West Coast Wine Network
Brad Harrington's
Wine Tasting Notes

Rhone Red

Zinfandel

Pinot Noir

Red Blend

**Rating System**
5 Star Maximum	Point System	Explanation
*	< 79	Avoid this wine!
**	80 - 84	Average.(blah, blah, blah)
*******	85 - 89	Good wine.
********	90 - 94	Very good wine, buy this!
*****	95 - 100	Absolutely Excellent!!
+ sign indicates top 2 pts of range

I have added an additionaly rating system to my notes recently. I came up with this system as a way
to easily rate my wines on the fly and still have them adjust to the current 100 point system that is so
popular in our culture. Here it is:

I break the system into 5 equal sections, each worth 10 points. Nose(Aroma), Attack, Mid-Palate,
Finish and Structure/Balance. I place these in my notes as N, A, M, F, S while assigning points
to each and then summing them out of 50, ##/50. To convert this to a 100 point score, just add
50. That is my intent on how the scores be used. This gives me a little more room to manuever
than if I just doubled the score.

Cabernet Sauvignon

1992 Altamura Vineyards, Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium dark red, moderate cherry cab nose, nice ripe red and black fruits consisting of black cherry, plum and currants with mild tea leaf flavors in the mix, sweet vanilla oaked edge giving an overall impression of elegance to the fruit and long finish, medium to full bodied and a very nice structure with the tannins being smooth and fine. This is a very nice CA cab which should do well with time but is drinking incredibly well right now, a joy to sip.
B.Harrington, 10/24/97
****+

1995 Altamura Vineyards, Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark red, moderate nose of black cherry, earth, cassis and perhaps a hint of black olive, flavors of dark fruit with black cherry, plum and cassis along with chocolate, tobacco, and sweet vanilla oak, perhaps a hint of coffee, medium to full body, moderate fine grained tannins and nicely balanced acidity, nice balance, smooth and lush, drinks very nicely right now but I believe it has the stuffing to last 10 to 15 pretty easily. Very nice wine at a decent QPR of $32.
N 3.5, A 3.5, M 3, F 3.5, S 3.5, -- 17/20
B.Harrington, 11/7/98
****

1991 Anderson's Conn Valley Estate, Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark brick red in color with a smokey red currant nose, abundant fruit flavors consisted of black cherry, with plum and currant, full bodied with mild oak and excellent acid balance, very smooth tannic structure that possibly could benefit from another year or two in the bottle, long lingering silky smooth aftertaste that contains some hint of a smokey, tarry flavor. Overall a very well balanced wine that is every bit worth the $32 I paid for it
B.Harrington, 2/14/97
*****

Note: Boy the Wine Spectator really missed the boat on this bottle of wine, they rated it 88! Parker gave it a 93. I agree with Parker somewhat, although I would have a tendency to rate it a little higher at around 95. This is an excellent Cabernet!

Note: Very aromatic nose of red and black cherries, currants, cassis, cedar, tobacco and spice, flavors followed with cherries, currant, oak and a hint of tobacco, bright fruit attack with an oaky finish, medium bodied with quenching acidity and mild to moderate tannins, not particularly concentrated but nicely balanced. For $12.95, this is incredible wine. Seemed more oaky this time, but I have no doubt that it will balance out with time.
B.Harrington, 9/18/98
****

Note: Dark garnet red to purple, somewhat muted nose with hints of earthy red fruit
and alcohol, black cherry, currant and plum fruit flavors have subdued a little over time
and a mid palate has developed which is comprised of a mild earthy/tobacco, chocolate
and smoke, medium bodied, nicely structured with bright acidity and smooth moderately
full tannins, long lingering aftertaste, nice complexity, this wine has really shown definite
improvement over the last year. This wine would likely have held up a few more years!
I upped my rating from 3.5 stars to 4 stars. Reminds me a little of the '94 KV!

Note: Hugely aromatic nose with bright cherry, cassis, tobacco and a musty earth quality that gave way to vanilla maple, flavors consisted of juicy red and black cherry and cassis with leathery tobacco, chocolate and charred oak, some vanilla notes developed with air time, full bodied with moderately crisp firm acidity and moderate tannins, medium long length finish, started out agressive but really developed a great sense of balance after about 2 hours of air. Killer wine, highly under appreciated. Fantastic QPR at $20. Much better than a number of $40+ cabs I've had lately. This reconfirms my earlier impressions times two!
N 9, A 9, M 9, F 8, S 8 - 43/50
B.Harrington, 2/26/99
****+

1994 Saddleback Cellars, Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark reddish purple, sweet cherry and mild tobacco nose, abundantly fruity with red currants and cherry
predominant, also has mild spicey chocolate and tobacco flavors, there is some oakiness, medium to
mostly full bodied, moderate smooth tannins, pretty full acidity which had smoothed over considerably
by the next day, a very good '94 cab which should continue to improve for a few years at least.
Excellent QPR at $18, not many out there at this price that are this good.
B.Harrington, 6/8/97
****+

1994 Seaview, Edwards & Chaffey, McLaren Vale, Australia
Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark reddish purple, huge sweet cherry and chocolate nose, nice flavor complexity with red cherry, red
currant predominating over vanilla and mild tobacco characteristics, this medium full bodied wine is
well balanced with it's moderate acidity and fairly full smooth tannins, long lingering aftertaste of red
berry and vanilla, this was the ringer at our tasting and it fooled most of us pretty easily, I had no idea
this was an Aussie wine. This wine also had an excellent QPR at about $22.
B.Harrington, 6/8/97
****+

1986 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium dark red with a brickish tint, huge nose of dusty/spicey black cherry and oak, strong bursting fruit attack of black cherry with oak, mild tobacco and chocolate to round the flavor profile out, excellent structure and balance, long lingering aftertaste, overall this is a fruit driven wine with a bit of oak apparent towards the back of the mid-palate, a slight bit of age can be detected on the marvelous nose but I think this wine still has years left in it. The best SO I've ever had. It surprised me! Wish I had more.
B.Harrington, 12/28/97
****+

1992 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium red with a slight orange tint, oaky nose, medium to full bodied with light red berry and sweet cherry fruit, smokey and oaky with a mild chocolate and spice backbone, medium to firm tannic structure, still fairly elegant but a little bigger than many SO's. Nice fruity lingering aftertaste, For the life of me I don't understand why anyone is complaining about the tannins in this wine!? I tasted it along with the Dunn Napa Cab and the Georges de Latour and it was the most easily approached and seemed to have more finesse than the others. A little pricey at $32.
B.Harrington
****

Note:Medium red with a slight orange tint, dusty cedary oak and red fruit nose, light almost simple red fruit flavors of cherry, plum and currants, lots of oak leading to hints of vanilla, very smooth with a sense of elegance, yet compared to many cabs seems a tad simple, mild fine tannins and good acidity levels, to me this is just a very easy drinking cab which doesn't provide nearly as much pure hedonistic enjoyment as I expect from a cab which costs $40!, I liked it better when it first came out, seems to me that it has lost a bit of structure and, at least at this point does not seem to be gaining any other significant flavor complexity. Everyone thought this was a nice, simple, $25 cab, if you catch my drift. Poor QPR at this point in time, IMHO. OK, OK those were my only impressions the evening we opened this wine, and I think they were shared by all. That being said, this wine opened up considerably overnight to reveal more depth and some darker fruit and tobacco. Caught me off guard completely. Different wine, leading me to conclude that it should be held for awhile yet and at least decanted before drinking. Much better the next day!
B.Harrington, 3/7/98
****

1986 Silverado Vineyards, Limited Reserve, Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Very dark purple with a slight brickish red edge, slightly murky from very fine sediments, black cherry fruit nose, very bright fruit with red and black cherry, plum and currant flavors, also has mild pepper and oak with a hint of mint on the upper palate, medium to full bodied with smooth tannins that needed time to develop after opening, fairly firm acidic structure became even more pronounced on the second day, medium length aftertaste. Nice complexity, Stan Norton provided this wonderful bottle, thanks Stan! QPR is probably pricey as I would expect a new bottle to run you about $50. This '86 would definitely run you at least $100. Excellent wine!!
B.Harrington, 4/1/97
*****

Note: We popped the cork on this bottle and sipped it after about a half an hour of airing, it was so up-front the fruit was remarkably intense, like chewing on a starburst candy, the tannins where barely evident at all and the acids were very strong, with this in mind we set it aside and went out for dinner. When we came back the tannins had become much more pronounced and this bottle was drinking very nicely!! This is a fruit bomb, no matter what way you look at it, but still had compelling complexities that were most evident after 3 to 4 hours of aeration.

