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.

 

Rhones
Tasted some more Rhones just afore Hospice du Rhone:
Terre Rouge Shenandoah Vlly Viognier (14.5%) '98: Med.gold color; beautiful/ aromatic/floral/light earthy very Tokay/PinotGris-like slight toasty/oak nose; sof/rich/fat/off-dry(?) very lush/floral/aromatic T/PG slight spicy/earthy flavor; very long fat/rich/lush/floral slight earthy/pungent/spicy slightly bitter finish; a big ripe lush white much like a Z-H PinotGris; probably the best white from AmadorCnty I've ever had; terrific Viognier.
Robert Niero Condrieu Coteau de Chery (13.5%) '97: Med.gold color; fragrant/ aromatic/minerally/peachy/Viognier elegant nose; soft elegant fragrant pear/ Viognier light minerally subtle flavor; long elegant ripe pear/Viognier light minerally finish; a lighter subtle/elegant/polished well-made Condrieu w/ classic minerally character.
Sierra Vista Calif (13.0%) Syrah '97: Med.color; some meaty/gamey light blackberry dusty/earthy low fruit nose; soft light meaty/gamey/licorice some earthy/dusty light berry flavor; med.short light blackberry/licorice slight gamey/meaty finish w/ light tannins; a pleasant low fruit Syrah at a good price. $13.00
Russian Hill Russian River Vlly Syrah (14.5%) '97: Med.color; strong cherry/candied rather Am.oaked more Pinot-like nose; soft fat/candied/cherry buttery/Am.oaked simple fruity flavor; med.short buttery/Am.oaked light cherry finish w/ no tannins; bit dull & simple; lots of whole-berry fermentation character; tastes like a SonomaVnyds wine; overpriced at $18.00.
Unti Dry Creek Vlly Syrah (13.8%) '97: Med.dark color; rather reduced/stinky/sewer gas some pungent/licorice charred/Am.oaked bit gamey nose; rather tannic/earthy/rustic chunky pungent/licorice charred/oaked bit stinky/reduced flavor; med.long sime bright berry fruit licorice/pungent/earthy some charred/oak finish w/ fair tannins; a rather clunky/rustic Syrah w/o a lot of fruit.
Dehlinger Russian River Vlly Syrah (14.5%) '96: Very dark/black color; intense fragrant/ framboise/blackberry slight musty/corky nose; tart intense framboise/blackberry/spicy light toasty/pencilly/oaked flavor; long bit gamey intense framboise/blackberry slight musty/funky charred/oaked finish w/ some tannins; a slight off/funky character but loads of framboise/blackberry fruit; needs 2-6 yrs.
Terre Rouge Sierra Foothills Syrah (14.5%) '97: Very dark color; very strong boysenberry/blackberry/framboise/grapey/ripe cocoa/spicy nose; soft rich very strong boysenberry/blackberry some dusty/earthy very ripe spicy flavor; med.long soft lush boysenberry/blackberry/framboise bit earthy/dusty bit tannic finish; needs several yrs; a very well-made tasty red w/ more Syrah character than most Amador versions display. Very good price at $20.00
Qupe Santa Barbara Cnty Syrah Bien Nacido Reserve (14.5%) '97: Med.color; bit earthy/ dusty bright blackberry/black cherry very fragrant light smokey/oaked nose; bright black cherry/blackberry/cola light smokey/oaked very spicy flavor; long elegant/spicy black cherry/blackberry/cola finish w/ light tannins; one of the lighter BNR Syrahs but plenty of bright fruit; good value at $21.00
Brophy Clark Santa Ynez Vlly Syrah (13.5%) '97: Dark color; bit herbal/walnutty/ dusty complex/blackberry/black cherry fragrant/pungent nose; tart bit herbal/ walnutty/dusty/earthy complex/blackberry slightly underripe flavor; long slight herbal/dusty/walnutty some blackberry/complex finish w/ light tannins; needs a yr or two; lots of SBCnty Syrah character; pretty interesting Syrah at a very good price. $15.00
Sunstone Santa Barbara Cnty Syrah Reserve (13.5%) '97: Dark color; very ripe/ overripe intense blackberry/boysenberry bit volatile/aromatic slight coffee/ metallic nose; soft very ripe Aussie-style intense boysenberry/blackberry/ framboise/coffee slightly hot flavor; long soft very ripe blackberry/framboise bit dusty finish w/ some tannins; a bit over-the-top/Aussie-style Syrah.
Dromana Estate Mornington Peninsula Shiraz (13.9%) '97: Med.dark color; rather earthy/dusty/sour slight herbal rather blackberry/soda pop/Syrah nose; hard/lean rather sour/dusty/earthy bit herbal some blackberry/soda pop some oaked flavor; med.long blackberry/soda pop rather dusty/earthy/sour finish w/ light tannins; some interesting things therein but a rather earthy/spoiled milk/lactic character distracts from this wine.
Pikes Clare Vlly Shiraz (14.5%) '97: Dark color; very strong eucalyptus/minty/sage/ chamisa rather blackberry/framboise/oaked nose; soft very menthol/eucalyptus/ sage/oaked some blackberry/Syrah flavor; med.long blackberry/framboise perfumed rather minty/eucalyptus/oaked finish w/ light tannins; a very good up-front Aussie Shiraz at a good price. $17.00
Elderton Barossa Shiraz (14.5%) '96: Very dark color; some corked/musty very strong blackberry/Syrah Am.oaked/vanilla/menthol nose; soft/fat some menthol/vanilla/ Am.oaked rather blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah slightly flat flavor; long very boysenberry/blackberry some Am.oaked/vanilla/menthol finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; another tasty/up-front Oz Shitaz.
St. Hallet Blackwell Shiraz Barossa (14.0%) '96: Dark color; very strong blackberry/Shiraz/oaked/vanilla some eucalyptus/menthol nose; soft menthol/ eucalyptus ripe/blackberry/Shiraz quite spicy flavor; long bit tannic/hard ripe/ boysenberry/blackberry/Shiraz/framboise slight menthol/eucalyptus/vanilla/oak finish w/ light tannins; another up-front Oz Shiraz but not worth price. $25.50
Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Heathcote Victoria Shiraz (15.5%) '97: Black color; intense blackberry/framboise/boysenberry/chocolaty/licorice rather oaked/minty/ eucalyptus/vanilla nose; soft very ripe boysenberry/blackberry/framboise/chocolaty fairly oaked/menthol/eucalyptus/minty smokey/pungent flavor; very long/ripe intense boysenberry/framboise/chocolaty strong menthol/eucalyptus/vanilla/oaked finish w/ some tannins; needs 2-5 yrs; pretty big & lush for Vistoria Shiraz. Larry's mystery wine.

