12/24/2023 - odds Likes this wine:

It drinks so well... sometimes I wonder if it is a 'steal' in its price range (it is!). The 2016 is as good as the 2012 nature rose Berlucchi we used to enjoy. Medium plus finish, great floral especially on the berries. We also like that it is a 'forgiving' wine- floral holds well even the settings are not 100 percent ideal (e.g. abit too warm/too cold/too crowded). This is a true pleasure for xmas eve and a weekend. Glad we get them in the vintages regularly. This Franciacorta keeps giving against all solid entry-level rose champagne at an attractive price and a stable bottle after bottle

4/5/2023 - odds Likes this wine:

We opened it for Passover and it was a good one from the get go (though best after 2-3 hours decanting, which ended up being 6-7 with the the typical schedule). Consistent with the one we had in Mid February. Does not seem to fade and the classic EMH line remains consistent. A treat for the holiday (Our third bottle of the EMH '14 classic We gave it 94 last time, and it remains consistent)

2/17/2023 - odds Likes this wine:

What a classic treat- Great from PnP (especially on the nose) and made a well aged development since the last time I had it in 2016, when it was a 'baby' bottle. It transformed and now presents a notable floral aroma from opening, with the secondary tastes noted as well within about 30 minutes. It kept evolving over the evening, in particular after about 2 hours, and even more with the eggplant parmesan.

The 2014 classic clearly maintained the classic black cat line with the dark fruits as other tasted have noted, and well balance on the cherry notes. Excellent companion for the dinner, and nice medium plus finish.

In our experience with EMH, this one falls well in the aging process and will continue to give for several years. One of the best representations of a classic EMH, and we all took more glass refills than usual. Glad we were able to enjoy it, glad we had a small glass for the following day's tasting (as good as it was last night).

12/25/2022 - odds wrote:

TCA, clear, with strong taste, and didn't get better over time. This was a surprise for a recently released/purchased bottle, in full temp control and humidity control storage. Need to check the other bottle but if you plan to open one soon have a backup plan . Such is life :(

10/10/2022 - odds Likes this wine:

This one keeps getting better. It was a wow wine, and it got better over the course of the meal. Especially, the crab cakes and the lobster made it even better. A longer finish than the last time I had it in ~2019, and it is a true reflection of the pinot blanc line of roses de jeanne. Great minerals on the nose and palate, and one I enjoyed going back to during the tasting. Among the 9 bubbles in the tasting, and the eight guests, 3-4 voted for this one as their WOTN (and the remaining put it as #2)

(purchased on release and stored temp control since- should have purchased more)

10/10/2022 - odds Likes this wine:

It’s been five plus years since the last time I opened one so it was time for a proper revisit. It was worth the wait(!)

We decanted for 2.5-3 hours, but it was clear from PnP that this one has matured well and is not going to fade anytime soon. It maintains the ‘black cat’ signature nose, and it is notable even from a longer distance. The floral did continue to evolve over dinner. I would note more of the peppers and some leather on the nose (maybe. There is a lot of fruit left, and I’m happy that it does not seem to fade but to mature with the secondary tasty. The black cherry and raspberry that were there on younger age remain, and clearly became more ‘widely open’. A notch more of the black currant compared with my last tasting, and certainly, by the vote of the bottle it was the winning cab of the evening. Long finish and wine that calls for more. Some tasters in the room estimated it would last another 10 years, and I actually lean towards even 20-25 in good storage conditions. I plan to open my last one in about ~20 years, aiming that both (the wine and I, lol) will age well. It lives to and exceeds the expectations. A true treat, and an outstanding representation of the terroir of the vineyard.