Meritage

1992 Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve, Napa Valley
Meritage
Medium dark red, moderate fruit, medium to full body, smooth tannins with a mildly
lingering aftertaste, slightly rich and chewy in the middle, very nice meritage, not as
sweet and rich as the Flora Springs Trilogy though!, maybe a little pricey at $19
B.Harrington
***

1994 Beaulieu Vineyard, Tapestry, Napa Valley
Meritage
Medium dark reddish purple, wonderful nose of rich black cherries and oak, medium to full body,
black cherry, plum and currant with abundant oak, vanilla and tobacco, oak is out of balance at this
point but I have no doubt that with enough time this will be a gem, very nice structure with strong
tanni9ns and good acidity. Excellent QPR at $16.
B.Harrington, 2/7/98
****

1992 Beringer Knights Valley, Napa Valley
Meritage
Moderately dark purplish red, moderate fruit with black cherry, blackberry and currant flavors, mild oak and
medium bodied, slight acidic finish with silky smooth tannic structure, nice lingering medium length aftertaste,
excellent QPR at $10!
B.Harrington
***+

1995 Decoy, Napa Valley
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Deep dark garnet red, chocolatey cherry nose, ripe fruit flavors consisting of black cherry, plum and currant with
a little chocolate and vanilla along with oak, anise and a mild spice, full bodied, nice mouth feel, pretty big and
round through the mid-palate, nicely structured and well balanced with a very pleasant medium length finish,
don't know the exact blend, it's not printed on the bottle, drinks more like a merlot, I'm just guessing on the
blend. Decoy is the secondary label of Duckhorn and this is one heck of a good QPR at $12.99
B.Harrington, 9/10/97
****

1994 Estancia, Alexander Valley
Meritage
Brickish purplish ruby red, dusty ripe cherry nose with a hint of alcohol and cedar, nice fruit up front with red
and black cherry, currant and plum, mild hints of tobacco and herbs, nicely framed by oak and spice, medium
body with fairly firm acidity and very smooth though evident tannins, slightly short finish, well balanced with
decent structure, very nice complexity especially when considering the excellent QPR of $14. Well deserving
of the WS rating of 90.
B.Harrington, 8/19/97
****

1993 Flora Springs, Trilogy, Napa Valley
Meritage
Abundant upfront sweet ripe fruit, medium to full body with an oaky nose. Smooth creamy lingering aftertaste. Multi-faceted, not as complex as the Beringer PR. Three things dominate, sweet fruit upfront, chewy full body in the middle and the lingering aftertaste!! Excellent value at about $22 a bottle, one of my favorite wines.
B.Harrington
*****

1994 Flora Springs, Trilogy, Napa Valley
Meritage
Dark purple red, very pleasant nose featuring dark cherries and leathery oak, opened up big time after some air, to reveal hints of caramel and eucalyptus, flavors of red and black cherry, currant, cassis, vanilla, chocolatey oak and tobacco, full bodied with full tannins and nicely balanced acidity, good balance and structure, though the tannins are still a bit over the top. They were managable though, especially compared to what I had heard about this wine on release. Very nice wine though I think it will still improve with some more years in the cellar. Moderate to good QPR at $28.
N 9, A 8, M 9, F 7, S 8, -- 41/50
B.Harrington, 2/7/99
****

1994 Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley
Meritage
Dark purple, dark berry and oak/cedar nose, wonderful ripe flavors of black cherry, plum, currant, chocolate
and coffee with oaky vanilla, very smooth and balanced, elegant yet powerful in style, full bodied and nicely
structured with near silky smooth tannins, excellent meritage, very long lingering aftertaste. WOW! Would
have to call this an excellent QPR at less than $40, which is what I have seen it for when it first came out!
I was a fool not to buy some!
B.Harrington, 10/24/97
*****

1995 Kathryn Kennedy, Lateral, Santa Cruz Mountains
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Gamay Noir
Dark red with an orange brick edge, incredibly aromatic nose, quite unusual with a strong floral aspect along with an earthy mushroom component and red fruits, alcohol is also quite apparent but not too a problem, flavors are quite powerful also with gamey stewed fruits dominated by dried plum and cassis, becoming darker and more brooding in the mid-palate with a bit of chocolatey charred oak, moderate structure leaning towards milder tannins and firmer acidity, medium bodied with a very long lingering finish, a heck of a nice bottle of wine and something very different than anything else I've ever tried, must be that Gamay Noir, ??? Very good QPR at around $22.
B.Harrington, 4/17/98
****+

1996 Kathryn Kennedy, Lateral, Santa Cruz Mountains
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Gamay Noir
Medium red with a orange brick edge, nose was a bit closed compared to last years, it had a mild floral component but was currently dominated by sweet red cherries which hinted at Koolaid to me, the attack was slow but did reveal some fruit flavors of cherry and raspberry, the density and concentration picked it up a notch in the mid-palate where some darker flavors were revealed with hints of cocoa, black cherry, earth moderate to strong oak and floral flavors, the finish was long and floral, overall a medium bodied wine, structure was decent with well balanced acidity and moderately full tannins, didn't enjoy this nearly as much as the 1995 version, so seemed a bit pricey at $27. Still a nice wine that may just need a bit more time.
B.Harrington, 8/21/98
***+

1992 Kendall-Jackson, Cardinale, Sonoma County
Meritage
Very dark reddish purple, nice aromatic nose of ripe black fruits and veggies with a bit of cedary tobacco and red currant, ripe extracted flavors of black cherry, anise, minerals, oak and some ripe slightly stewed veggies, very seamless and elegant in styling, yet still full bodied and extracted with good balance, good structure with moderate tannins and reasonable acidity, should be capable of lasting a number of more years, this is a very good wine but I don't know about that 100 point rating I heard it garnered from somewhere, ??, not sure of the price?
B.Harrington, 3/7/97
****+

1986 Te Mata Estate Coleraine, New Zealand
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Brownish orange red, light mild nose, light to medium bodied with hints of mild cherry and currants,
acidic to the point of being slightly out of balance but still enjoyable, smooth tannins with nice but short
aftertaste. Not bad, I will be curious to taste a younger red from New Zealand sometime.
B.Harrington
***

Merlot

1993 Caparon, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Merlot
Brick red color showing fairly thorough oxidation effects, mild nose of smokey ceder and red cherries,
juicy flavors consisting of red cherry and currant with cedar and oak, kind of simple flavor profile but
still pleasant, medium bodied and a little thin on the mid-palate, slightly out of balance in respect to its
robust acidity, moderate smooth balance, short to medium length aftertaste. Good quaffing wine with a
very good QPR at about $7.
B.Harrington, 9/7/97
***

1995 Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma County
Merlot
Dark purple red, nice aromatic nose dominated with cherry and plum, nice attack with flavors of cherry, plum, cassis, tobacco, leather, mildly smokey oak and a hint of spicey pepper, nice acidity and mild tannins, perhaps a bit weak in the mid-palate but the finish had decent length, overall a very nice wine with good balance and a fairly wide flavor profile. Not great QPR at $22, but I bought it at an expensive shop for my mother-in-law who wanted it because she had read an article in the paper about it. Advertising works I guess! I imagine I could find this for much less if I searched the discount shops.
B.Harrington, 9/7/97
***+

