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. Grande River Colorado Viognier (14%) 2000: Med.gold color; rather oaky/toasty waxy/figgy/ floral pungent interesting color; soft/fat waxy/figgy/floral/honeysuckle slight nutty/ hazelnutty flavor; med.long soft/fat/bit flabby floral/waxy/figgy slight nutty finish; more like Roussanne than Viognier; interesting. Larry's mystery wine.
2. Carabella Willamette Valley OR Pinot Noir (13.5%; Pommard, Wadensvil, & Dijon clones) 1999: Med. light color; rather dusty/walnutty light black cherry/Pinot nose; tart/lean some dusty/ walnutty very light cherry/Pinot simple light toasty/oak flavor; med.short pleasant dusty/walnutty/earthy light cherry/fruit finish w/ some tannins; lacking in fruit and rather lean; needs some age perhaps; too pricey at $36.00.
3. Soter Beacon Hill Pinot Noir Yamhill County (EG; 13.6%) 1998: Med.dark color; verey strong corked/ musty/cardboardy nose; big fruit tannic/earthy some black cherry some toasty oak flavor; med.long toasty/Fr.oak earthy/black cherry finish w/ fair tannins; tastes like a Pinot made by a Cabernet producer; not too bad on the palate but way too corked in the nose.
4. Lazy Creek Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (Unfltrd; 14.2%) 2000: Med.color; lovely black cherry/cherry slight earthy light toasty/pencilly elegant nose; tart bit thin/lean bright cherry/black cherry slight earthy light pencilly flavor; med.long elegant bright cherry/floral light pencilly/Fr.oak tart/lean finish w/ some tannins; needs a yr or two; lots of that bright Anderson Valley cherry Pinot fruit but bit lean/hard on the palate; nice/elegant Pinot but pretty pricey at $40.00.
5. Siduri Anderson Valley Cerise Vineyard Pinot Noir (!4.6%) 2000: Dark color; deep big black cherry/ blackberry/cola strong toasty/smokey/pungent/Fr.oak somewhat floral/violets very aromatic nose; rich/intense black cherry/cola/Pinot some toasty/pungent/Fr.oak/smokey floral/ perfumed flavor; very long big black cherry/cola some toasty/pungent/Fr.oak lush finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs and will last; loads of Pinot/black cherry fruit w/ a nice touch of toasty oak and terrific balance; killer Pinot.
6. Domaine Alfred Edna Valley Chamisal Vineyard Pinot Noir (EB; 14.5%) 1999: Med.dark color; strong cherry/ stewed tomatoes/juicy/Pinot slight herbal/cinammon/cloves light toasty/oak nose; tart juicy/cherry/stewed fruit/Pinot light toasty/oak dusty bit hard flavor; med.long tart cherry/juicy/Pinot/stewed fruit light toasty/oak finish w/ light tannins; rather interesting/ eccentric Pinot but good for the price.
7. Domaine Alfred Califa Edna Valley Chamisal Vineyard Pinot Noir (EB; 14.5%) 1999: Med.dark color; bigger/deeper more dusty more smokey/toasty/oak rather black cherry/juicy/Pinot nose; tart deeper/richer black cherry/stewed fruit/juicy/Pinot some toasty/Fr.oak flavor; med.long juicy/black cherry rather toasty/smokey/pungent/oak finish w/ some tannins; very similar to the regular in profile but just a bit bigger & more oaked; not worth the price difference.$42.00 
8. Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir Brown Ranch (EB; 14.2%) 1999: Med.color; attractive cherry/black cherry  light toasty/Fr.oak bit simple/earthy nose; tart/rich bit earthy cherry/black cherry light toasty/Fr.oak/pungent attractive flavor; med.long spicy/cherry/black cherry light toasty/ Fr.oak finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; very pleasant/attractive bit simple Pinot but way overpriced at $75.00.
9. Consilience Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir (13.5%) 1999: Med.dark color; very strong pungent/charred  oak bit reduced rather cherry/Pinot/spicy slight herbal nose; tart stewed fruit charred/ burnt/toasty/Fr.oak cherry/black cherry/cola rather eccentric/interesting flavor; long charred/toasty/smokey/Fr.oak some black cherry/cherry/cola finish w/ light tannins; lots of charred oak w/ nice Pinot fruit underneath; eccentric if interesting wine.