(96+)

9/17/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

This wine held very well, and lived up to its expectations. Certainly at peak, but I don't think would go upward. It certainly lived well to present the mocha and currant fruit (less of the violet given the age). Medium plus excellent finish. Opened at home during one of the COVID-19 peaks and it was a true pleasure to park on it. I wish I had more, but it was a rare opportunity to park on a true sonoma treasure. If you have one stored since release well, it is a rewarding experience. Superurb work, Mr. Sayre. It shows the best of your work. A wine well remembered, and a true gem for a Friday night at-home meats dinner

(Note: Typed from my notes in Sep-21 but uploaded on a later date almost a year later)

4/23/2022 - odds Likes this wine:

This is certainly at an excellent peak, and imho not fading anywhere soon. I agree with other tasters from earlier this year that primary fruits are still strong (I would say cassis more than the berries). The secondary tastings came in after about 2 hours or so of decant. It was an excellent companion for the meal, and it was well appreciated (by our visitors from Bordeaux... they wanted some well aged local wine to 'park' on for dinner, and it delivered well). True gem, and sadly was the last one in the cellar.

This was a true pleasure to open and share, especially as one of the visitors was a '96 herself (and it was opened along after the '08 Comtes BdB for starters)

8/12/2022 - odds Likes this wine:

This one was a perfect companion rose for a main dish course- far darker rose/red (more of a dark berry color, clearly further away from a classic rose salmon color), and lots of fruit on the nose and palate. The finish got even better and longer with the steak (though the crabs matching was also amazing). Medium plus on the finish, and the wine certainly aged, and well, since the last time I had it shortly after release. Can be enjoyed, or held longer. I do not see a rush. It is more of a rose for a meal, though, not for appetizers or cocktail hour. Great minerals and very refreshing addition to the meal.

8/12/2022 - odds Likes this wine:

It was a very nice treat, but this legendary wine have seen its prime days. Color, and nose were age appropriate- very cognac-like on the nose, dark gold color. On the palate you still have some of the original fruit but it was clearly more on the aged (or even over aged abit) side. Medium finish, and it was a treat but it was also a lesson learn-sometimes holding them too long is simply not worth it. It was acquired from an excellent storage history, but still- time did speak on this one. It was a great one to share, and first served blindly- all identified it is a well aged champagne, but the question was- how old? It was one to enjoy, but clearly its peak days are gone. I would say to drink up if you still hold them. Even if the bottle held perfectly since release, it is time

90-91

11/4/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

I was so happy to read about the progress of this wine, so I had to take one for the team as well- the excuse? Thursday :-)
It made tremendous progress over the last ~5 years. It was enjoyable even from the PnP sample, but as always- super after two hours. Lots of blackberry and cherry on PnP nose, great light earthy notes on palate and nose at PnP. After 90 minutes and through the course of the evening it evolves to a well mature EMH. Longer finish, more dark ink color I would say, and the peppery notes certainly came to play well with the truffles and pasta. It complemented the small appetizers well too. Vote by the bottle: We planned to drink abit and leave the rest for the following day, but the finish got longer and the fruit notes expanded that it ended up being more than two thirds of the bottle.
That said, the following day, the leftover (5 oz in a small sealed bottle) was served with dinner, and 30 minutes in the glass made it even more wow. It strongly aligns with the 2011 as a little black brother, and it is maturing well. You can easily open it as one that needs a shorter decanting, though I still find it most rewarding after two hours decanting. Well meauw!

6/18/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

Excellent seasonal choice from PnP with nice aging. At 6+ years the color became more rust gold (similar to the frame of the label). Nice nose and the typical expected palate tasting of a viognier with one additional 'twist'- longer finish/aftertaste. Given the potential of this wine, and the varietal in general, I always wonder how come viognier by the glass is not more popular for summer/spring days. But, at home- this was a great bottle. Enjoyable and well recommended for a weekend casual. For more descriptive notes, I would note that the winemaker's fact sheet is actually very true/accurate to the aging description

4/30/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

The challenge with barbaresco of late 70's is the vintage history and storage conditions. Luckily, I 'fell' on the right side of the scale with this one. Not alot of fruit left, but the secondary tastes were legendary. The nose was great from PnP but really integrated after about 30 minutes. As with aging bottles, it was fragile and after hours it started fading. At the peak, clearly medium plus finish. Lots of peppers on the taste, and more green wood taste. It matched well with the cheeses.