1996 Clarendon Hills, Clarendon Australia
Merlot
Dark bright purple, huge aromatic nose with clean fruit of cherries and plum developing brown spicey cinnamin and cedar with a bit of time, strong attack with flavors of cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, spice and a hint of chocolate, full body with thick glyceriney mouth feel, round yet quenching acidity, mild to medium tannins, this is a very good wine, has the great fruit and structure I've come to expect from CH, nice length in the finish too, a little pricey at $34 but likely worth the money.
B.Harrington, 7/17/98
****+

Rhone Red

1996 A.C. Johnston, Pirramimma, Stock's Hill Vineyard, McLaren Vale, Australia
Shiraz
Moderately dark purple, great nose of dark fruits featuring black currants and plum with espresso, vanilla and spicey oak, flavors are very nice also with blackberry, blueberry, plum, coffee, vanilla, hints of chocolate, and spicey oak, the attack and mid-palate seem very smooth, lush and creamy, the concentration is strong but not over the top, very nicely balanced, medium to full bodied, nicely structured with moderate tannins and firm balanced acidity, a real hit with everyone! Excellent QPR at around $15.
N 3.5, A 3, M 3.5, F 3.5, S 3.5, -- 17/20
B.Harrington, 12/14/98
****

1995 Alain Graillot, Crozes Hermitage, France
Syrah
Dark bright purplish red, nose evolved over time, started out with a dusty cherry/espresso which blew off to reveal a clean lush dark raspberry aroma, very nice, elegant flavors and style followed, flavors are dominated by black raspberry and vanilla with mild espresso and white pepper, extremely well balanced, silky smooth with mouth watering fruit and espresso, not as extracted as some but makes up for it with the superb flavors and balance, fine grained tannins, this is a real people pleasing wine which just blew the Swanson Sangiovese away, we had tasted that one earlier in the evening, has to be one of the best QPR's of the past year for me, wish I would have bought a case of it. Wonderful stuff!
B.Harrington, 1/6/98
****+

1995 Alain Graillot, La Guiraude, Crozes Hermitage, France
Syrah
Dark purple with just the slightest hint of brick around the edges, great syrah nose of lush extracted blackberry with espresso and spice, great fruit attack with blackberry, black raspberry, espresso, bacon, white pepper and brown spices, medium to full body, nice length, quenching acidity and fine to moderate tannins, same incredible flavors as the regular bottling but a bit more concentrated with more intense syrah character, killer wine, even though the acidity was high it still came off as well integrated, it needed a little air time to come together, killer QPR at $18, very CA in style with it's bright forward fruit and structure. Wonderful stuff!
B.Harrington, 7/18/98
****+

1997 Alain Graillot, Crozes Hermitage, France
Syrah
Bright medium dark purple, nose of bright cherry, black raspberry, spicey oak, wet dog hair, musty earth and mild sulfur, strong attack with flavors of bright cherry, black raspberry, coffee, smild pepper and mild oak, medium body, short in length, very firm crisp acidity and mild to moderate tannins. It is a bit lean, but I love the flavors here. Direct and to the point with decent QPR at about $16. Some people will likely not care much for the levels of acidity, buyt I found them refreshing.
N 7 A 9, M 8, F 8, S 7, -- 38/50
B.Harrington, 7/5/99
***+

1997 Alban Vineyard, Edna Valley
Grenache
Medium purplish red, killer nose with rich black raspberry and vanilla oak, a bit of stinky sulfur, strong attack with good concentration of fruit, flavors of black raspberry/strawberry, cherry, mild pepper, chocolate and oak, very rich and lush though not much complexity, good length with a finish of chocolatey oak, medium to full body, medium tannins and acidity, this is a killer wine, very rich, direct and absolutely full of grenache fruit. Decent QPR at about $30. I'll go with this as the model for what CA grenache should aspire to in CA at this point in time.
N 9 A 9, M 8, F 8, S 9, -- 42/50
B.Harrington, 7/18/99
****

1994 Andrew Murray, Santa Barbara
Syrah
Very dark blackish purple, mild blackberry and alcohol nose with a hint of grassiness, moderate blackberry fruit
with a strange musty taste of vegetables, moderate peppery spice throughout, full bodied and well rounded,
moderately strong tannins are still smooth and nice, nice acidity, seems pretty well balanced. Keep your eyes
out for these guys, they are going to get it right soon!! Decent QPR at $21
B.Harrington, 2/22/97
***+

Note: I think that the funky veggie quality in this wine is a small step away from being chocolate flavors???? This wine is so nice in every other way that a tiny improvement in this funky quality would move this up to a 5 star wine on my list!!

1997 Andrew Murray, Late Harvest, Santa Barbara
Syrah
Dark purple though not super intense, very interesting nose which spoke of dark fruit and chocolate, especially the second night, that was before I pulled out the real chocolate stuff and even Maureen thought so immediately, other than that though the nose seemed somewhat muted. Medium to full bodied, flavors consisted of blackberry/raspberry framboise and chocolate, some residual sugar for sure but the acidity was quite evident so the balance seemed reasonable for a LH wine. Drank much like a LH zin. Overall a very enjoyable wine, though I think better ones could be made, and should for that matter. A bit pricey but worth the cost at $17.
N 7, A 8, M 8, F 7, S 7, -- 37/50
B.Harrington, 2/14/99
***

1994 Arrowood, Sara Lee's Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Syrah
Very dark blackish purple, mild blackberry, vanilla and yeasty nose, complex flavors consisting of mild blackberry, black cherry, peppery spice, oak and smoke with a herbal minty aspect, moderate attack, full bodied but with a sense of elegance, finished with an herbal anise flavor, moderately long lingering aftertaste, very nice, it's complexity is the most dominating aspect. A bit pricey at around $35.
B.Harrington, 3/8/97
*****

1994 Babcock Vineyards, Thompson Vineyard & Babcock Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Syrah
Moderately dark ruby red to purple, huge nose of dusty blackberry and alcohol, abundant up front fruit flavors of blackberry, black cherry and currant, mild to moderate pepper spice with a hint of meaty bacon fat, sweet oaky vanilla in the mid palate, very smooth through the middle, moderately full bodied, nicely structured with pretty stiff acidity and firm tannins, pleasantly tart in the finish, moderate length aftertaste, overall a big bright fruity syrah with some moderate rhone characteristics, a very nice effort, doesn't have quite the complexity or glycerin levels that the Ojai or Qupe have but really nice juice. A bit pricey at $26 but still good QPR
B.Harrington, 8/8/97
****+

1994 Barossa Valley Estates E & E, Sparkling, Barossa Valley, Australia
Shiraz
Bright dark purplish red, nose was a bit closed with dark fuits and mild floral aromas, flavors were nice but a
bitmonolithic with black cherry, blackberry, oak and a little peppery spice, full bodied with a short finish, hard
to judge this wine, compared to the NV Charles Melton Sparkling Shiraz it definitely seemed a bit simple and
unevolved, this is made from the exact same grapes as the well received E & E Black Pepper Shiraz, so I
suppose it may have some ability to evolve into something more impressive, for me it didn't have near the
complexity of other sparkling shiraz's I've had. Which isn't many I admit. An excellent QPR at $18.
I would buy this at this price point and feel great about it.
B.Harrington, 4/21//98
***+

1995 Bethany, Shrapel Family Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purplish red, moderate to full nose with aromas of blackberry, espresso and anise, flavors consist of blackberry, cherry, plum, and currant fruits with espresso, anise, spice and a mild oaky vanilla, medium bodied, bright quenching acidity and very soft/mild tannins, a bit more plummy than a more full bodied syrah, very light-zin like in style, quite tasty really and a decent QPR at around $16. It won't compete with Cimicky for QPR but this was an enjoyable wine.
B.Harrington, 2/14/98
***+

