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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 October 6, 2004:

New Wines

We tasted this week some new  interesting wines:
 
  1. Tement Gelber Muskateller (12%) Berghausen/SudSteirmark/Austria 2001: Pale yellow color; quite fragrant/muscatty/floral slight petrol/earthy pleasant nose; soft/fat off-dry somewhat bitter pretty/low-key/floral/muscatty simple flavor; med.short rather bitter light/muscatty/floral finish; a pretty nose but rather bitter on the palate; serve at warmer temperature. $17.00                     
  2. S. Rhodes Vnyds West Elks GWT (EB; 15.5%) Hotchkiss/CO 2001: Dark gold/brown color; interesting/ bizarre strong grapey/overripe some botrytis/peachy syrup some rotted apple/cider old fruitcake rather complex/bizarre/weird nose; off-dry very hot/alcoholic/searing rotted apple/peach syrup/ cider/fruit cocktail strange flavor; long off-dry quite alcoholic very ripe fruit/rotted apple/ botrytis/peach syrup finish; very bizarre/exotic wine w/ no trace of GWT character; actually rather interesting except for the alcohol on the palate. $20.00
  3. Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg Zweigelt (12.5%) Kamptal/Lagenlois/Osterreich; 2000: Med.color; strong buttered popcorn/toasty/charred/pungent dusty/earthy bit raspberry; off-dry rather Beaujolais-like cheap/grapey/2$Chuck-light slight earthy/raspberry flavor; med.short light/Beaujolais/grapey some earthy/dusty/raspberry finish; interesting nose but doesn't measure up on the palate; way overpriced at $21.95.
  4. Maryhill Columbia Valley Fort Rock Red RTW (14.0%; CS/M/CF/Syr; www.MaryHillWinery.com) Goldendale/WA 2001: Med.dark color; rather herbal/green bell pepper near vegetal some toasty/oak bit rustic/Bordeaux rather interesting nose; soft rather herbal/bell pepper near vegetal some toasty/ smoky/oak flavor; med.long herbal/vegetal/bell pepper fairly rich finish w/ light tannins; much like a minor/rustic Bdx w/o the nastiness; pleasant food wine but pricey for what it is. $16.00.
  5. Masut Redwood Valley Mendocino Cnty Pinot Noir (14.5%; DijonClones #113 & #115; www.Masut.com; Biodynamic Grown/Forsythe Creek) Robert Fetzer 2002: Med.dark color; attractive black cherry/plummy bit earthy/tomato sauce light toasty/oak interesting nose; soft rather buttery/oak somewhat ripe/plummy/tomatoey/soupy slight black cherry/Pinot some toasty/oak flavor; med. toasty/ oak plummy/tomato sauce/ripe light black cherry/licorice finish w/ light tannins; tastes like Pinot grown not where it should be planted, lacks zip; rather dull & plodding Pinot; way overpriced no matter how it was farmed. $34.00
  6. David Bruce Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (14.1%; www.DavidBruceWinery.com) 2002: Med.dark color; very attractive black cherry/cherry some toasty/Burgundian/oak bit earthy nose; tart somewhat tannic quite black cherry/cherry/bright bit dusty/earthy rather Burgundian/oak flavor; long black cherry/ cherry/Pinot light earthy/dusty toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; a very attractive Burgubdian Pinot at a fair price. $26.95
  7. Dry Creek Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Reserve Zinfandel (14.5%) 2000: Med.dark color; lovely/lush blackberry/raspberry/ spicy light pungent/oak rather perfumed/fragrant nose; tart bit lean/hard/tannic quite spicy/black- berry/raspberry some pencilly/oak flavor; med.long tannic/hard spicy/blackberry/raspberry/Zinfandel strong pencilly/oak finish; needs some age; lovely perfumed nose but a bit hard & tannic on the palate. $26.00
  8. Cline AncientVines Zinfandel Calif (15.0%; 80-100 ur old Oakley vnyds) 2003: Med.light color; very attractive plummy/blackberry/Zinfandel bit eucalyptus light Am.oak/vanilla nose; soft plummy/blackberry/Zinfandel bit Lodi/mushroomy/earthy light eucalyptus/minty bit dusty/old vines flavor; soft/lush blackberry/ plummy/Zinfandel light minty/menthol finish w/ light tannins; attractive wine at a good price; seems to have a fair amount of Lodi Zinfandel therein. $15.00
  9. Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Zinfandel JohnRolleriReserve (EB; 14.0%) 1984: Med.dark color w/ little browning; strong cedary/pencilly/oak/cigar box bit pungent/licorice slight berry nose; bit dried-out/tannic quite cedary/cigar box/pencilly/oaked some pungent/licorice/charred complex slight raspberry flavor; long dried-out/astringent/tannic strong cedary/cigar box pungent/licorice finish; rather dried-out/tannic on the palate but still interesting and not totally dead. $10.50
