Tried this last night:
1. HugCllrs Syrah CentralCoast (13.8%) 2004: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; beautiful smokey/roasted/smoked meats/pungent/very Rhonish strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy/bit peppery some black olive/tapenade quite complex nose; somewhat tart quite smokey/roasted meats/roasted/very Rhonish some toasty/oak strong blackberry/Syrah/peppery/spicy very complex/Rhonish flavor w/ modest smooth/ripe tannins; very long/lingering bit tart/tangy quite Rhonish/roasted/smoked meats/black olive tapenade very strong blackberry/peppery/spicy/Syrah light toasty/pungent/Fr.oak complex finish w/ light smooth/gentle tannins; almost as perfect a Calif Syrah as you can find; a terrific/mature Syrah along the lines of an Ojai or Jaffurs; the peppery character suggests cold-climate Syrah, perhaps from Alban or Bassetti.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Augie & Raquel Hug made some very good wines in their day in Paso. I think this is my last Hug & have had it sitting out to try for over a yr. They are both alive & well down in Texas just north of Austin.
I think I first met the Hugs at WilsonLanes at the first Rhone n' Bowl afore HdR. They were in the next lane over, against the South Wall. They were well into the wine by then and their ball control was not the best. That was the yr my team, Only The Rhonely, won the Rhone 'n Bowl. As Athlete in Chief, w/ our snazzy shirts and these epaulets perched on my shoulders like giant tarantulas, to signify my lofty position, we were quite a sight. I enforced a no-wine policy until we finished the competition, which no doubt insured our victory. I recall I had the high score for our team, even though Laura's codpiece interfered w/ my form. As always, she didn't take accurate measurements and it was way too small.
I always felt a little sad for Augie Hug. To have such an incredible mind and talents, but trapped in this body with such pathetic bowling skills. Didn't seem fair.
Those were incredible times at Wilson Lanes.
Tom