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The Tom Hill Archives

The Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium presents the musings and reflections of Tom Hill. We think it's great that Tom, who has sampled so many wines, has shared his tasting notes with us. We do have, or have had for sale a few of the wines Tom writes about, and we include a link to our stock page whenever it is a producer we carry (but since the stock page is kept up-to-date and the wines are sold, don't expect any but the newest of wines to show up in our stock!). Mostly though, since we specialize in County of Santa Barbara Wine and Central Coast Wine, we don't carry a lot of the wines Tom writes about. But we think it is important that you be able to have an idea what they're like in case you are planning to buy some somewhere, or have them in your own collection. Enjoy.

Here are Tom's notes from January 12, 2005:

Mixed Bag of Rhones

We tasted this week a mixed bag of Rhones:
 
  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
Some of the usual nonsense from the BloodyPulpit:
  1. OjaiRed: This was a gift to us to try, via LarryArchibald, from AdamTolmach & Fabien. I recall it as a blend of Syrah and Pinot. It sold cheap & we bought a bunch of it. It's holding up amazingly well for a throw-away wine.
  2. CoreWines: A relatively new operation up in the mtns east of ArroyoGrande of Dave Corey. This HardCore was one of the best Calif Mourvedres I've had; very well-made. An operation to keep your eye on.
  3. IsenhowerCellars: I'd heard a lot of very glowing reports on these wines and was expecting great things from them. I liked them, not at their $'s though, and would say they didn't meet my high expectations. They seemed pretty heavy on the charred oak and a bit short on fruit. But they had some interesting things therein and I'll try them again.
  4. Callaghan: These folks have been showing up at HdR for a fair number of yrs now. Pretty gutsy I would say. I always make an effort to taste their wines and, I must say, am always surprised at how good they are. By that, I mean "good" good, not just good (for Arizona) wine. They always seem pretty ripe to overripe, but I always find them quite interesting. Who'd have thunk...Arizona!!
  5. Brachetto: Now here's a variety I wish we'd see more of. Much like Freisa or ??? (forget) in character, it usually makes the kind of wine that Beaujolais wishes it were. Delightful, bright, zippy wines.


TomHill
 

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