Well, when you get an outstanding aged bottle, it is to celebrate. All guests enjoyed this one. It was first served blind, and they noted 'clearly older, clearly well stored, clearly dominant on secondary taste and clearly color wise in the 30-40 years range (brick brown/dark red)'. I was happy to share. If you have a bottle in your cellar, it is probably time to drink it up. I don't think that sadly it would 'live' well into its fifties, but it had a great run.
94+ on secondary tastes, color and floral, 90/1 on fruit left; one number can't tell the story in full

4/22/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

A very nice entry wine to the ceritas chardonnays. A good example of a stable, enjoyable wine with great floral (especially at 30+ minutes and later). We drank it over diner and the citrus/light lime worked very well for our menu- chicken schnitzel and salad. Finish got longer over the meal. It held well the floral. More green apple and some (little) peach on the palate. Certainly refreshing, nicely done and with some aging potential.

4/17/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

@ home, second bottle consumed in few months (Third one if accounting for pre-March 2020). This one was a 'wow' one we recall from older vintages of this one as well. It is a local/regional wine based (100% Nero d’Avola). The '13 seems to shine above, with longer finish than I recall in prior tasting, and with a nice aging trajectory. Somewhat in line with the 02 of this one I had in 2019. Great finish, got longer over dinner. I agree with the 'professional' reviewers that the ruby color stays notable and the iris on the floral is unique and well standing. It matched well with our cheese and italian toast, and it was a rare event that we finish the entire bottle with the meal. Planning to put one bottle away to enjoy it at the 20 year point, but given that I already run through three, it might be a challenge.

Postscript-IMHO, the overall ratings of Duca Enrico is underrated (especially in the US markets). It is worth pursing one with age and good storage history.

4/17/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

Third bottle of this one (all from the June 2017 disgorgement date). It proved to be an excellent, reliable and consistent champagne. Always with a great nose from PnP and requires about ~30 minutes each time to show its best. Bright gold color on the glass, long bubbles. Nice minerals and fresh citrus, along with other floral fruit (peach?). You will get more of the apple and grapefruit in the second hour of the tasting. Medium finish, very good aftertaste. Quiet enjoyable, almost too good to use for appetizers only. Great QPR and all in house champagne. Worth acquiring few when they are on a good pricing sale. Legitimate champagne for 'stable, reliable, widely enjoyable'. Open without fear of having unhappy guests.

91+

3/26/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

What's better than a fresh vegetables based meal at home with assorted appetizers and great cheese? adding pasta with some olive oil... and even better decanting for two hours EMH 11. As with the last tasting, it is a rewarding experience. Truly 'wide' nose from PnP that evolved more over the course of the evening. In line with the last tasting, it developed secondary tastes on the palate and nose, alot of black peppers and some currant. The blackberries remain consistent with the 2019 tasting of the wine. Nice finish, even longer than I recall. It keeps growing and serve as an example of an outstanding wine from somewhat underrated vintage. Incorrectly underrated. It is a great ambassador to the vintage, and for EMH's portfolio. Well Meauw! A true high end caliber for EMH classic line. Let the fruit speak :-) Just give me more.

(Holding it again at 93+ but not adding a number to avoid a single rater bias)

2/19/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

Nice but not in line with prior releases of the NV. I think there may have been a slight bottle variation but even with that variation, it was not as impressive release as prior ones when I refer to the NV as a reference 'house' rose. Visuals remain consistent, but shorter finish and not as impressive palate as I recall. Won't reject it, but won't look for it again in this range.

88-89

2/19/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

About three months later, I revisited the bottle to determine that it falls in line with prior tasting. A legitimate 'workhorse'/housewine with outstanding QPR. Nice finish with about 30 minutes of air. Nice aging potential and a 'steal' in the ~50 range price. The BS Brut Rose served near it... well, it stood no chance (aka- the bottle was finished, the Brut Rose BS- maybe 1/4).

2/13/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

Very nice selection- needed about 30 minutes in the bottle open to expand the floral. Worked very well across the appetizers and even part of the main items. On the floral one had more of the currant which was somewhat surprising (balanced about 30 minutes). Color was indeed as expected from prior bottles of the krug rose (ID415063,23rd, 2011 base) with pale pink. The raspberry and honey took more time to show. I would say closer to about an hour, but then they took their 'front row' palate and nose. Finishing got longer over the course of the meal. I think it was very good one, but took slightly more time to open compare to other 375 that were opened in the fall. Still, neither the house nor us complained about taking the time to enjoy it.

