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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 June 9, 1999:

Rhones

Tasted some more Rhones just afore Hospice du Rhone:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. 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:
  1. 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
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

TomHill

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