  10. Mayacamas Late Harvest Zinfandel (17%) 1976: Very dark color w/ little browning; rather wet Army blanket/wet dog fur/bit musty nose clears to a late harvest/pruney/raisened/portish nose; rather hot/alcoholic quite licorice/pruney/raisened/late harvesty slight jammy/licorice/fruit flavor; quite astringent/ tannic rather pruney/raisened pretty hot/alcoholic dried out some charred/tarry finish; pretty dried out/astringent and overripe/pruney wine but not totally dead and no signs of oxidation. $14.40
  11. Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone (13%) 2001: Light color; very attractive bright/strawberry/Grenache nose; tart bit lean bright/strawberry/Grenache some earthy flavor; short bright/strawberry/spicy/Grenache finish w/ light tannins; bit pricey but an attractive Calif-style Cote du Rhone with an ugly label. $17.00
  12. La Croix du Verre Crozes-Hermitage (12.5%; 100% 61 yr old vine Syrah; 4000 btls) Oliver Dumaine/Larnage 2001: Very dark color; quite walnutty/dusty/old vines smoky/pungent some roasted bit WashState/green olive complex nose; rather hard/tannic fairly roasted/pungent walnutty/green olive somewhat charred/tarry/pungent flavor; long hard/tannic rather roasted/pungent walnutty/green olive finish; not much fruit but lots of pungent/roasted character; a bit like a Graillot from WashState; needs much age; will be interesting to see what this turns in to.  $22.00
  13. Cline Los Carneros Syrah Carneros (14.5%; www.ClineCellars.com) 2002: Very dark color; rather strong/ pungent/smoky/toasty bit coffee/roasted some peppery/eucalyptus bit toasty/oak nose; soft rather earthy/ plummy bit pungent/smoky/toasty/oak flavor; med.short toasty/smoky slight eucalyptus/peppery finish w/ light tannins; interesting nose but doesn't deliver on the palate. $20.00
  14. d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie McLaren Vale Shiraz/Viognier(6%) (Foot Trod, Basket Pressed; www.DArenberg.com.Au; 14.5%) 2003: Near black color; strong Am.oaked/vanilla strong licorice/pungent/chocolaty/boysenberry/ripe Syrah fruit perfumed nose; rather hard/tannic/tart vanilla/ Am.oak strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah/licorice/chocolaty lush flavor; very long strong Am.oaked/ vanilla very strong chocolaty/boysenberry/Syrah/ripe/licorice rather hard/tannic finish; big but structured and needs age; don't detect any Viognier in there at all. Fairly priced at $33.95.
  15. Garretson Wine Company The Aisling Paso Robles Syrah (16.6%; AmericanOak; 500 cs) 2002: Black color; beautiful intense blackberry/licorice/Syrah/ripe bit dusty some vanilla/oak powerful nose; soft/lush very intense boysenberry/plummy/licorice/blackberry/Syrah some vanilla/oak/toasted flavor; very long soft/lush/ripe blackberry/Syrah/ripe/boysenberry finish w/ slight tannins; a huge ripe jammy Syrah. $30.00
  16. Garretson Wine Company The Craic Central Coast Syrah (16.4%; 625 cs) 2002: Same black color; intense blackberry/Syrah/licorice/jammy slight coffee/roasted bit volatile/aromatic some dusty/complex nose; big/huge intense blackberry/boysenberry/jammy/Syrah bit more hot/alcoholic bit charred/toasty/coffee/ tarry flavor; very long very ripe/jammy/boysenberry/Syrah slight toasty/charred/coffee/tarry finish w/ some tannins; a bit more intense but still not an over-the-top Syrah. $30.00
And some blatherings from the BloodyPulpit:
  1. Rhodes GWT: This was one very bizarre wine. Actually, I kinda liked it and thought it has its place in the wine world. It struck me as GWT left out on the vine well into the winter. It had a bit of that character you get in rotten apples that have fallen to the ground in the Fall and then have lain there under the snow until they're soft&soggy and then when you walk around in the yard in your bare feet in the Spring, the stuff squeezes up between your toes as you step on one. A very distinct smell & taste. It also had a bit of botrytis to it. So I would guess the grapes had seen a pretty extended slice of life afore harvest. I think it would go well with some sort of baked fruit dessert, like an apple pie or cobbler. The only problem with the wine is the very hot/alcoholic character it has on the palate. Interesting stuff.