2/13/2021 - odds wrote:

The bottle was flawed and post prime. Very brown/vinegar color taste, with some notable amount of sediments and 'dead' nose'. Some signs of metalic taste that I've noticed before in bottles that were exposed to extreme heat conditions.
Visual inspection of the second bottle from the same source we have suggests that we will see similar experience. I'd check on a later date this week
50 pts, and second taster said- water, lots of, please!

2/4/2021 - odds Likes this wine:

It was a true joy one to have over two nights, thought it was more enjoyable the second night. Very floral on the nose from PnP, not with the sweetness you'd have from a brut (naturally expected, as it is a brut natural). It needed some air for enjoyment, and not too heavy meal on the side. I would not go as far as saying a cocktail hour bubbles- we've enjoyed it with full meal. But, in its price range, there are other brut zero and extra brut options that would be more rewarding.
In terms of a single score, 90 from PnP, 92 after some time to decant and enjoy. The finish also gets longer and the nose gets more expressive. I would not decline trying it again, but in this price range, as noted- there are other '04 vintage ones to consider.
What will hold for it is that it has a good aging potential imho, which is not always easy to find in brut zero wines

12/24/2020 - odds wrote:

I was excited about the potential hype of a non Champagne sparkle with some very good reviews. But, aside from the nose from PnP (that faded within about 30 minutes) I would say it was unimpressive to our palate. I doubt we would have identified it as a rose without the visuals, and it did not leave any long or short lasting impression. The expectation was set somewhat higher, but the finish was short and there were simply no special treat on it that justified longer 'parking' on the wine. Maybe by the glass for a cocktail hour. I will not repeat the purchase

(On taste alone, ~75-80, by rating assistant scale specification average and/or below)

12/18/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

This one is for our fellows in a specific wine place in Roma. Opened it on a Friday night for a reference point. It aged well, and it is one that stands well for a great cocktail hour or reception. Very large noise, and a classic gavi after taste. You can tell by the nose alone that it is the rose, and it matches well (and match better than the gavi de gavi white) to the salmon and appetizers. Medium finish. I recommend treating it like a rose in a white wine glass and not a flute, and enjoy the secondary tastes as they evolve over dinner. Extra special- add some basil sauce and cheese selection.

Compared with the '07 that I had before it has a longer finish, and I would say the floral on the nose especially the berries hold longer. It also IMHO integrates better with the classic antipasti offerings.

To sum: Recommended plus. Forze Italia, forze sicilia. (91+, we shall meet again post covid)

11/27/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

Very nice treat of a well aged La Dominique. It certainly needed the decanting thought 60-90 minutes at home were sufficient before dinner. Secondary tastes certainly evolve over dinner, and it did not seem to fade in 2-3 hours 'parked'. The house also enjoyed a nice taste. I would say that pending your bottle history, you'd certainly want some tools (durand, etc) for the cork. Aging notes wise, it felt somewhat older than a '82. But YMMV pending on bottle and storage history.
Current rating is 91.9 and I think that's an under-rating. I would recommend to have a back up bottle in access though

9/13/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

I would say it remains consistent with my prior notes. It was somewhat surprising to me that I did not feel alot of aging on the wine compared with my prior tastings of it. There is no need for longer decanting as in prior servings, but it is still aging. I would say it can be held abit more, but it was a great end of weekend/weekday treat.
(all stored in temp/humidity offsite wine storage)

12/16/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

It's been a while, and a long dinner at home during a n'easter was a great time to park on '08 EMH. Great nose from PnP. In fact, I enjoyed alot my tasting from PnP. Great dark ruby color, hardly any sediments, longer finish than I recall in previous bottles. I would say it is certainly more 'bold'/'dark' compare with the 2009 (for example), but it is still very very rich in its fruit and earth balance. The cassis and black fruits remain dominant (an excellent fit for black cat). Nice peppers evolve on the nose as the evening progressed, little more leather. The floral remain on the nose for several hours. I still recommend decanting, but even decanting throughout the meal is helpful. Enjoyed over 3 hours or so. About a glass left for today. Splendid. Treat yourself to a glass of well aged cab.

