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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 September 25, 2002:

Syrahs

Recently tasted Some Syrahs:
  1. Emile Champet Cote-Rotie Grand Vin (12.5%) 1983: Med.light color; slight wet-wool/musty (non- corked) nose clears some to smokey/pungent/wet-wool slight espresso rather tired nose; tart/ sharp/acidic astringent/dried out no fruit slight coffee flavor; pretty tired/dead C-R.
  2. EmileChampet Cote-Rotie La Vialliere (12.5%) 2000: Med.dark color; slight volatile some aromatic/ strawberry/Syrah bit smokey/pungent slight coffee nose; light/washed-out pleasant/strawberry/ Syrah light smokey/coffee flavor; med.short light/pleasant Syrah/strawberry finish w/ light tannins; much like Qupe CentralCoast in style; lacks intensity; way overpriced. $51.00
  3. Woop Woop South Australia Shiraz (14%) 2001: Dark color; fairly strong cherry/blackberry/Syrah slight earthy nose; tart/spicy juicy/strawberry/Syrah slight blackberry bit astringent flavor; med.short juicy/strawberry/Syrah finish w/ little tannins; a pretty/juicy manufactured Syrah at a good price. $10.40
  4. Rosemont Estate Mountain Blue Mudgee Shiraz(90%)/CS(10%) (14.0%) 1996: Very dark color; very intense vanilla/Am.oak/minty some juicy/blackberry/Syrah nose; soft some dried-out very strong vanilla/ Am.oak light blackberry/Syrah/fruity flavor; long very strong vanilla/Am.oak light blackberry/ Syrah finish w/ some astringent tannins; all Am.oak and losing fruit and not going anywhere.
  5. Sierra Vista El Dorado Syrah 5 Reserve (12.5%) 1989: Med.light color; lovely/beautiful bit pungent/ smokey licorice/blackberry quite spicy complex nose; tart pungent/smokey complex/elegant spicy/ cinammon light pungent/toasty attractive flavor; med.long complex/elegant very spicy light licorice/ blackberry finish w/ slight tannins; a lovely/complex/elegant fully-mature Syrah.
  6. Columbia Yakima Vlly Red WillowVnyd Syrah Washington State (13.6%) 1990: Very dark color; beautiful charred/smokey/pungent coffee/licorice bit roasted some complex nose; soft bit tannic rich/pungent/ licorice/earthy slight coffee/roasted flavor; very long pungent/smokey/charred bit roasted complex finish w/ light tannins; has really evolved nicely w/ some Rhone character.
  7. Eberle Paso Robles Syrah Fralich Vnyd (12.3%) 1992: Med.dark color; lovely/fragrant toasted/charred/ oak some strawberry/Syrah/perfumed slight funky/gunpowder/bretty nose; tart/elegant spicy/ strawberry/Syrah bit smokey/toasty slight funky flavor; med. strawberry/Syrah light toasty/pungent/ oak finish w/ light tannins; evolved nicely; much like Gary's EstrellaRiver Syrahs.
  8. Elyse Nero Misto Napa Vlly RTW (12.9%; 46% PS, 28% Zin, 26% mixed blacks) 1991: Very dark/black color; very badly corked/musty/cardboardy nose w/ no fruit; juicy Am.oaked some boysenberry fruit rather musty/corked flavor; much too corked to get anything.
  9. Ojai Vnyd Calif Syrah (14%) 1996: Very dark/black color; some toasty/oak/pungent black cherry cough syrup/licorice/boysenberry slight stemmy/dusty nose; some hard/tannic strong black cherry/ blackberry/Syrah some toasty/pungent/oak big flavor; long tannic/hard black cherry/cough syrup/ Syrah some toasty/pungent/Fr.oak finish; showing a bit hard & tannic on the palate but still loads of Syrah fruit; needs more time or will it just dry out??? Stay tuned!! How can a wine this good be soooo cheap?? $17.00
  10. Ojai Vnyd Santa Barbara Cnty Syrah Bien Nacido Vnyd (13%) 1996: Black color; beautiful classic black cherry cough syrup/blackberry/BN-plummy strong toasty/pungent some complex nose; softer big/rich intense plummy/black cherry/cough syrup/blackberry/Syrah bit tannic some toasty/pungent/Fr.oak flavors; very long rich/extracted plummy/black cherry/boysenberry/loads of fruit/black cherry cola finish w/ some tannins; rounder & more balanced than the Calif; still needs age; beautiful classic Ojai Syrah. Whatta steal at $23.20.
