4/25/2024 - tomoem wrote:

A rich and deeper aromatic wine than I was expecting. The wine in mouth more melancholy than most other modern Chardonnays. This wine starts with lemon right away and moves onto creamy notes of cantaloupe melon.
Into the finish the wine turns back to lemon.

4/24/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Abother well made Sauvignon Blanc from Jessup. Once agan the wine is not overly dominate from a acidic standpoint. Mainly ripened (maybe over-ripened) apples. In mouth this is pineapple and sweet lemon and loaded with acidity. Finish is balanced.

4/20/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Just received these wines with my allocation. Very well structured wine which emerges immediately on the nose with a berry nose of cranberry, blueberry and .... yes ...some blackberry. In mouth the wine is creamy loads of acidity (insuring ageability) and mildly present tannins. Fairly significant wine which is worth finding.

4/19/2024 - tomoem wrote:

CBCC Piedmont tasting. In mouth the wine is cherry with a limestone edge. On the nose, aromatically, the wine comes across like Anise on the nose. The finish remains tight with tannins dominating despite its 9 year in bottle age. I trully believe the wine is still too young.

4/19/2024 - tomoem wrote:

A rich and terrific 9 year old Barolo. Wild cherry fruit and some licorice amidst very soil driven flavors. Underbrush of soil, mushroom and wet leaves make this wine rise up to the level of complexity for me. I loved it.

4/19/2024 - tomoem wrote:

One of the wines I liked tonight. CBCC wine tasting of Piedmont wines. This one was a good one.

4/19/2024 - tomoem wrote:

An aromatic wine which follows with a fruit forward in mouth flavor. Now for the weaknesses, the wine is medium weight, medium acidity and largely fruity. Boysenberry, some cranberry, but mostly sour oriented grapes.

4/19/2024 - tomoem wrote:

A very nice wine that is hard to dislike. Medium weight, medium fruit, medium finish. A lot of money for a wine of this type.

4/19/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Ok so compared to the 2020 Vietti Timorasso tonight, this one is lighter. A softer flavor profile with a small amount of acidity with muted fruit.

4/19/2024 - tomoem wrote:

More like a Northern Rhine wine than an Italian white. The wine is very well made and a treat. It has a soft feel in the mouth yet with strong minerality, tartness and abundant fruit. the finish lingers as slightly unripened apple.

4/10/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Bright, fresh, and quite honestly too young. The cherry fruit was jumping out of the glass with pits and all still in ! Wildly acidic and wildly spiced this wine may need a few years. The finish was oddly tight but with a tomato paste mouthfeel the wine has some gusto too improve.

4/9/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Repeating recent notes. Cherry kirsh aromatics with a small amount of cedar wood. In mouth the wine is so melancholy as it s fruit forward profile meets its aged outcome. Lovely !!! There are not any of these left but they are treasures in the wine world.

4/9/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

The WOTN, although we only three bottles. Mango notes up front with a generally acidic mouthfeel and a wood background flavor. Nice wine and worth having right now. I didn't get the impression that this would largely improve.

4/9/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Really beautiful drinking chardonnay right now. Tropical fruit up front with a decent amount of acidty and yet a creamy backbone to it. Lovely pear notes at the mid palette and finish

4/3/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Got these recently at auction. Quite rich and still wildly aromatic. On the nose the wine delivers berries, a small amount of aged funk and strawberry. In mouth the wine is spiced and Berry driven. The spicy flavors go on for nearly a minute. Flavors are boysenberry, huckleberry jam and strawberry. Finish is long and lingering with the spice continuing. White pepper, some paprika and cinnamon. Even at 15 years this wine continues to deliver great notes. It is one of my fvorite Pinot Noir's. Too bad Andrew is not producing these anymore.

3/31/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Easter 2024.