12/13/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

It is the fifth bottle opened from the cellar. In January, I concluded it's on an upward trend and the December tasting confirmed. The deep(er) pale color remains consistent. Personally, I found the finish longer then early
'20 and 2018/9 though others determine consistently with slight growth. Overall, the new taster determined it is a true luxury, and the rest of us were very pleased to revisit. It was a good one to close a pretty challenging year.

12/5/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

It was a surprising enjoyable gem consumed over two nights. A great representation of well aged malbec. Inky/purple/dark red on color, I think it needs a healthy 90+ minutes decant to show its best (some claim its great from PnP I'm not sure I'd agree). A peppery touch opens up with the steak at palate (no, the steak alongside did not have pepper). It does open few tasting layers so to speak throughout the evening. I'd say the fruit (plumish) makes way to the secondary tasting after sometime. The blackberry notes are not as strong as I recall them in other rutini wines, but are notable. I would note that imho it would have been nicer to have a smaller touch of the french oak, not 18 months in new oak as the producer did. The underlying reason is that the wine provides a good presence in it of its own and I sometimes was sad when it ws overwhelmed with the oak. I think a longer decant may have resolved parts of it.
Vote of the bottle was clear as it was finished quite fast on the second night.
Now we are down to four bottles, and it was a great find to age

11/26/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

As others noted, a nice orange/pinkish flesh (I called it rose gold flesh, but on the brightside, closer to gold then rose). It was showing very well, with a great nose from PnP and throughout the meal. Worked well across all menu items- great with the fig and soft/cream cheese. On the palate, a very nice balance of the lemon and grapefruit, with nice apples (Green, I was not sure, but it was funny as I saw afterwards that others on CT noted it as well- I thought I may have been biased with apple side dish). Great mineral finish, and a potential to go for all purposes wine at a very good QPR. A legitimate candidate on 'house wine' section.

(91-92, which at the time this note is written is within CT average, 91.7)

3/6/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

It was a nice intro-level '08 vintage bubbly. Bright gold on the color, (slightly) sweeter than I expected from my typical brut. Long bubbles, and the finish was short, growing to medium day two (03/07). It was good QPR but I would say ~40 per bottle is the max value [in line with current community reported prices]. Nice, but can't see long term aging potential

10/3/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

It was a great treat over dinner (And lunch, the following day). Drank nicely with all the antipasti dishes prepared. Very nice floral on the nose, held well through the meal. Nice QPR on the pricing. I would note that it has a little almond on the palate which works in my favor.

[CT score at time of tasting is 90.6, imho a good reflection but slightly biased downwards]

9/12/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

Opened side by side with the '12 Keefer Ranch. On all parameters it was better than the '12 and held well through the evening(nose, color, long standing floral, finish, and great after taste). Great joy, and very nice balance of the lime and floral. Worked well with all fish appetizers (and the main). Clearly by the vote of the bottle level it was preferred to the '12. Nice surprise, and glad it was given the time to age in the cellar effortlessly

9/12/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

Opened it side by side with the '11 Keefer Ranch. Aged very well and tasted better than it did in 2016. Got slightly more dark golden on the color. I would say the '11 aged better in terms of finishing and floral development, but the '12 did not fall far behind, especially after an hour of healthy decanting. It was a pleasant surprise, and certainly great QPR
(90-91)

9/13/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

The bottle lived well to the expectations and storage history: Great, great nose. Very much on the citrus and flowery smell. Somewhat deeper golden color than in 2015, and longer finish. All in, excellent wine for the four different fish selection for the meal. In line with the notes from prior tastings, we gave it 30 minutes of decant which were well worth it. Chilled slowly and consistently throughout the evening. It was an excellent bottle- probably the best of the four we had; but it was also the last of the four. c'est la vie (92-93)

