4/14/2024 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Plush and rich, but still very fruit forward after 15 years from vintage. I like a bit more earth and spice in my Syrah. This hits all cylinders for texture but is not giving enough on the nose and just not complex enough to merit a higher score. Decanted about in hour; I wonder if others have had better luck with a longer decant?

2/14/2024 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Drinking really well right now for our taste. Lots of fun tertiaries but still plenty of fruit and bubbles. I wasn’t sure there would be any bubbles when I opened it - no sound at all, and it wasn’t just opening skills! But when I poured it, there was the effervescence, and it has persisted in the glass. A lovely bottle for Valentine’s Day.

2/5/2024 - kmforster Likes this wine:

PNP - might have been better with a decant but it was still enjoyable.

2/5/2024 - kmforster wrote:

Cloudy and sour - down the sink it went. :(

2/5/2024 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully! Decanted approx 40 mins.

1/21/2024 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Maybe a tick above 90 - this was lovely after about a 45-minute decant. Not overly extracted, not too jammy - but still lots of fruit life left in it, and quite food-friendly. We had it with moussaka.

12/31/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Lovely persistence on the back end. Showed its age a bit more than expected but still quite lively. Nose a bit reticent.

12/25/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

A short decant was plenty. Lovely with Christmas dinner.

12/24/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

From magnum with Christmas Eve dinner. Delicious. Decanted for about an hour.

12/3/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Beautiful Martha - drinking great right now with lovely secondaries and tertiaries but the fruit is still there too. Opened 90 mins before dinner and decanted about 45 mins before we sat down; initial slight funk blew off quickly. Definitely got the signature eucalyptus note. Would have guessed a slightly later vintage from overall freshness. Would definitely seek out more!

11/25/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Beautifully mature, with secondary and tertiary notes, but also plenty of freshness and verve keeping it all alive in the glass. Really beautiful now but if you like them really old you could hold this longer provided it has been properly stored.

11/25/2023 - kmforster Does not like this wine:

First sip was OK but not great - somewhat thin and tart - but then I poured the rest into a decanter and it was cloudy (despite using a filter). Returned 20 mins later to see if the cloudiness had settled down or the wine started to improve, but sadly not. Poured down the sink.

11/23/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

I had considerably higher hopes for this - oh well. It was nice but not at all memorable.

11/23/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Was hoping for a bit more from this. I was lovely but not memorable.

11/21/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Agree with HSACKS's description, except color is now medium gold. Still fresh and drinking beautifully.

10/8/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Still lots of life left in this, plus some fun secondary notes. Glad I kept one in the cellar!

9/30/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

AIR! This got progressively better over an hour plus in a decanter. Silky, fully resolved tannins, classic Santa Rita nose, and decent finish. Not complex enough for a higher score.

9/23/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Lovely - tasting notes consistent with PAPIES.

9/24/2023 - kmforster wrote:

Silky, resolved tannins and a nice nose, but too much oak to warrant a higher score. Distinct vanilla note. Somewhat better with food. QPR not good here.

9/1/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

This was fantastic. From a well-stored magnum; opened about two hours prior to dinner and decanted approx 30 mins prior. Cork was soaked through and I was worried until I caught a whiff. Just gorgeous, classic, beautifully fallen apart Martha - not past it at all. If I find another one I will jump on it!

3/4/2023 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Had from magnum with dinner at the Hitching Post. Fabulous - really plush and in a great spot. It appears perfect storage and the large format made a huge difference here!

12/29/2022 - kmforster wrote:

Like most 1999 Napa cabs, even after all these years, the wine is disjointed, the tannins are not resolving, and it's just not coming together as one would normally expect. It reminds me very much of the 1975 Bordeaux vintage which has similar problems (still). Given that experience, I am not optimistic that more time will help.

12/24/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

So…it was nice, but if you like mature Bordeaux, you will wish you had held this one. The nose is pretty lovely - duh, it’s Margaux! But the best years are decidedly ahead for this wine. I would give it another 10 years at least. (Decanted almost 3 hours and had with a very classic duck breast preparation.).

12/21/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Classic SRH profile, plush fruit with cherry cola notes. Strong showing and drinking very nicely now.

11/25/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Well made, but not showing well right now. Needs at least a few more years.

11/24/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Delicious with Thanksgiving dinner. This is in a great spot right now - plush and well integrated. Classic darker style SRH pinot, all lush and voluptuous. No reason to wait. Wish I had more!

11/5/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

In a good place now if you like age but not prunes on your cab. Not profound but pleasant. I enjoyed it.

7/2/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Very close to 95, but the nose and finish don't quite get it there. Decanted for nearly two hours which was definitely not too much. Very plush and heady on the palate.

6/12/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Decanted for one hour - excellent. Can cellar for a long time, to be sure, but this drank very well now with the decant.