1997 Blockheadia Ringnosii, Crabapple Vineyard, Napa Valley
Petite Sirah
Deep, dark inky purple, nose seemed a bit closed but still had apparent black cherry, blueberry and vanilla oak, flavors of dark berry fruit, perhaps dominated by blueberry, slight tar, vanilla and a hint of nutmeg, very fruit forward, medium pepper spice, full bodied, medium legth finish, moderate acidity and full strong tannins, solid in the mid-palate, very nice wine.
N 7, A 8, M 9, F 8, S 9, -- 41/50
B.Harrington, 5/27/99
****

1997 Bogle Vineyard, Clarksburg
Petite Sirah
Dark purple, simple but very aromatic nose with grapey vanilla oak, reminded Maureen and I of a damp wine cellar, pretty enticing complexity and balance in the flavors with black cherry, blueberry/strawberry, pencil wood, tobacco, petrol, mild chocolate and vanilla oak, still a bit grapey up front, medium bodied, lightly structured with well balanced acidity and mild tannins, the finish is a bit short, this is a near term drinker but has very good fruit and decent balance for drinking now. Incredible QPR at $7!!
N 8, A 7, M 8, F 7, S 7, -- 37/50
B.Harrington, 1/18/99
***+

1996 Brokenwood, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purple, very nice varietal nose with slight smokey, meaty, bacon, pepper and espresso with dark fruit and minerals, flavors followed with strong pepper, blackberry, espresso, spicey mild oak, strong minerally finish with good length, well balanced and more structured than many other shiraz wines, medium fine grained tannins and moderate acidity, if it had a weaknes it seemed to me to have lower glycerin levels than many syrahs/shiraz, good QPR at $20, great wine and not as traditional Aussie in style.
N 3.5, A 3, M 3, F 3.5, S 3.5, -- 16.5/20
B.Harrington, 11/5/98, 11/13/98
****

1996 Chapoutier, la Bernardine, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France
Rhone Blend
Light to medium red, surprisingly light colored for a CdP, moderate slightly closed nose of smokey cherries, light bodied with bright acidity and mild tannins, fairly simple but pure flavors of cherries and mild smokey oak, seems almost PNish to me. Very light in style but the flavor, though a bit simple, was very nice. Moderate QPR at $20. Frankly this isn't what I want from CdP, though I would enjoy it if someone else opened it.
B.Harrington, 9/16/98
***+

1995 Chateau Du Trignon, Gigondas, France
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Moderately dark purple red, nice nose with floral, cassis and mild coffee aromas, slow attack with flavors of mild
red fruits, cassis mostly, along with tobacco and smokey oak, decent balance with a medium to full body, seems
a little thin in the mid-palate but did seem to blend better the second day, the fruit is very mild, this wine is
dominated by the smokey oak; especially in the finish, the fruit is way in the back and I have my doubts that
will ever be any more present than you see today, this wine was significantly better with food. Moderate QPR
at around $15, don't think I would go for more. Probably being generous with my score!
B.Harrington, 5/17/98
***

1995 C. Cimicky, Signature, Barossa Valley, Australia
Shiraz
Very dark inky purple, huge nose of blackberry, anise, oak and cocoa, ripe extracted flavors of blackberry, currant, espresso, anise, eucalyptus, peppery spice and a hint of minerals, full bodied with a big glyceriny mouth feel, very full strong attack and a lengthy blackberry/anise finish, moderately firm acidity with very mild tannins, a really nice shiraz, started out pungently extracted and developed a smooth feel in the mouth after about an hour, a killer QPR usually priced around $18.
B.Harrington, 3/6/98
****+

1997 Charles Cimicky, Gnarled Vine, Barossa Valley, Australia
Grenache
Medium dark reddish purple, very strong aromas with smokey oak, anise, chocolate and pepper with a good dose of typical grenache fruit which I describe as strawberry and blackberry, the flavors are similiar with briary blackberry/strawberry fruit along with chocolate, anise and charred oak, nice rich smooth mid-palate, full body, low to medium acidity with mild to medium tannins, finish was just a tad rustic and dominated by the oak, very nice wine but I come away wondering if it will not age well. I'm guessing the oak will ultimately win the war, but this is quite nice for now and a very good QPR at about $17.
N 9, A 8, M 8, F 7, S 8, -- 40/50
B.Harrington, 5/1/99
****

NV Charles Melton Sparkling Red, Barossa Valley, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purple red, nose seemed a bit closed but did seem to come forward after it warmed a bit, aromas of black fruits, brown spice, coffee and oak, very ripe flavors of blackberry, cherry, anise, espresso, mild pepper, nutmeg/allspice as well as a hint of mushrooms/truffles, wonderful complexity and balance came forward on this wine as it sat over time. Full bodied with a moderate length finish, I think I was more impressed than the others were but my love of it seemed to come as the bubbles were dying and it became more of a still wine, when cold it seemed a bit strange and awkward to me. Great QPR at $19.
B.Harrington, 4/21//98
****

1995 Chateau Helene, Languedoc, Corbieres
Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, etc.
Medium red, herbal and spicey on the nose and palate, light to moderate fruit, slightly muddy,
medium body is somewhat overshadowed by the peppery spices, tannins are a little rough but
not a problem, pretty good QPR at $12
B.Harrington
***

1994 Chateau Reynella, Basket Pressed, McLaren Vale
Shiraz
Dark purplish garnet red, dusty blackberry and anise nose, flavors of blackberry, currant and coffee with
mild tea leaf and oaky vanilla, medium bodied, light to medium tannins, acidity was very volatile at the
beginning and took about an hour or two to blow off, when it did the quality took a huge step forward,
developing more finesse and became well integrated and balanced, it seemed extremely austere until
the acidity blew off and was perhaps a bit lean on the front of the palate throughout. The acidity was
actually quite nice after some time, the fruit flavors are there but the flavors went through one of the most
intense changes as the wine developed over time. At first the fruit was very muted, then as the acidity
began to blow off the fruit became very bright and forward and finally as the wine opened up more completely
the coffee, tea and vanilla oak began to dominate. My guess is this wine could be really interesting with
a few more years on it. Good QPR at $17, thought the 1995 Qupe Reserve was a little better structured
and had riper fruit and coffee flavors. Still this is a nice wine that would be fun to see how it develops.
B.Harrington, 11/13/97
***+

1995 Chateau Reynella, Basket Pressed, McLaren Vale
Shiraz
Dark reddish purple, strong nose of grapey blackberry, coffee and eucalyptus, great flavors intensity with plum,
blackberry, blueberry, coffee, pepper, clove, tart apple, eucalyptus and vanilla oak, smooth but still has firm
acidity and moderate tannins, the fruit came off as sweet, full bodied with a moderate length aftertaste, liked
this more than the bottle I had last year, started out very bright and fruity and developed more syrah character
as the night went on. Great attack, good balance, Great QPR at $17.
B.Harrington, 6/7/98
****

1995 Clarendon Hills, Old Vine, Australia
Shiraz
Dark reddish purple, nose evolved considerable over time to reveal intense aromas of mild blackberry and blueberry with even more pronounced anise, tobacco, nutmeg, clove and espresso, became so intense as time went on that I almost congered images of mild acetone from this nose, sounds strange but this was really an incredibly complex nose, flavors followed with equal complexity and included blackberry, currant and plum with anise, leather, oak, mineral and espresso components, quite spicey but pleasantly so, great balance and structure, a very wide palate with a full body, not hugely extracted but very Rhone like with incredible complexity throughout. It just got better and better as time went on. This is a great wine which seems a bit atypical in style in comparison to other Aussie shiraz, it definitely had nice fruit but it wasn't in your face, it was well balanced with all the other aspects. Thanks to Walt Nagy for turning me on to this wine. Pretty stunning and still a good QPR at around $33.
B.Harrington, 1/13/98
*****