  2. Mayacamas Zinfandel: This was about the fourth LateHrvst Zinfandel that Mayacamas had produced I believe. The first ('68) was from Napa Valley Zinfandel grapes. The remaining ones were from Ed&Kay Baldinelli's vnyd up in the Shenandoah Valley, now owned by BillEaston. Old vine stuff. The wine was pretty shakey and on its last legs. What was amazing that it was ullaged way down onto the straight-side of the btl. Between a fourth and a third of the wine had leaked out around the cork. But there were no signs in the wine of oxidation or this great ullage. So much for the importance of high-fills in an old btl of wine!! I know...heresy!! The wine, upon opening & pouring, showed no signs of browning whatsoever. There was about a hlf cup left in the btl after decanting. It sttod opened on the counter overnight. The next morning the dregs had turned an ugly murky brown. Apt testimony to the rapidity of oxidation in a highly reduced state wine I guess??
  3. Garretson Syrahs: These are Mat's bottom-end Syrahs. They don't act it. At $30/btl here in NM, they're quite fairly priced I think. At $21 on futures, they're a steal. I was the only one in my group smart enough to order them as futures (that should be read as..."That marketing guy Garretson has me right where he wants me"!!). Damn fine wine, though I'm not sure how long they'll age.
And then a few dessert wines to celebrate Gary&Charlotte's anniversary:
  1. Emilio Bulfon Ucelut Venezia Giuli IGT (??%; www.VinoTerra.Net) NV: Med.gold color; rather musty/corked slight grapey/perfumed nose; fairly sweet grapey/earthy quite musty/corked flavor; too corked to tell much about this wine. $22.00/??
  2. Marolo Liquer made w/ Grappa & Camomile (35%; Grappa from Nebbiolo grapes; Camomile flowers steeped in grappa for 11 months) Paola Marola/Mussotto d'Alba NV: Med.light gold color; very exotic/fragrant/alcoholic/Cognac very perfumed/FrenchWhoreHouse amazing nose; rather sweet/alcoholic very exotic/perfumed/aromatic/Camomile/FWH flavor w/ a finish that goes on&on.  $31.00/hlf
  3. Ch. Reynella McLaren Vale Old Cave FineOld Tawney Port (20%; average age: 12 yrs) NV: Light red slightly brown color; very strong porty/Madeira intense vanilla/oak quite fumey/alcoholic nose; rather sweet very alcoholic/porty some pungent/nutty/licorice rather vanilla/oaked flavor; long hot/fumey/alcoholic/ porty interesting nutty/licorice/coffee complex finish; pretty fumey/alcoholic but interesting Port; fairly priced at $14.50/500 ml.
And the blathering don't stop here:
  1. Ucelut: What a heart-breaker this btl was...friggin' corks!! This is one of the indigenous varieties Bulfon has brought back from near-extinction. My first Ucelut experience....down the tubes. This was a very strange btl. No listing of alc content anywhere on the btl. No indication of the btl size anywhere, though it appeared to be a 500ml, but I couldn't tell for sure. My e-mails to the importer (VinoTerra) have not been responded to to clarify these questions.  I was really looking forward to trying this wine...friggin'corks!!
  2. MaroloGrappa: Not a big fan of Grappa as I find the burn going down and the fumes in the nose a bit hard to take. Maybe as a Liquer is the highest calling for Grappa. I had this Liquer up at Frasca in Boulder and was blown away by it. This btl seemed not to be as intensely Camomile as I recall, but still pretty amazing stuff. Priced at $64/hlf in one store and $31/hlf in the other.
TomHill
 

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