Had with Easter breakfast. The Champagne has a nose apple, lemon peel and a toastiness fairly typical of Champagne. Tremendous balance perhaps due to the Non Vintage style. This style really does help resolve acidty which can be so dominant in Champagnes. Finish is pear, yellow apple and a limestone minerality.

3/30/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Once again this is a dark and rich juice. Aromatically it is black pepper dark berry and some charcoal. I get blueberry and ripe cherry in mouth with a viscous mouthfeel. The wine has plenty of acidity and worth holding for another 3-5 years.

3/30/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Clearly past its prime but Owe how I love aged wine. Flavors unlike anything int he food world. Starts with a bitter cherry and quickly introduces burnt cedar, underbrush, mushroom and moldy Parmessian cheese. Despite my score I really found this unique and some enjoyment in it.

3/30/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Aromatically the wine is more present than in the past tastings. I get a fresh berry waft and wood. In mouth the wine is creamy lush and very well balanced with tannin & acidity to insure several more years of age-ability. The finish is cranberry, and blueberry.

3/31/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Easter 2024

Morning start with Champagne & breakfast. This was the lightest and the most dry of the bunch. I repeat my prior notes.

3/27/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

One of the greatest bottles of wine I have ever had. I mean it has aged beautifully. I had this 8 years ago and don't remember it being this good. Starts with wood driven aromatics that include iron, cassis, dark chocolate and blackberry fruit. In mouth the wine is totally resolved and creamy. It's mid palette is so smoothing that I would think this is a 40 year old First Growth. I wil opine some notes tomorrow as I let this settle for 24 hours.

3/27/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Herein lies a wine that no longer no longer exists. It was lovely and driven by notes of wood, apricot nut and slight buttery notes.

Given to me as a gift, i am surprised that they are no longer producing this wine.

3/27/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

This is a newer Napa Chard that I recently received and have never had. Opened without any decanting. Immediately there is a pineapple aromatic with no sign of wood. In mouth the wine is immediately acidic with initial flavors of ripened apricot, slightly rotted white grape and sweet lemon. It is certainly unique and I loved it.

Worth finding as Handwritten makes some very good reds and now I fond that their whites are also bigtime. This wine will improve if you cellar it for 1-2 years.

3/26/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Wow is this freshly mowed lawn ........ grassy nose and flavors. I feel that I am on a meadow in New Zealand. So interesting and unique a wine. Many will hate and then there is me who finds beauty in these lesser priced consumer wines. Lovely for the price.

3/26/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

I love what I am seeing. This is my one and only bottle. An aromatic of lime & pine nut. What I get is tremendous acidty despite nearly 5 years in bottle. The wine has defined acidity which quickly leads to citrus fruit. Viscous yet steely, this wine has layered depth and reveals changing flavors as it remains in mouth. This is a good wine which will gain more benefit from more time in bottle.

3/14/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

This wine is in a quiet period where I didn't get the strong fruit forward in mouth flavors I was expecting from a BTK. I have had this experience before where around that 5-8 year mark BTK's begin a change.

That said the wine still has a viscous feel with more black licorice and chocolate notes then blackberry/ cherry fruits. Wine is a full throttle modern Napa Cab and has a finish to prove it with lingering creaminess. Hold at thiss point for a few more years before opening.
Full-bodied wine with a creamy texture and flavors of blackberries, thyme, and vanilla
Strong acidity and well integrated tannins

3/10/2024 - tomoem wrote:

I am repeating oddly similar notes from last years vintage. Aromatically it is grassy, actually freshly mown cut grass. In mouth the wine is very rich an even richer acidity. The acidity is right up front and in your face. You have to like this style otherwise it can be alarming.

Almost fresh squeezed lemon peel right there and up front alongside a grapefruit mid palette. On the tongue the wine is rich with large acidic presence at the start.

3/8/2024 - tomoem Does not like this wine:

OMG .... this wine is just bad. I had this opened for 18 hours and it simply declined to the point of undrinkable. Sour rotted plum and sulpher notes of waste. WTF !!!! I think the wine was corked. Not going to ruin CT score with a number. Let's just say it is has a 60 ish number in it.