1997 Clarendon Hills, Old Vine, Blewitt Springs, Australia
Grenache
Dark purple with a slight brickish tint, full nose of blueberry/strawberry, earthy, meaty aromas, huge concentration of blueberry fruit with cocoa, anise, vanilla, spice and oak, meaty, fleshy and full bodied, very thick, the finish seems to have a hint of residual sugar, not nearly as much length in the finish as I was expecting, decent though, there is a bit of heat at the end, very well balanced acidity and the tannins are very fine grained. Overall pretty over the top, this is to grenache what Turley is to zinfandel. Very good wine, needs a couple years at least, might be OK with some spicey foods but I think that this would be better as an after dinner wine. Decent QPR at about $34.
B.Harrington, 10/16/98
****

1995 Cline, Cotes D'Oakley, Vin Rouge, Oakley
Carignan, Syrah, Mourv�dre, Cinsault, Alicante Bouschet
Light ruby red, a mild red fruit nose with some kind of strange musty smell that I had a hard time defining,
light mild red cherry fruit flavors which led into more typical rhone qualities of mild smoke, pepper spice,
leather, chocolate, light to medium bodied with moderate acidity and mild tannins, a short dry finish,
all in all a very quafable wine and an excellent QPR at $5, probably the best wine I've had for $5!!
B.Harrington, 3/14/97
***

Note: Moderate garnet red, nose of spicey cherry, oak and alcohol, flavors of red and black cherries
with mild smoke, cocoa and black pepper, also has a hint of veggie/green bell pepper, fairly
oaky with a bit of hardness to it and a little bit of anise, nice fruit attack with decent complexity
through the mid-palate, light to medium body with a short finish, acidic structure with very mild
tannins. Darn good wine, especially for $5
B.Harrington, 3/23/98
***

1997 Daniel Gehrs, Paso Robles
Syrah
Dark brickish red, very nice aromas with dark plums and spicey oak, flavors of plum, cassis and cherry, more in the red fruit spectrum, nice brown spice aspect with pepper, started with kind of a bang in the attack but quickly mellowed to reveal a rich smooth mid-palate, good length to this wine also. Solid tannins and moderate acidity. We drank rather quickly, would have continued to benefit from more air time. This is a very good wine and clearly shows how far Paso Robles has come with their syrahs. Reminds me a bit of the Wildhorse syrah. This is a very good wine to show you what PR character is. Excellent value at about $15.
N 8 A 8, M 8, F 8, S 9, -- 41/50
B.Harrington, 4/24/99
****

1995 d'Arenberg, Twenty-Nine Road, McLaren Vale, Australia
Mourvedre
Dark brick red, aromas of sweet vanilla oak, musty earth and mild red cherries, flavors of mild red cherry/raspberry and more abundant oaky chocolate, medium to medium full body, moderate acidity and mild tannins, one dimensional; if that, frankly I don't like this wine, there is very little expression of the fruit, it seems about 90% oak, horrible QPR at $18.
N 7, A 6, M 7, F 5, S 7, -- 32/50
B.Harrington, 3/12/99
**

1993 Dehlinger, Russian River Valley
Syrah
Dark garnet purple with a very slight brick edge, sweet blackberry nose, loads of blackberry and cassis fruit flavors with mild pepper spices throughout and a slight tough of vanilla, medium to full bodied with a very smooth full mouth feel, there is a very slight tannic bite at the back of the palate, a very nice long smooth lingering aftertaste!! Strongest quality is the abundant fruit!! 13.5% alcohol. Very good QPR at $18.
B.Harrington, 2/22/97
****

1995 Dehlinger, Goldridge Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Syrah
Dark purplish red, huge funky nose with blackberry, espresso and vanilla oak, has a distinct barnyardy, bretty aroma also, big syrah flavors attack the palate with blackberry, espresso, anise and peppery spice, full bodied and nicely structured with full tannins and firm acidity. This wine was thrown into an Aussie wine tasting as a ringer, I guessed it was the Truchard from Carneros due to the funky barnyardy aromas, not at all like the '94 Dehlinger I tried last year but still an excellent effort which I think needs lots of time to resolve the barnyardy character. A little pricey at $28.
B.Harrington, 4/21//98
****

1995 Deux Amis, Sonoma Valley
Petite Sirah
Dark inky purple, slightly muted nose with blackberry, black raspberry and vanilla oak, flavors of blackberry,
black raspberry, anise, vanilla, oak and white pepper, soft and round mid-palate yet having a decent structure
with moderate tannins and acidity, medium to full bodied, short to moderate length aftertaste, pretty easy
drinking, fairly simple with a good chewy mouth-feel, could be a slight bit of brett but not overbearing at all,
lacks the complexity of a similiarly priced syrah, moderate QPR at $14. About on par with the '93 Markham PS.
Saved half of this wine in a 375 ml to open later. Enjoying it much more the second time around, really bright
fruit, the black raspberry seems even more pronounced now, still a bit simple but a very enjoyable quaff.
This was an experiment, I poured it off to the half bottle and let it sit for just over two months, left a very
small headspace; about 1 nickel thick, it held up very well, did not seem over oxidized at all.
B.Harrington, 4/15/98, 6/23/98
***+

1994 Domaine Clavel, Languedoc, La Copa Santa
Syrah
Very dark red, mild black cherry and blackberry fruit on the nose, spicey throughout, light to moderate fruit,
medium to full bodied, firm tannic structure, very good now could be excellent with a little more time in bottle.
Good QPR at $13
B.Harrington
***+

1995 Domaine Clavel, Languedoc, La Copa Santa
Syrah
Very dark red, nice black cherry and blackberry fruit on the nose, very nice blackberry and cherry fruit flavors with a little chocolate towards the mid palate, very smooth and elegant, medium to full bodied with a very nice long aftertaste. Smooth mild tannins. Very well balanced. Good QPR at $13
B.Harrington, 8/30/97
****

Revisited:
Intense nose with blackberry and espresso dominating, also a bit of a barnyardy aroma, seemed mildy bretty to me, my wife thought it was funky/gamey and barnyardy, this bottle seemed a bit rustic upon opening but had mellowed considerable by the second night, becoming more elegant like I described previously, tannins are definitely apparent now, coarser but still within reason, nice acidic balance, still lots of dark chocolatey, espresso flavors and the fruit is very nice. The finish seemed a slight bit stemmy to me.
B.Harrington, 8/22/98
***+

1995 Domaine Clavel, Languedoc, Les Garrigues
Syrah, Grenache
Dark ruby purple, floral/herbal nose with a hint of blackberry aroma, moderate fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry with a distinct herbal quality that brings to mind oregano, there seems to be a flavor hole in the middle of this wine, still it is full bodied and quite fleshy, although it has a nice peppery spice in the mid palate the other flavors seem to drop off a little too much for my tastes, also seems a little out of balance, a little flabby with big full tannins. Still it's only $8 and has many wonderful qualities for this price.
B.Harrington, 9/4/97, 10/24/97
***

1994 Domaine De Baruel, Vin De Pays Des C�vennes
Rhone Blend
Dark purple, slight chemical nose which blew of a little to reveal a dusty blackberry and espresso aroma, fruit is a little lean with currant dominating the cherry and blackberry components, cedar, oak and tobacco pick up in the mid-palate, medium to full bodied with a massive tannic structure, plenty of acidity but the tannins dominate, this wine needs lots of time, don't think I would open another one for 5 more years or so. Not sure if it had the balance to be great in the future, Parker rated this a 90 or 91 and that seems a bit high to me, unless he knows it will come around with time. For right now the fruit is not forward enough and the tannins are too big. Moderate QPR at $12
B.Harrington, 11/18/97
***

1992 Domaine De La Janasse, Cotes Du Rhone, Les Garrigues
Grenache Old Vines
Dark garnet red with some browning around the edges, nice medium black cherry fruit with chocolatey pepper
spice, on the full side of medium bodied, earthy, after airing a little it became smooth and herbal with earthy
characteristics, very interesting wine, a great enjoyable experience with an out of this world QPR of only $9!!!
B.Harrington
****