And a few dessert wines to celebrate Carl & Sigie Stewart's visit:
Clos de Sainte Catherine Coteaux du Layon Doamine Baumard '97: Med.dark gold color; beautiful fragrant/pineapply/botrytis elegant/complex nose; soft lovely complex beautiful pineapply/apricotty/botrytis/peachy very lush sweet flavor; very long/lingering complex pineapply/peachy/botrytis slight earthy finish; not as big & powerful as some Baumards but a beautiful elegant dessert wine a bit pricey at $39.00
SierraVista El Dorado Sweet Viognier (15.5%) '97: Med.dark gold color; bit herbal near vegetal very grapey some raisened little Viognier nose; weird herbal/earthy very grapey creme brulee bit earthy finish; long grapey creme brulee some herbal finish; a rather strange dessert wine.
Kareskedohoz Tokaji Aszu (3 Putonyos; 13%) '91: Dark gold color; dusty/earthy some oxidized/peanutty/peanut butter strange/complex nose; slightly sweet bit oxidized earthy/dusty peanutty/peanut butter nutty strange flavor; med. short hard earthy peanutty slight oxidized finish; pretty strange wine
And a tiny bloody pulpit:
Another sterling performance by Bill Easton's Domaine Terre Rouge. Easily the best wines being made in AmadorCnty/ShenandoahVlly these days. His new Viognier is terrific, probably the best white wine to come from Amador ever. And another very successful Syrah.