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. Tres Ojos Old Vine Garnacha DOC Calatayud (14.5%) 2003: Med.color; attractive strawberry/Grenache/ cherry/juicy/grapey slight earthy/simple nose; soft/bright cherry/strawberry/Grenache flavor; med. short bright/grapey/strawberry/cherry finish w/ little tannins; a simple juicy/grapey Grenache. $6.50
2. El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa Old Vines Grenache DOC Navarra (13.5%) 2002: Med.color; more interesting deeper/spicy/dusty/old vines ripe/strawberry/Grenache stronger nose; deeper strawberry/berry/ Grenache some spicy/dusty/old vines slight pungent/oak flavor; med.long berry/strawberry/Grenache some spicy/dusty finish w/ light tannins; much more interesting attractive Grenache at a good price. $11.00
3. Garretson Grenache Rozet Vnyd / Paso Robles "The Spainneach" (16.3%; 200 cs) 2002: Med.light color; very ripe strawberry/juicy/Grenache slight volatile/fumey loads of ripe fruit slight pencilly/oak nose; very ripe lush/strawberry/jammy/Smuckers/Grenache light pencilly/oak slight gritty/tannins bit chocolaty some hot/fumey flavor; med.long chocolaty/coffee very ripe strawberry/jammy/Grenache slightly hot some gritty/tannic finish; a very ripe to overripe loads of jammy/Grenache fruit wine; too over-the-top for some; probably best drunk young. $22.50
4. Ojai Vnyd Calif TW OjaiRed (13%) 1995: Med.dark color; some reduced/pungent/diaper pail nose that clears to somewhat toasty/pungent/oak rather perfumed/complex some black cherry/chocolate nose; soft somewhat bretty/barnyardy/funky/horsecollar some black cherrys/spicy/complex some toasty/pungent/ charred/oak flavor; smooth/complex spicy/pungent black cherry/chocolate finish w/ light tannins; has come together well; rather bretty/funky but quite interesting red; drink up afore it starts to dry out. $nc
5. Hard Core Santa Barbara Cnty (55% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 20% CS; 120 cs; www.CoreWine.com; 15.7%) 2002:  Med.dark color; strong plummy/licorice/blackberry/black cherry really beautiful/spicy/rich bit pungent nose; big/rich/lush licorice/plummy/black cherry spicy/ bright light vanilla/oak some tannic flavor; very long bright/plummy/licorice/Mourvedre/black cherry very spicy light vanilla finish w/ light tannins; needs several yrs; a really bright/spicy/ lively balanced well-made wine; wonderful stuff. $22.00
6. Garretson Mourvedre Hastings Ranch/ Paso Robles "The Graosta" (15.9%; 200 cs) 2002: Very dark/black color; very strong/intense blackberry/licorice/plummy/black cherry/chocolate loads of fruit rather ripe but not overripe some pencilly/FrOak nose; soft/ripe lush black cherry/plummy/licorice/jammy some pencilly/oak very ripe flavor; long very ripe black cherry/plummy/licorice bit chalky/tannic finish; needs several yrs; ripe & jammy but good structure & not over-the-top; terrific Mourvedre at a great price (futures). $20.50
7. Milton Peak SE Australia Shiraz (13.5%) 2002: Dark color; strong blackberry/boysenberry/jammy/juicy/ very ripe Syrah some oak nose; very tart/citric/acidified blackberry/framboise "sweet tarts" like flavor; med.short sweet-tart/blackberry/Syrah screechy/acid finish w/ little tannins; another factory Oz wine; not pleasant at any price. $8.25
8. Kilikanoon Killerman'sRun Shiraz South Australia (14.5%; www.Kilikanoon.com.Au) 2002: Very dark color; rather strong vanilla/oak deeper/licorice/blackberry/boysenberry bit simple nose; tart licorice/ blackberry//boysenberry/fruity rather medicinal some vanilla/oak flavor; short strong/boysenberry/ blackberry/Syrah vanilla/oak finish w/ little tannin; pleasant Oz Shiraz but not worth $17.00
9. The Black Chook Shiraz/Viognier(5%) (www.PennysHill.com.Au; 14.5%) BenRiggs/WoopWoopWines 2003: Very dark color; strong vanilla/oak ripe/blackberry/framboise/licorice quite spicy pungent/coffee/black pepper interesting nose; soft/lush boysenberry/framboise/licorice some spicy/coffee/black pepper flavor; long ripe/framboise/boysenberry/Syrah finish w/ light tannins; a tasty 4-square Oz Shiraz at a very good price. $16.00
10. Terra Blanca Red Mtn /Washington State Syrah (13.3%) 2000: Dark color; some toasty/charred/oak bit herbal/ pungent pleasant/low-fruit nose; tart some hay/vegetal/herbal somewhat charred/toasty/burnt/oak low fruit flavor; short charred/burnt/oak strange herbal/hay/feed-store finish w/ light tannins; a rather peculiar and unattractive Syrah. $18.00