3/8/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Have this for 11 years and found it now to be in decline. The wine is slightly darker than I expected. The wine is also an expressive example of one of Turley's early cabernet's. Aromatically it seems older than it is however in mouth the wine is rich with ripe plum and yet still sulpher driven aromatically which tells me it has some room to work improve. Now back to in mouth expression..... the wine is ripe plum, some chocaolate (maybe darker chocolate) and lead pencil. Finish includes very little fruit and more ground driven notes. Those include pepper, mushroom and oregono. All that said, the wine is close to peaking and will require a long decant (plus 4 hours) as it got better with air.

3/8/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

An awesome wine. I opened it 24 hours prior to even tasting. This is quite a wine. A nose of a nearly perfect Petite Syrah. The aromatics have spices and fruit. I get pepper, cinnamon, rosemary and oregono, while in mouth the flavors broaden to include nearly overripened strawberries, and peaches with blackberry lingering fruit. The wine is one f the best presentations of a Petite Syrah. It is A beautiful wine rendition and one of the greatest Turley's I have had. It is an outstanding varietal wh Ch is worth finding.

3/6/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

I wanted to add my opinion on this wonderful gin. This is a very well made old world gin. Love it as it is one of my favorites. No score as it is not a wine. If so it's like a 95 for its category.

3/6/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

This is a really aromatic wine with cherry/ plum jumping from the glass. In mouth the wine has a very velvety mouthfeel. Smoothing and Berry laden rich juice. I mean really rich juice. I get a wine that is viscous, mouth coating and simply delicious. Only negative note is the sweetish finishing taste and lingering flavor. Hard to hate. Drink now as I don't think this will last.

3/6/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

I love the wines from Rutherford. Try finding this textured mouthfeel, generally speaking, elsewhere. Dusty is the expression of the mouthfeel. Aromatics of berries with in mouth flavors of dark cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate sweetness. The wine is beautiful right now and I would not let this age too many more years.

3/4/2024 - tomoem wrote:

2nd day notes.... better and maybe rerefined. Much more melancholy than the other day. The wine still shows blueberry dominate notes with a sulpher background.

3/3/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Lovely tonight as mainly watery blueberry fruit makes the predominant notes. Despite my watery comment (wine lacks deep viscosity) it is an enjoyable mid priced high end wine.

3/3/2024 - tomoem wrote:

A slightly sweetish wine with a very fresh aromatic and medium viscous mouthfeel. Apple, some fennel seed and a tremendous amount of limestone. Like in the 2019 I get a limestone dominant mid pallete and once again the wine is loaded with acidity. A young wine worth hunting down as it will improve a it is very lively right now.

3/1/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

So let's real about a really well made wine that does rise to a 94 + score on CT. I get a delicious and balanced wine but also me that has weaker fruit mainly of blueberry versus other 94 + wines.

Aromatically I get blackberry, sulpher, and some barrel wood. In mouth the wine is immediate acidic driven sharpness which does calm down in a few seconds to reveal blueberry driven fruit notes. Finish is rich and very well balanced. I suspect this wine will improve over the next few years. I can see this wine rising in score to maybe 92 but improvement is needed. The goods are there for that.

2/29/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

A really wonderful wine. Totally surprised !! The wine is very energetic and the acidity matches that point. Aromatically I get cherry and asphalt paved driveway. Large sulpher component on the nose on the finish. In mouth the wine adds strawberry, sweeter spices like cinnamon and adds notes of vanilla. This is an outstanding intriguing wine which seems young and worth how doing before opening.