1995 Domaine de Perilliere, Cotes Du Rhone
Syrah, ?
Medium dark purplish red, leather and mild cherry nose, pepper spice with leather, tobacco, oak and mild black cherry and smoke flavors, medium bodied, a bit firm with a slightly tannic finish, nice acid balance. Excellent QPR at $9! Nice everyday drinking wine, if you like these slightly smokey CdR type wines.
B.Harrington, 3/2/97
***

1995 Domaine la Milli�re, Cotes Du Rhone
Grenache
Medium dark garnet in color, smokey cherry nose, red and black cherry, cassis fruit flavors with some mild pepper and smokey oak towards the mid palate, medium bodied with a fairly short aftertaste, moderately bright acidity, fair complexity for a light styled CdR, good quaffing wine but a bit pricey at $13, I'm sure there are much better CdR's at this price.
B.Harrington, 7/4/97
***

1994 Edmunds St. John, Durell Vineyard
Syrah
Dark reddish garnet purple, mild black fruit and alcohol nose, massive spicey pepper flavors with moderate blackberry fruit, full bodied, fairly oakey with firm tannins, seems a little harsh and out of balance. Most obvious characteristic is the massive spice juxtaposed against the huge body. One of the harshest California syrahs I've had! Still there is so much hugeness to this wine that I would have to keep buying it year after year, I know they get it right most of the time. This one could use a little improvement, more fruit and smoother tannins!! Decent QPR at $20.
B.Harrington, 2/22/97
***+

1995 Edmunds St. John, Durell Vineyard
Syrah
Very dark inky purple, big nose with slightly dusty blackberry/anise aromas, intense concentration of flavors which are comprised of blackberry and anise with meaty/smokey/toasty oak and minerals, nice complexity, full bodied with a huge structure and good balance, pungent acidity and full tannins, very long lingering toasty anise aftertaste. WOW!! I'm in love! Biggest syrah of the season. Someday in the future I plan on opening one of these with a '95 Ojai BN for a night of pure hedonistic enjoyment. Hell of a good QPR too at $25!! Run, don't walk to your dealer!!
B.Harrington, 11/7/97
*****

1995 Elderton, Barossa, Australia
Syrah
Deep bright purple, sweet blackberry fruit nose, earthy blackberry and cherry flavors which gave way to herbal, coffee and mineral characteristics in the mid-palate as time went on, full bodied, lots of glycerin which gave a very nice mouth feel, it was kind of strange because the acidic structure was very apparent and the tannins were very lean and smooth but there was still a slight flabbiness to the finish. Just seemed a tad weak at the end after a strong attack and a big full middle. Overall, a very nice wine and a decent QPR at $20.
B.Harrington, 9/13/97
****+

1994 Fess Parker, Santa Barbara
Syrah
Moderately dark reddish purple, mild blackberry and alcohol nose, red cherry and blackberry fruit flavors along
with mild chocolate, smoke and pepper spice, somewhat oakey, medium to full body, fairly smooth tannins.
Nice acidity, seems very well balanced. Nice smooth lingering aftertaste. Most obvious quality is the smokey
spice!! Reminded me of a pleasant Chateauneuf-du-Pape!! I really liked this wine!! Excellent QPR at $12!!
Didn't do as much for me in October of '97. Seemed very oaked, a couple people thought it was corked, but
I didn't quite think that. The fruit wasn't nearly as up front as it has been in the past. My rating dropped from
a **** to a ***. Might of been a bad bottle????
B.Harrington, 2/22/97, 10/24/97
****

1995 Foxen, Morehouse Vineyard, Santa Barbara
Syrah
Dark purple, fairly muted nose with slight blackberry and coffee aromas, ripe blackberry and cherry fruit was there but mostly muted for the time being, the mid palate and finish came on strong and showed considerable complexities, anise and coffee flavors predominate with ripe black fruits, huge structure that showed pretty good balance, I really think this wine just needs more time, I think it has the stuffing to come around in time and should eventually become an a great CA syrah. Decent QPR at $26 but a half step below the Qupe HS and Ojai BN syrahs at this point.
B.Harrington, 10/24/97
****+

1996 Galah, South Eastern Australia
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz
Medium dark ruby red, wild nose of maple, oaky vanilla and red cherry, pleasant well balanced flavors of red and black cherry, raspberry, vanilla, oak with a hint of chocolate and espresso, medium bodied, nice acid level with medium fine tannins, dry moderately short finish, very nice the next day. Seemed to ripen up a bit by the next day. Not sure on the QPR, think its around $15 which seems real fair.
B.Harrington, 3/7/98
***+

1994 Geoff Hardy, Kuipo, McLaren Vale, Australia
Shiraz
Moderately dark red, great aromatic nose with black rapberry, minty eucalyptus and oak, moderate attack with flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, plum mild pepper spice and abundant, though not overpowering oak, nicely balanced, good complexity, seemed somewhat atypical of shiraz to me, almost a little cab like. Seems like it would be a very good food wine. Excellent QPR at $18.
B.Harrington, 4/21//98
****

1995 Glen Fiona, Walla Walla, Washington
Syrah
Made with 76% syrah, 19% cinsault and 5% Grenache Noir, it had a somewhat floral mineral though muted nose,
outstanding and complex flavors of ripe blackberry, black cherry and currant with anise, mineral and meaty
chocolate characteristics, pepper spice and smokey oak is nicely integrated with the big structure having
apparent acidity and firm smooth tannins, finishes with nice typical rhone and floral flavors in a long lingering
aftertaste, this is a truly awesome syrah made by the winemaker from Leonetti, stunning and complex, reminds
me somewhat of the Arrowood Sara Lee Vineyard syrah, Stunning wine, killer syrah.
B.Harrington, 8/25/97
*****

1997 Glen Fiona, Walla Walla, Washington
Syrah
Dark inky purple, intense nose of dark blackberry, chocolate, anise and charred oak, flavors are dominated by earth and minerals with concentrated blackberry, dark plum, anise, herbs and some charred oak, very full bodied with full smooth tannins and firm acidity, excellent balance, still very young, needs lots of time, very long minerally finish, more French in style than CA, this is a stunning wine and one of the very best western syrahs that I have ever tasted. Incredible QPR at the $25 I found this bottle for!!
N 9, A 9, M 9, F 9, S 9 -- 45/50
B.Harrington, 2/20/99
*****

1990 Guigal, Hermitage, France
Syrah
Dark reddish purple with a touch of brick, muted nose which revealed aromas of blackfruit along with a hint of
blueberry, anise, tobacco and alcohol, flavors consisted of black cherry and blueberry with anise, tobacco,
leather and espresso, smooth wine with a fairly large structure and excellent balance, the attack is a little slow
but the wine seemed a bit closed at this point so it was hard to judge. I think the wine still needs some time to
resolve it's structure and open up. My guess is the fruit might poke it's self through a bit more. Still a very
nice wine which paled a bit in comparison to the '95 Clarendon we tasted along with it, good QPR at $21.
Thanks to Walt Nagy for sharing this wine with me!
B.Harrington, 1/13/98
****

1994 Hamel, Sonoma
Syrah
Dark reddish purple to black with slight signs of oxidation around the edge's, appears unfiltered with very fine particles in suspension, nice moderate blackberry and alcohol aromas, moderate fruit up front consisting of blackberry and raspberry with fairly abundant though well integrated oak, moderate to abundant peppery spice, also has accents of chocolate and smokey bacon fat, medium bodied, well integrated acidity and pretty full tannic structure, overall a fairly well balanced syrah tending more toward the elegant than the massive, seems to have a fairly low glycerin level which keeps it from being more full bodied, really nice stuff but still not quite enough up-front fruit or enough body to give that huge mouth feel that some of the better syrahs can give, still the excellent balance leads to a moderately full smooth experience with a fairly lengthy mild blackberry finish.
B.Harrington, 5/10/97
****