  11. Alban Vnyds Alban Estate Lorraine Syrah (14.5%) 1998: Very dark/near black color; beautiful/complex very strong coffee/espresso/smokey/pungent/complex rather blackberry/peppery nose; tart intense coffee/roasted/charred/Fr.oak/pungent strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry flavor; very long/lingering very roasted/pungent/toasty/Fr.oak/charred very strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah finish w/ some tannins; still needs more age; loads of roasted/pungent character but plenty of Syrah fruit; terrific Syrah.
  12. Sean Thackery Old Vines Orion (13.3%) Calif Native RW RossiVnyd/St.Helena 1994: Very dark/black color; very intense eucalyptus/fennel/oregano some bright strawberry/blackberry/spicy/peppery nose; tart bit astringent/tannic/hard strawberry/blackberry some eucalyptus/minty light toasty/oak flavor; very long strawberry/peppery/exotic/spicy/oregano some astringent strong eucalyptus/minty finish; drying out a bit on the palate; the eucalyptus seems to have subdued some w/ age.
  13. Michel Faraud Domaine dy Cayron Gigondas 1989: Very dark bit murky color; very strong earthy/ dusty little fruit nose; off-dry earthy/dusty bit metallic little fruit flavor; short tannic earthy/ dusty rather funky finish; drying out & a bit tired; not unpleasant but just earthy and little fruit.
  14. Joseph Phelps Le Mistral Calif RTW (51% grenache, 21% Syrah, 9% Mourvedre, 7% Alicante, 7% Zin, 3% Carignane, 2% PS) 1998: Dark color; strong milky/Am.oak some black cherry/Grenache/strawberry nose; soft buttery/Am.oak pleasant fruity/strawberry/Grenache bit simple flavor; med. pleasant Grenache/strawberry rather buttery/Am.oak finish w/ light tannins; pleasant red but just that.
  15. Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (13.5%) 1989: Med.dark color; bright spicy/fragrant/ fruity slight funky/bretty bit earthy/SouthernRhone interesting nose; tart/lean spicy/fruity some earthy/SouthernRhone somewhat funky/bretty flavor w/ med.long finish; interesting/attractive CdP but just that, unremarkable.
  16. Domaine Font de Michel Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Etienne Gonnet 1995: Very dark color; strong toasty/pungent/charred slight bretty rather green olive/sauvage some Graillot/NorthernRhone-like nose; tart fairly rich pungent/smokey/charred/oak some green olive/blackberry slight bretty/ funky flavor; long. green olive/blackberry rather toasty/charred/oak finish w/ some tannins; more like NorthernRhone than CdP; very interesting wine.
A Surprise BD for Kevin
  1. Ojai Vnyd LateHrvst Viognier Roll Ranch Vnyd Hardenbergh-Tolmach (13%) 1997: Med.gold color; some Viognier/pear fragrant/grapey nose; very sweet/grapey lovely pear/Viognier flavor; long/lingering pear/Viognier quite grapey finish; rather simple & grapey w/ low-key Viognier character; probably needs more age to become interesting.
  2. Kent Rasmussen Wnry Late Hrvst Riesling Dry Creek Vlly Sonoma (SaH: 35%; RS: 15.4%; 13%) 1999: Med.dark gold color; beautiful R/floral some botrytis/peachy/apricotty very spicy/fragrant nose; very sweet beautiful/R/floral/very spicy some peachy/botrytis flavor; very long/lingering floral/R/perfumed/spicy light botrytis/peachy finish; not that much botrytis but terrific R/floral character; more like a Z-H VT R than German TBA; terrific wine for the price. $22.00/hlf
  3. La Jota Sweet Napa Vlly Howell Mtn Viognier (15.5%; RS: 8%) 1993: Dark gold color; bit oxidized/sherry very grapey/angel food cake/baked alaska rotted apples/appley some toasty/oak weird nose; tart sweet rotted apples/angel food cake very grapey bit oxidized flavor; med.long rotted apples slight oxidized finish; tastes like Viognier left on the vine to raisen; no Viognier character; weird wine.
  4. Il Podere Bricco Buon Natale Santa Maria Vlly Orange Muscat (15.9%; RS: 8%) NV: Med.dark gold color; very fragrant/orangy/very muscatty/flowery/perfumed intense nose; very sweet intense muscatty/ bright/perfumed/light orange blossum flavor; very long elegant muscatty/orangey finish; a bright sprightly Muscat; lovely dessert wine.
And a skimpy bloody pupit:
  1. OjaiWines: I have, of course, followed them from the very start. When I go back and and taste an older one, I always find the same thing the matter with them.... I wisht I'd bought more. It seems to be a common lament in my group.
TomHill

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