11. Isenhower Wild Alfalfa Syrah Columbia Valley (14.5%) 2002: Black color; very strong black pepper/pungent/ coffee dusty/roasted/espresso some blackberry/Syrah almost graphite/carbon arc unusual nose; tart some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah light roasted/espresso some charred/oak bit hard/tannic flavor; long hard/tannic some charred/burnt/oak slight blackberry/blueberry light roasted/coffee finish; more fruit than the next but still a bit short fruitwise; a good Syrah but just that; overpriced somewhat at $29.00
12. Isenhower River Beauty Syrah Columbia Valley (14.7%; www.IsenhowerCellars.com) 2002: Dark color; slight volatile dusty/roasted/herbal carbon arc/graphite bit charred/burnt little fruit nose; softer more charred/burnt/roasted carbon arc low fruit rather rough/rustic flavor; longer softer quite charred/ burnt rough/tannic finish; needs age but short on fruit; seems overpriced for a strange wine. $33.50
13. Whitman Cellars Walla Walla Vlly Syrah (14.2%) 2002: Dark color; intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah strong/pungent/toasty/oak loads of boysenberry/jammy nose; rich/lush/extracted boysenberry/blackberry/ Syrah slight roasted/toasty/pungent very ripe flavor; very long very ripe/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah some toasty/pungent/roasted finish w/ ample tannins; a bit pricey but very good WashState Syrah. $35.00
14. K-Syrah Morrison Lane Walla Walla Valley (14%; www.K-Syrah.com) 2002: Black color; beautiful/intense Syrah/blackberry/boysenberry intense black pepper/roasted/charred/smokey licorice complex nose; tart rich/extracted intense cracked black pepper strong toasty/pungent/roasted intense ripe/ blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/licorice flavor; very long big/tannic/extracted pungent/roasted black pepper/roasted/smokey intense blackberry/boysenberry finish; pretty tannic & needs age; a bit pricey but should be a good one. $46.00
15. Fort Walla Walla Walla Walla Valley CabernetSauvignon (13.5%; www.FortWallaWallaCellars.com) 2001: Very dark color; strong pungent/green olive/herbal smokey/roasted/charred/pungent rather vanilla- extract interesting nose; soft/lush vanilla-extract green olive/herbal rather toasty/oak flavor; med.long vanilla extract/oak/toasty green olive/herbal finish w/ light tannins; never seen so much vanilla extract character in a wine; interesting stuff. Mark's mystery/$28.00
16. Callaghan Sonoita Arizona Mourvedre Buena Suerte Vnyd (15.5%) 2001: Dark color; interesting/complex boysenberry/strawberry loads of ripe/juicy fruit bit herbal/charred/toasty/oak nose; very soft ripe/juicy/boysenberry/strawberry some charred/burnt/oak bit flabby flavor; med.long juicy/ripe/ strawberry/boysenberry bit burnt/charred finish w/ little tannins; rather ripe & flabby but quite interesting red; more like very ripe Grenache than Mourvedre. Jablonski mystery wine.

 and a couple of dessert wines to toast a recently-minted GrandPa in the group:

1. Giacomo Bologna "Braida" Brachetto d'Acqui (5.5%) Rocchetta Tanaro/Asti/Piedmonte 2002: Light red color; very bright cherry/strawberry/ black cherry soda beautiful floral/rose petal pretty/frivolous/bright/zippy nose; very tart bit frizzante bright/cherry/strawberry/soda pop very floral/rose petal/violets flavor; med.long bright/zippy/sprightly strawberry/cherry finish; a thoroughly delightful/frivolous red. $13.00/hlf
2. Husch Postre Mendocino LateHrvst SauvBlanc LaRiberaVnyd (EB; 8%; SaH: 32.0Brix; RS: 17%; 500 cs) 2000: Med.gold color; strong peachy/botrytis/apricotty ripe/figgy slight oaked nose; very sweet lush/soft/rich ripe/peachy/botrytis/figgy/peachy light oak lovely flavor; very long soft/lush quite sweet very ripe peaches/botrytis/apricotty/figgy finish; terrific dessert wine. $24.00/hlf
3. Chateau de Malle Sauternes (14.5%) 2001: Med.dark gold color; lovely/lush loads of botrytis/peachy/ apricotty slight earthy/chalky/concrete vat slight creme brulee/butterscotchy nose; soft/lush very strong botrytis/apricotty/canned peaches slight hard/chalky/earthy/concrete vat light butteryscotch flavor; long ripe/botrytis/apricotty slight earthy finish; loads of botrytis with a bit of the earthy/concrete vat/rustic Sauternes character; should age well; Kevin&Paggy's mystery/$42.00