2/29/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Once again.... notes that are consistent with my postings of recent vintages except......... this is better !!!!! I have stated that these wines are some of the better California Sauvignon Blancs out there and continue to scream out that fact. The wine remains a balanced Cali style SB that makes it an outstandng example of that style and terroir. The mouthfeel is viscous and delivers a creamy textured texture to he pallete

The flavors in mouth are fruit forward with ripe apple and peach, recent vintages it has a a touch of oaky vanilla and enough acidty to give it a clean expected finish of a Sauvignon Blanc. This is a balanced wine which does not let you down.

2/28/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

This is one of the better 15 year old Pinot Noir's that you will find. Cherry kirsh aromatics with a small amount of cedar wood. In mouth the wine is still acidity driven with lively spice and tartness. Very much a fruit forward variety. Like I have said for many of the 2009's ........ they are Lovely !!! There are not any of these left but they are treasures in the wine world.

2/28/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Wow has this improved !!! I recommend that CT folks give this at least 24 hours because the Apricot notes are stronger, the syrupy creamy flavors more intense and expressive, and the viscous mouthfeel just a little less than last night. I get a slightly sweet "hard to hate" flavor indicative of a Gewurtztraminer. Worth finding.

2/27/2024 - tomoem wrote:

A nose of apricot, in mouth it is syrupy, orange marmalade, and remains creamy. I am going to give this one time tonight and allow this more time to air out. If I rated I would be below the CT consensus. Stand by as I will enter day 2 notes tomorrow.

2/24/2024 - tomoem wrote:

At 12 years old I must state that this is still a terrific Cabernet. Tasted from a magnum. Thanks to Bob D for bringing this one.

Dark colored in glass it begins with vanilla on the nose and interestingly lacks any forward fruits. On the palette the wine shines. A melancholy cherry fruit is the immediate note with a background of vanilla. Mid palette the wine delivers a tomato leaf flavor and bell pepper. The finish is a little closed and dry on the tongue.

2/23/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Once again this is drinking so well. Cherry kirsh aromatics with a small amount of cedar wood. In mouth the wine is so melancholy as it s fruit forward profile meets its aged outcome. Lovely !!! There are not any of these left but they are treasures in the wine world.

2/20/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Some of my favorite Pinot Noir's are from AP Vin. I just received these from an auction and I must say that this particular one is so fruit forward, with berries, cherries and some fig. Lots of slight age to it where underbrush,compote, and mushrooms emerge at the mid palette. Still aromatic with berries and a musky wood barrel note.

2/18/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Aromatically it is still very young. Green apple certainly but in mouth the wine is closer to rich sweet Granny Smith and lemon rind. These folks produce a tremendous wine with crisper notes than many competitor Chardonnay wines. Decent and worth the price of admission.

2/18/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Better tonight. The wine has dramitaclly improved. Did not decent mid did not aerate. Smoked, blackberry fruit infused and dark cherry laden. Worth finding now as I believe this wine was better than some recent notes.

2/16/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Tonight this wine was aged looking as an orangey hue developed when pouring. Overall this is a well balanced Sauvignon Blanc. Aromatically flat with a little citrus tropical fruit nose. In mouth, the wine is lemon rind and grapefruit with aromatics that lead to similar flavors on the palette. Drinking well right now.

2/14/2024 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Valentine's Day 2024. This wine was a surprise to me. Much better than I had expected as even the label was not paper. The wine begins with rich fruits aromatically. Blackberry, and dark cherry emerge on the nose which also include fresh asphalt sulpher. Black cherry, ripe mulberry, and bay leaf in mouth. The finish is viscous thick juice which is a great take on the 2019 vintage.

2/14/2024 - tomoem wrote:

Valentines dinner 2024. Thanks to our friends Bill & Melissa for bringing this. Fairly well made Napa Cabernet but on the lighter side for aromatics and viscosity. Flavors of slightly watered down blackberry, plum and anise. At the mid palette the barrel notesappear as vanilla, and chocolate emerge. Finish is unfortunately flat right now. I think this wine may just need some time. It suffered the unfortunate experience of being compared to a Husic 2019 Palm Terrace Cabernet.