Revisited:
nose has picked up a bit with typical blackberry, espresso and spice character, seemed quite full bodied with a great structure, flavors are the same although I did pick up more brown spice, nutmeg and allspice; best I can tell, I think this wine does have enough up front fruit and extraction to be up there with the big boys, I liked it last time I had it, I loved it this time!
B.Harrington, 5/15/98
****+

1996 Hamel, Russian River Valley
Syrah
Dark purple, very nice varietal nose with aromes of blackberry, espresso, brown spice, bacon and smokey oak, cherry aromas were much more apparent the second day although overall the nose had closed up a bit, flavors of blackberry, cranberry, espresso, oak, meaty bacon, vanilla, pepper and brown spice, the second day revealed more abundant black pepper along with a rich brown spice, espresso and charred oak core, very smooth and balanced on the palate, good length on the finish, full bodied with mild tannins and moderate to firm acidity, may not be as much fruit as the '95 had but the balance is great, especially the second day when it revealed a very good smooth and seamless rich quality which I find very attractive, to me this is a seductive wine, if ever there was one. Two thumbs up! Great QPR at $19. Not the incredible extraction of the Ojai or the intense concentration of the Balmoral, but it makes up for it in elagance and balance.
B.Harrington, 9/13/98
****+

1995 Haselgrove Reserve, McLaren Vale, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purplish red, huge nose of blackberry, anise, and espresso, wonderful shiraz flavors of blackberry, plum, anise, espresso, vanilla oak and even a hint of spicey mint, very dark and brooding with a rich mid-palate that was smooth and elegant, full bodied with great structure, one of my favorite wines of the evening, very reasonable QPR at $24. This is a great bottle of shiraz with good complexity and balance, not to mention great varietal character!
B.Harrington, 4/21//98
*****

1994 Hug Vineyard, Edna Valley
Syrah
Very dark inky purple, big nose of dusty blackberry, leather and grass, moderate to full fruit attack of blackberry and currant with leather, spicey pepper and chocolate becoming predominant by the mid-palate, not terribly complex but has a very big body with a huge structure, the tannins are quite rustic and rough still, being a bit over the top at this stage, the aftertaste is short to moderate, this wine has enough fruit to last out it's tannins, at least I think it does, it's made by John Alban, don't know the exact price, somewhere in the low to mid twenties. This is a very nice central coast syrah, but still needs a few more years to resolve itself and really show it's stuff!
B.Harrington, 9/28/97
****

1994 Jaboulet-Aine, Les Jalets, Crozes Hermitage, France
Syrah
Medium dark garnet purple, big nose of red cherry and barnyard aromas, nice red cherry, plum and currant flavors, with spicey pepper and tea leaf/tobacco flavors in the mid palate, slightly thin with low glycerin levels, moderately long aftertaste, fairly well balanced with decent structure, a really good everyday drinking/quaffing wine, good QPR at $11. Took it with us for a picnic at the beach, it was a perfect match with the salami, cheese and cantaloupe.
B.Harrington, 8/24/97
***+

Note: Pretty similiar, didn't seem as barnyardy as before although I did sense it a bit, tea leaf/tobacco has given way to coffee/espresso and smoke, there is a bit of cedary character now that I didn't pick up last year. It seems smoother now than I remember it being. Great QPR, excellent quaff.
B.Harrington, 9/26/98
***+

1995 Jaboulet-Aine, Thalabert, Crozes Hermitage, France
Syrah
Medium dark red, mild blackberry, red cherry and pepper nose, decent fruit upfront with blackberry, red cherry and currant flavors, seemed to dissipate very quickly in the mid palate and finish, medium bodied with mild tannins and fairly firm acidity, I was fairly disappointed in this wine. The Rosemount Diamond Label Syrah blew it away, IMHO Poor QPR at $21 and I bought two bottles, hope it gets better but I doubt it!!
B.Harrington, 7/9/97, 9/12/97
***

Note: Fruit seems to have subsided over time but they have been replaced by some pretty pleasant coffee, burnt rubber and roasted anise flavors, somewhat oaky finish with a slight bitterness, seems a little longer and rounder in the mid-palate than it was the first time around. Much more interesting to me, nicer complexities. I would push it up from *** to ****.

1994 Jaboulet-Aine, La Chapelle, Hermitage, France
Syrah
Dark purple, very nice nose with black cherry/berry, espresso and just a wee bit of the old horsecollar, flavors to follow with blackberry, cherry, plum, chocolate, leather, pepper and espresso, excellent balance, rich, ripe and lush, thick and full bodied with moderate tannins and quenching acids, good length on the finish. I really enjoyed this wine and thinking it was an off vintage didn't have too high of expectations, ending out being my second favorite wine of the evening, amongst heavyweights! Not a bad value at $42, but it is costly and they've gone up considerably since I bought this one!
B.Harrington, 11/7/98
N 3.5, A 3.5, M 4, F 4, S 3.5, -- 18.5/20
*****

1996 Jade Mountain, Evangelho Vineyard, Contra Costa County
Mourvedre
Bright purple, aromas of bright fruit with black cherry/raspberry and currant along with milder hints of musty earth/truffle, developed a slight smokey caramel aroma after an hour or so, very nice nose, flavors followed with black cherries and currants which gave way to a slightly mineral and chocolate finish, carried the musty earth quality throughout but at a consistantly mild level, never overpowered the wine, medium bodied, moderate acidity and mederately strong tannins, this wine seemed a bit austere and tight at first but it seemed to have enough going on that it retained my interest through the evening, not terribly complex but a decent wine, I can see why it works well as a blending grape, overall I liked this wine despite the ridiculous price of $23. I bought this at a marked up price, I suspect it would sell for around $17 and that would be more reasonable.
N 8, A 7, M 7, F 8, S 7, -- 37/50
B.Harrington, 3/12/99
***

1995 J. M. Gerin, Champion Le Seigeneur, Cote Rotie, France
Syrah Blend
Medium brickish red, slightly volatile nose with barnyardy, grassy, meaty bacon, coffee, cocoa and current aromas, medium bodied with flavors of currant, red cherry, raspberry/strawberry grenache like tastes, not a whole lot of concentration of flavors, mild to moderate tannins and very firm acidity, finish was short to moderate in length, seems even a bit thin and austere for a syrah based wine but the complexity does seem to fan out a little; leaving me feeling that this wine may develop nicely with time. Pricey at $30.
B.Harrington, 8/7/98
***+

1997 Killibinbin, 1, Langhorne Creek, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purple, nose of blackberry, espresso, oak and earth, very bright attack with blackberry, cherry, chocolate and vanilla, finishing with cranberry, mint and lemony tartness, medium to full body, rich through the mid-palate, medium tannins and very firm tart acidity, good concentration, the acidity is currently out of balance but perhaps time will fix that, fruit is intense and currently is over-riding the tannins almost completely, but there are significant tannins. I'm thinking this wine will improve a great deal and it is a very good QPR at about $21. I give it a 91, but if the acidity bothers you a great deal, you would have to lower that score a point or two. I liked it myself.
N 18, A 19, M 18, F 18, S 18, -- 91/100
B.Harrington, 7/24/99
****

1996 Kathryn Kennedy, Maridon Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
Syrah
Dark purple, very gamey nose to start although it blew off quickly to reveal varietal aromas of blackberry, plum, espresso, smokey tobacco and mint, richly concentrated with big dark flavors, blackberry, plum, chocolate, coffee, oak, mint, anise and nutmeg, pretty firm acidity with fine smooth tannins, nice long finish, this was a fantastic syrah that had great complexity and depth, only one very minor flaw, it was a tad hot, especially as you gave it air time. The oak was there but not overly dominant as I've heard some people suggest, it seemed to smooth out and develop a creamy rich vanilla character with time. The finish was definitely alcoholic, but boy does it have some intensity in the mid-palate, stunning first syrah from KK, I 'm sure that they will get the heat removed from the subsequent vintages and then this wine will be a huge WOW! It's still one of the better CA syrahs I've ever had, a bit pricey at around $40.
B.Harrington, 8/15/98
****