10. Costa de Oro Oro Rojo Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir Gold Coast Vineyard (13.5%) 1999: Med.light color; rather  stewed fruit/spicy/cherry light toasty/oak pleasant nose; tart pleasant spicy/cherry/bright light toasty/Fr.oak slight earthy flavor; med.long bright cherry/Pinot light oak finish w/ light tannins; an attractive straightforward SantaMaria Pinot. Pricey at $35.00
11. Flying Goat Cellars Santa Maria Valley Santa Maria Hills Vineyard (13.8%) Pinot Noir 2000: Med.color; very fragrant/ aromatic/floral/perfumed slight volatile loads of bright/cherry/cherry pie filling low oak nose; very tart very ripe off-dry(?) very spicy/bright/cherry/cherry pie perfumed/ floral almost soda pop slightly hot flavor; very long bright/cherry/cherry pie very fragrant/floral/violets finish w/ light tannins; loads of bright cherry fruit w/ little oak; rather on the ripe side; reminds me a bit of Hartley-Ostini w/o the oak; great first effort.
12. Loring Wine Co Santa Lucia Highlands Garys' Vineyard (14.5%) Pinot Noir 2000: Dark color; beautiful black cherry/Pinot/black cherry cola bit herbal very spicy/cinammon/cloves lovely complex perfumed nose; tart very spicy/cloves strong black cherry/cola/Pinot light herbal light toasty/Fr.oak flavor; very long intense black cherry/cola light herbal/spicy/cloves finish w/ fair tannins; much bigger/richer more macho Pinot than the ClosPepe version; has that typical SantaLucia herbal/spiciness to it; terrific Pinot.
13. Loring Wine Co Santa Rita Hills Clos Pepe Vineyard (14.7%) Pinot Noir 2000: Med.dark color; beautiful bright/ cherry/Pinot very perfumed/aromatic loads of Pinot fruit light oak nose; tart very spicy bright cherry/cherry soda/cherry pie very floral/aromatic light toasty oak flavor; very long/ lingering bright cherry/cola light toasty/Fr.oak very floral/perfumed finish w/ some tannins; loads of bright chery Pinot fruit; much like the ClosPepe w/ toned down oak.
14. Clos Pepe Estate Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir (13.7%; #1456) 2000: Med.color; rather toasty/Fr.oak/ pungent rather Burgundian strong black cherry/cherry/Pinot Noir very spicy/cloves very perfumed nose; tart toasty/Fr.oak/smokey rather cherry/herbal/Pinot Noir/black cherry complex very spicy flavor; very long/lingering cherry/black cherry/Pinot Noir some floral/violets toasty/Fr.oak/pungent finish w/ some tannins; needs a yr or two; less power & more oak than the Loring but a beautiful  fragrance & spice to it; terrific cold-climate Pinot. $40.00
15. David Bruce Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir (13%) 1996: Med.color; slightly corked rather earthy little fruit dusty/smokey/pungent/oak nose; strong toasty/oak bit walnutty/pungent earthy low fruit flavor; med. earthy pungent/toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; rather lacking in fruit. Larry's mystery wine.
16. Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Vineyard Edna Valley Pinot Noir (14.5%) 2000: Med.color; very strong toasty/burnt/ charred/Fr.oak/coffee some herbal/Pinot Noir nose; tart very charred/pungent/toasty/oak some cherry/Pinot Noir kind of sweetish flavor; med.long charred/toasty/Fr.oak some bright/cherry/Pinot Noir finish w/ light tannins; lots of toasty oak but nice fruit underneath; Blair's mystery wine; good value at $17.00.

And some Some Dessert Wines for Celebrating :

1. Austin Cellars Santa Barbara County JohannisbergRiesling Botrytis (SaH: 38.2Brix; RS:  17.6Brix; Alc: 10.5%; Hrvstd: 11/11/83) 1983: Quite brown rather cloudy color; very botrytis/ peachy/apricotty some volatile/pickle juice bit oxidized rather weird but complex nose; tart fairly sweet botrytis/apricotty bit hot/volatile/pickle juice slight oxidized flavor; med.long rather sweet botrytis finish; rather strange botrytis wine that has some pleasant things in it but a bit oxdized & volatile.
2. Preston Muscat Brule MuscatCanelli DryCreek Valley Sonoma County (SaH: 35.2%; Alc: 16.1%; RS: 12.5%) 1987: Brown color; quite volatile intense Muscat very fragrant/complex peachy/ botrytis beautiful nose; quite sweet rather EA/airplane glue/volatile/hot intense muscatty/ peachy/botrytis very perfumed flavor; very long very sweet rather hot/volatile intense peachy/ botrytis/muscatty finish; rather on the volatile/fumey side but lots of intense/complex character; aged into a very interesting wine.
3. Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin de Glaciere Grenache (RS: 19.4%; Alc: 10.34%) 1991: Med.brown color; very strong grapey some peachy/overripe/rotted fruit no Grenache bit cranberry some complex/ interesting nose; quite sweet rotted fruit/apricotty/candied very ripe some complex flavor; long very sweet grapey/candied/rotted fruit finish; lots of interesting grapey character w/ no Grenache character to speak of; some complexity; interesting dessert wine.
4. Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin de Glaciere Grenache (RS: 18.8%; Alc: 12%) 1987: Dark brown/gold color;  intense very grapey/old Riesling-like/rotted fruit some complex nose; very sweet rotted fruit/ complex/very grapey rather soft no Grenache flavor; long grapey/rotted fruit some old/botrytis Riesling finish; showing some complexity and rather interesting.

1. GrandeRiver Viognier: I tried (of course) their first few vintages of Viognier (i.e. I followed them from the very start) and found them to be pretty oaky. This one was much toned down on the oak but seemed very overripe as if the grapes had been allowed to hang well after leaf drop; giving it that slightly rotted-apple character you get in some late harvest dessert wines. It reminded me a lot more of Roussanne than Viognier. You don't suppose in Colorado they confused Viognier w/ Roussanne??
2. Siduri Pinots: This was the first exposure of my group to a Siduri Pinot. As I expected, they were mightly impressed and there was a big Fleurie to order some of the 2001 futures. We've been buying Adam&Diania's Novy Syrah for several yrs, but now we're adding the Pinots to the list as well. Mightly impressive Pinot... but then most folks here already knew that.
3. FlyingGoat Cellars: I've followed Flying Goat  Cellars from the very start; this is the very start w/ the 2000 vintage. Winemaker Norm Yost only makes Pinot there in the SantaYnez Valley. I was pretty impressed w/ his first effort here. www.FlyingGoatCellars.com
4. LoringPinots: These two wines were given us to try by Brian during our visit at Clos Pepe in May. This is Brian's second vintage, so I've followed his wines pretty much from the very start. Brian is a computer type down in the LA area and makes his wine up in the Edna Valley at CottonwoodCanyon Winery. He'll soon move into a space shared by WesHagen and Kahn Winery there on the far northern outskirts of Buelton. No vnyds of his own, but sourcing his grapes from some of the most primo vnyds in Calif. He has a lot of good info on his WebSite: www.LoringWineCompany.com . Most interesting, he also provides links there to other Sites who's Pinots he particularly likes. Obviously, a winery to keep your eyes on.
5. ClosPepe: This was my first objective tasting of Wes' Pinot other than the tasting on my visit there in May. I liked his Pinot quite a lot then; liked it even more tonight on my home turf. I was really struck by it's spiciness and fragrance. Not a huge blockbuster Pinot but very well-made (and -grown, obviously) and quite impressive. Definitely need to keep your eye on ClosPepe, both as a winery and as a grower.
6. SantaRitaHills: This appellation is a new one a bit over a yr old now. Wes was the primary force behind getting this AVA approved by the ATF. Alas, they're having trouble with the SantaRita  Winery folks down in Chile over the name. Based on the wines coming from this AVA, it would do a lot for the reputation of the SantaRita wnry, I would say. Not sure how's this will eventually be resolved. But definitely an area to keep your eyes on for Pinot and Syrah in the future; we'll see some great ones from here.
7. Austin Cellars: This was the name for his own wines he made after he left as winemaker at Firestone. Made on his property up in AlisosCanyonRd, far back in the hills there. He's now head winemaker at the BigHouse in Soledad. He was caught running a big meth lab at his wnry. The feds flew in to bust him in a bunch of helicopters and he tried to outrun them in a beat- up pickup truck. Not a smart thing. Guess he left a lot of pretty serious chemical pollution in the pond there from his lab activities. It probably explains why the wines he made under his own label could be pretty awful at times. I still have a botrytis SauvBlanc that was the epitome of pickle juice last I tried it.
8. BonnyDoon FreezerWines: I've followed the eccentric Randal Grahm's efforts from the very start. These were nearly the first of his freezer IceWeins. He made some 3-4 different varietals. If my memory is correct, it pretty much started this genre in Calif, or anywhere I guess. He used to vintage date them, but I don't see that he does that anymore.  These IceWeins always seem to strike me as being very (non-varietal) grapey and quite  simple when young. They also seem to develop bottle bouquet very slowly. But I see no reason that they won't age forever because of the high residual sugar. Whether they'll ever develop the complexity that botrytis wines do remains to be seen.