy, so don't buy any. My guess is it works the reverse and they buy them all to try to see which they like best. It all seems a bit of a scam to me on Cecil's part. I really doubt, were he served all the Zins blind that he could pick them out. As for the '97 vintage.... these Zins are good. But just that. They seem to display a bit more dusty/old vine character than they have in past yrs. They are not light wines. However, probably because the yields were way up (a reliable source tell me they took 30 tons off the 10 acre Pelletti vnyd in '97.... vs. only 18 tons in '98), they have a lack of backbone & structure & extract that calls for early drinking of them. And they don't seem to have the typical high acidity they've had in the last 3 yrs that warrents their aging. As for the OFS '97, there's been some comments on the boards that it is a particularly weak effort. Yes and no. Clearly not as big & extracted & alcoholic & tannic as it's been in the past. So "yes" on that count. But it's hardly a "weak" wine.... just on;y slightly better than the vnyd-designates. So the large price differential is way out of line. I'll be buying no more of the '97 DeLoachs.
Carlisle Cellars: This is the wine from Mike Officer, an occasional poster and inveterate lurker on many of these boards. This is ho-made wine that he made in his garage in SantaRosa and obviously not for sale. With the '98 vintage, Mike goes commercial w/ his passion, making his wines at Adam Lee's Siduri Cellars in the scenic industrial part of SantaRosa. In the '97 vintage, yields were up considerably and, like many others, Mike had to scramble to find cooperage. New oak was all that was available, so these wines got a bit more new oak than Mike would have chosen for them. Though the oak was evident in all 4 of these wines, and strongest in the SonomaVlly/RossiRanch, I didn't think it was excessive, certainly not in the sense of the St.Francis, say. Also, since the had to vacate their house to move out onto the Pelletti Ranch property, he bottled these in August, a few months earlier than he would have preferred. We tasted thru the '96 versions of his wines last Spring & they struck me as rather lean & tight & hard. I tasted thru these '97's w/ Mike in his home in early September & they struck me as very rich lush style of Zins; similar to the Rosenblum Maggie's/Samsel in style. Last night they seemed to have a leanness & tightness to them I didn't get back in September. Must be the altitude up here! In a nutshell, I thought these Zins were all terrific. Evident oak, yes, but not excessive. They all had a very strong spicy component that I really liked, with lots of interesting/complex aromatics. And, unlike other winery's efforts, they were all three very distinctive and spoke of their vnyd origins. In particular, I was taken by the SonomaVlly/ Rossi Ranch. These grapes go to Topolous Vnyds, where a few times they have made some terrific wines but recent efforts have been marred by sloppy winemaking. Mike's effort w/ these grapes had a unique spiciness to it that I just couldn't put my finger on or describe, but unlike any other Zinfandel I can recall, Others in my tasting group picked up the very same thing in that wine as I did. These Zins all had a healthy alcohol level. But in none of them did I get an overripe or raisened or hot or alcoholic character; they all carried their alcohol levels very well. All in all, I would label these three Zins as some of the most exciting ones I've tasted this year.... maybe not as sensual as some, but in a sort of racey/intelluctual way is the only way I could describe it. The Mondeuse is cut from a different cloth. Lots of interesting things going on in that wine. Because of the tannins, not an attractive wine to drink right now. It'll be fascinating to see just what it evolves into. Alas, Mike doesn't have a lot of bottles to take data with. I've been trying to figure out where Mike's winemaking style fits into the Zinfandel spectrum & not had much success. He doesn't flagrantly abuse the oak in his wine. They are very clean, very well made; but not in the sterile sense of some wineries Zins; I'm sure there is probably brett in the wines but I've never been able to pick it up. The wines seem to have a bit lean/brisk/stiff character to them from the acidity; but, again, it doesn't seem excessive and bodes well for their aging. I guess I would describe their style as much like Joel Peterson does w/ the Ravenswood/Old Hill Ranch; but w/o the strong French oak component and the occasional volatility that shows in that wine. Perhaps a bit like the David Coffaro style, but less oak and less of David's lush/soft/ smooth/polished style. And a bit like Doug Nalle's style. All pretty strong praise for what I think are among the best "ho-made" wines I've ever tasted. It'll be interesting to watch Mike's transition to winemaking on a commercial scale. I've little doubt that he'll be able to pull it off very well. Best of all, we'll then be able to BUY his wine. And he has a marketing team behind him (in wife Kendall, daughter Rachel, & son Riley) that will dazzle those hard-as-nails, curmudgeonly, wine buyers out there and make the Mondavi sales force look like country bumpkins!!
The Jade Mtn Syrah's: Doug Danilek (sp??) has been making some very outstanding Rhone-style wines under this label. This is an operation to keep you eye on. With a reliable source of Syrah grapes now (purchased from Lou Hudson's vnyd in Carneros & their own Paras Vnyd on Mt.Veeder), Doug will be up there amongst the first tier of Calif Syrah producers, if he isn't already. John Koonsgaard, Bruce Neyers, and Doug all three make Syrah from Hudson grapes. The ones I have seem to have an earthiness in them that, to me, speaks of Carneros grapes. Almost a Mourvedre-like component in the wines. Or a Southern-Rhone character. It doesn't seem to have that bright blackberry fruit of other cool-climate Syrah like, say, Durrel. Sort of that same character that comes thru in Carneros Pinot, almost a clunky character. But the Hudson vnyd is one to keep your eyes on; especially for other varieties coming from it. The JadeMtn Mt.Veeder Syrah '95 was one of the best I've had this year. Very much like the EdmundsStJohn Durrel in style. This '96 version seems a bit less opulent & a bit more lean & tight than the '95. But a terific Syrah it is. As we see more and more mountain-grown Syrah come on line in Calif.... it just gets more & more exciting; they've not yet reached their potential.
TomHill (struggling to restrain his enthusiasm... but w/ little success!)