1995 La Crau De Ma Mere, Chateaneuf du Pape, Southern Rhone, France
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault
Medium dark red, killer nose with bright red cherry, raspberry, earthy, woodsy mushrooms, anise, mild herbs and spicey oak, flavors followed with bright red cherry and raspberry, woodsy mushrooms which led into a dark tarry chocolate and charry oak finish, excellent balance, smooth and rich, loads of complexity, medium bodied, moderate acidity and mild to moderate tannins, long earthy finish, killer wine. Thanks to Michael Horton for this one!! Just reconfirms my intense love of CdP. By the way, this went great with the mustard crusted pork loin chops I cooked for dinner.
N 9, A 8, M 8, F 9, S 9, -- 43/50
B.Harrington, 5/9/99
****+

1995 Les Amandiers, Vin de Pays, France
Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, etc.
Medium red, nice fruit nose, light cherry fruits at the front end, mild spice, medium bodied
with smooth tannins, wonderful light fruit style with an excellent QPR at $7
B.Harrington
***

1996 Leasingham, Bin 61, Clare Valley, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purple, somewhat simple but aromatic nose of plum, anise and coffee, big loose attack of dark plum, blackberry, anise and vanilla oak, medium bodied with a very soft short finish, practically no tannins and moderate acidity make this a very short timer, IMO. I would put this on par with the Rosemount Diamond Shiraz though the fruit seems a bit more forward. Good QPR at $11. Very nice quaff.
B.Harrington, 10/13/98
***+

1997 Lehman, Clancy, Australia
Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Medium dark purple red, good aromatic intensity with blackberry, dark plum, cassis, black currant, charred oak and leather, flavors of red and black cherries, plum, vanilla, chocolatey oak, and leather, full body, medium length, moderate acidity and mild tannins, a slight bit disjointed but still a pretty darn nice wine. Great QPR at $16.
N 9, A 8, M 8, F 8, S 7, -- 40/50
B.Harrington, 2/24/99
****

1993 Lindemans, Limestone Ridge, Coonawarra, Australia
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Inky dark reddish purple, throwing a bit of sediment, moderate nose of black fruit that was a bit closed for me, very nice fruit concentration with blackberry, plum, currant and cassis along with tobacco, oak, cocoa, mild coffee and hints of oaky vanilla, very ripe with a smooth chewy mid-palate, full bodied with fairly firm acidity and mild to moderate tannins, nicely balanced, this wine surprised me a little bit as I had heard that it was totally over oaked, it wasn't at all, maybe it's had enough time to resolve itself but I think everyone enjoyed this wine, great QPR of around $21.
B.Harrington, 4/17/98
****+

1994 Lindemans, Limestone Ridge, Coonawarra, Australia
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark reddish purple, very nice nose of brown spice, blackberry and a hint of mint, flavors followed the nose with blackberry, plum, chocolate, coffee, sweet oak and brown spice, decent length in the finish, very nice balance with good levels of acidity and medium tannins, medium to full body, overall very round and smooth with an excellent flavor profile. Perhaps not quite the concentration of the '93. ?? Excellent QPR at $22. QPR Rating: 10.
B.Harrington, 10/02/98
****

1996 Maglieri, McLaren Vale, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purplish red, slightly closed nose with black fruits, coffee and smokey tobacco, flavor profile includes blackberry, black cherry, plum, anise, spice and coffee, good structure with moderate fine grained tannins and moderately firm acidity, a hint of eucalyptus on the finish, medium to full bodied and nicely balanced, excellent QPR at $16.
B.Harrington, 4/21//98
****

Note: Same impresions on this day for the most part, except I thought the nose was much more opened, this is even better than I thought it was back in April.
B.Harrington, 10/21/98
N 3.5, A 3.5, M 3.5, F 3, S 3.5, -- 17.5/20
****+

1993 Markham Vineyards, Napa Valley
Petite Sirah
Dark inky purple, deep blackberry nose with fruit flavors of ripe blackberry and plum which lead to a mid-palate
dominated by dark chocolate, anise and minerals, all nicely framed by peppery spice, big, chewy and full bodied,
long lingering rich finish with reveals a hint of tea leaf, a good balanced structure, maybe just a bit rustic but
this is a very good wine which packs a lot of flavors and complexity. Excellent QPR at $9.95.
Go get some, at this price it is a steal! Complex for a PS anyways!
B.Harrington, 9/20/97, 9/27/97, 11/1/97
****

1995 McGuigan Brothers, Personal Reserve, South Eastern Australia
Shiraz
Bright, dark reddish purple in color, bordering on inky, mild blackberry and alcohol nose, moderate blackberry,
pepper spice and oak flavors, very nice extraction, slight muddiness that I find somewhat typical of shiraz in
this class, medium to full body with very nice mouth feel, moderate tannins, overall this wine is very smooth,
moderately long lingering mild blackberry aftertaste, excellent QPR at $10. Hell of a good buy!!!
B.Harrington, 3/1/97
***+

1994 Meshach, Grant Burge, Barossa Valley, Australia
Shiraz
Dark purplish red, rich nose here, believe it or not, another influenced call but it works, buttered popcorn, vanilla, espresso and black fruits, flavors of blackberry, blueberry, espresso and brown spice, full bodied and nicely stuctured with moderately full fine tannins and lingering acidity, very smooth and balanced and the oak tends to have that nice sweetness that I hope for. This is a really great wine, that may have suffered a bit due to it's company. It came out with a solid rating in my book though.
B.Harrington, 7/25/98
****+

1996 Mt. Langi Ghiran, Langi, Victoria, Australia
Shiraz
Bright dark purple, great nose of red and black fruits along with espresso and brown spice, flavors of blackberry,
plum, nutmeg, cocoa, anise, eucalyptus, espresso, mild pepper and sweet vanilla oak, full bodied with very nice
structure featuring smooth tannins and nice acidity, excellent balance very smooth and seamless, another great
shiraz from Mt. Langi, decent QPR at $24.
B.Harrington, 4/21//98
****

1994 Ojai Vineyards, Santa Barbara
Syrah
Huge wine, very dark garnet purple, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit, smooth smokey chocolate with abundant spice, very full bodied with full smooth tannins, moderately oaked and decent acidity, complex and well balanced, rich and concentrated, long lingering aftertaste, excellent bottle, up there with the best of the California Syrahs! Shows off those Hillside Block grapes. Excellent QPR at $18, WOW!
B.Harrington, 2/22/97
*****

1995 Ojai Vineyards, California
Syrah
Dark purple, spicey blackberry nose, moderate blackberry fruit with chocolate and coffee mid palate flavors,
heavily spiced throughout, full bodied, well balanced acidity and big tannins, nice lingering aftertaste, huge
mouth feel, moderately oaked, not as much fruit or well balanced as his premium syrahs but an absolute steal
in it's price category. This is an excellent syrah that competes with most of the CA syrahs at twice the price!!
Excellent QPR at $12, WOW!
B.Harrington, 5/23/97
****

1996 Ojai Vineyards, California
Syrah
Dark vibrant inky purple, huge nose of spicey blackberry and espresso, moderately full fruit flavors with blackberry, plum and currant, a bit smokey and meaty with chocolate and espresso coming through to the finish heavily spiced throughout, nice mid-palate viscosity, good mouth feel. full bodied, good structure, nice lingering aftertaste, moderately oaked, seems fairly similar to the 1995 California bottle. Continues to be an excellent wine which competes with more expensive syrahs, not quite as good QPR anymore at $17 but you won't find much more for less money, even in the Languedoc.
B.Harrington, 2/25/98
****

1996 Ojai Vineyards, Bien Nacido,