4/28/2022 - kmforster Does not like this wine:

Oof. A rare total miss for Buttonwood. Flat and lifeless, no acidity, tastes watered down. Poured down the sink. Not corked, because it has a screw top (and no TCA smell). I’m going to try to return my other bottle.

4/11/2022 - kmforster wrote:

Premox. Bummer.

4/3/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

This is in a great place right now. It has shed a lot of its tannins (which were considerable given the amount of sediment now) but the fruit is still singing. A somewhat reticent nose and so-so finish keep the rating from being higher. I might have decanted it longer - I opened the bottle maybe an hour before serving, but only got it into a decanter about 15 mins before dinner. No noticeable trajectory during the meal; consistent from start to finish.

3/13/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Accidentally left about an inch in the bottom of the open bottle overnight and it was *great* the next day! Suggests a long decant would be really good for this and I will try that next time. For the uninitiated, if you were looking for a big, dark, extracted sangio with big tannins, you will be disappointed. If you wanted a lighter bodied, aromatic, acidic wine that goes wonderfully with food -- and at a stupendous price -- then this is for you! Enjoy.

3/13/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Stunning, but still a bit young for me. At this stage in its development the peak point for me was about 45-60 mins into the decant. We started dinner around the 60-min mark, and by the end it was starting to close back up and tannins were once again more prominent.

3/12/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Gorgeous! Decanted for an hour.

3/6/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

I was disappointed by this wine. I had hoped for some interesting secondary characteristics, at least, but no.not back just not very interesting. I decanted for an hour which was probably a bit too long.

2/13/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Popped 'n' poured - I suspect a decant for at least an hour would improve this, so take the score with a grain of salt. Body was a bit thin, nose not doing much, decent finish. Maturity was as expected for a 2007 right now.

2/12/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Air makes a *big* difference here. Somewhat closed upon opening; decanted for an hour. It was good at the beginning of dinner, but my wife swirled her last glass a ton and it was vastly improved. Longer decant next time!

1/29/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Gorgeous! Peaked about an hour after decanting.

1/17/2022 - kmforster Does not like this wine:

Not undrinkable, exactly, just zero pleasure whatsoever. Poured it down the sink.

1/8/2022 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Definitely decant - this started to pop after about an hour. Not the most complex wine, but well made and enjoyable. I don't remember what I paid for it at the winery on release; this was a "found bottle" I forgot to log and recently discovered when I moved my collection. But the current auction price represents good QPR.

12/31/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

This was spectacular. I bought this (en magnum) at auction last April as a birthday gift for my wife since 1969 is her birth year. We know our mature Champagne well enough that we were prepared for either an amazing experience or major disappointment, and as always with a serious old bottle like this, we figured it would at least be interesting. Well, we got lucky! It defied its age, with lots of bubbles left and a sublime combination of still-fresh fruit and secondary and tertiary characteristics. Deep salmon color and surprisingly bracing acidity for a wine this old. Tasted blind I would have guessed early to mid 1980s (and still would have been very impressed). We enjoyed it over several hours and saved the last couple of sips for near midnight. Those last sips were at least as incredible as the rest - a sign of a truly great Champagne. It's so wonderful when a rare find like this pans out. We just had a few nibbles of food with this, though almost anything other than very spicy food would have worked in my view. The ossetra was certainly a hit. But my favorite pairing was room temp Brillat-Savarin on a thin slice of baguette. What a memorable evening. Happy new year indeed!

12/25/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Well I have to eat my words from 15 years ago! It did have the stuffing for the (relatively) long haul. Like so many of the '98 Napa cabs, it aged beautifully and is drinking very well. I see many bottles in cellars - this one is ready, though no rush. Wish I had more.

12/25/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

This is really singing right now - delicious.

12/25/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Too young! Score may go up. I will wait another 8-10 years to drink my other bottle of this.

12/21/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Spectacular. I rarely score wines this high but this was really great. Decanted for about two hours.

12/4/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Be sure to give it a bit of air - decant for at least 30 minutes, maybe more. This really started to pop by the end of dinner. Drinks well now - not too heavy or overextracted, but still sturdy as you'd expect for a syrah. Juicy and fruit-forward. Delish.

11/2/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Amazing QPR - not complex, but well made and varietally typical, on the earthy side, with moderate tannins that are already well integrated. Syrah at this price point often has a note on the nose I don’t like (smells like urinal cake to me) and this has absolutely no hint of that. Not something to hold - obey the screw top!

10/24/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Still very dark, and the tannins are not yet fully integrated. Decanted for an hour which was essential; recommend at least two hours. Not sorry I opened it - it was lovely! - but will wait longer to open my other bottle. I suspect the score will go up at least a point. I waffled between 93 and 94 as it was.

10/24/2021 - kmforster Likes this wine:

Either this was stored improperly at one point or this was just unfortunate bottle variation. Very nice, but not what it should have been.