8/29/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

We found it very enjoyable and drinks well over its price range. Great floral, fresh minerals on PnP. Worked very well with the greek appertizers and light meats. Light butter on the palate and nose. A lemon and some peach on palate from PnP. Get longer finish day #2. I would not be shy serving it in an open/yard setting as the nose held well. Gets a bit close as temp of wine rises, but does not need to be cold/frozen. Super QPR, but I would not say this one would age more. I'd recommend drinking now

8/15/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

This one was a real treat but surprisignly needed quiet a healthy (few hours) decanting time to show its best. Great pale salmon color, in line with medium or mid-rare grilled salmon. Lots of fruit on the floral, abit less on PnP. Nice finish, not a long finish by all means- though it got longer over the course of the evening. Did have a more 'sensitive' temp range, or in other words: showed much better or much worse with little temp changes. The remaining of my sketch notes are quite in line with Baker's notes.

Overall, very nice treat and worth the quest for . But, not as outstanding as I was expecting.

7/11/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

This year gave opportunities to clear the collection and taste/test some hidden treasure. This one stood within the expectations from an old, okay but not outstanding chardonnay at the ~40th year. The color was as expected- deep gold (rust gold), appropriate to the age. Some note/nut on the nose right from opening. The cork, while not broken was pretty much soaked almost to the top.
There is some fruit left, but I would certainly note The aroma falls within the aging chards: more almonds, bread/toast taste, even some brioche like taste. Certainly, little of the lime or citrus left.
It's a matter of preference and also of storage history/bottle variation. There were some outstanding aging chards I had over the years (including this year). There were some that I was sad to see how bad they've aged.
This one? fell well in between. It was an okay example of aging, but not an outstanding or even very good one. I would not actively search for a bottle but if you happen to have one, it may be worthwhile opening it side by side near a 7-10 years vintage one.
Another rater gave it 85 few years ago. I would say at that grade or lower, but it simply not a good reflection of the experience by one grade.

4/18/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

What a pleasure! a perfect match basically to anything. Just like in prior tastings, the key was the well balance of the spices, and the fruits- lots of cherry, blackberry, some currant-- Well rounded taste, and longer finish than I recall in prior tastings of this one . While the EMH '07 was more 'bold' this one is certainly an all-in classic cab, and aging so marvelously. Excellent for anything- from light appetizers, to full five course meal. Great dark purple, excellent finish.

94+ a true treat, the bottle that keeps giving

4/4/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

There are some good reasons to open outstanding wine in life--celebrations, birth years, special milestones… this season, the good reasons are simply for being together and enjoying a great weekend and meal. So, what would upgrade it more than EMH 2007? Honestly, I do not know. On the fourth bottle I get to taste it from , I would say that by all means, shapes and forms it is a top-end companion for steak and meats meal. Very bold with the sirloin steak, great secondary tastes have developed since the last time I tasted it—more of the leather, peppers, and balanced smoke. The oak smoke in the background was not overwhelming, just a perfect match to the meal. Longer finish than I recalled in ’15 and in ’17 when I tasted the wine before. . Over the course of two nights not only that it did not fade, but actually it got better. Even much better. That’s after a 2-3 hours decant on the first night. The aroma of the spices kept developing the second night. It’s interesting as I noted to myself on the side notes- berries, peppers, currant, blackberries in particular, and three of the four where there in my ’17 tasting as well. What makes this one more of a meat companion compared with other EMH I recall? The secret is the combination. A more bold wine for meat, but one that does not overwhelme you with secondary tastes and over dominates the palate. The finish that gets longer with that chewy sirloin that you put on top of the salad for the lunch on day two. The nose that is blossoming, even day two,even from the other side of the living room. Drink it or hold it more, just give it the air time.
It certainly is one that drinks well (WELL) above its price range. I actually feel I almost ‘robbed’ the winery. This has been an upgrade for our weekend, and well upgrades since I tasted it last in 2017. Well meauw.

(94+ but a single number does not capture the finish and the match to meats. For a meat dominant meal, give it a 95)

1/25/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

Bottle #4 that is opened from cellar. Very consistent but getting better with the tastings of 2017-18-19. I would note that the deep pale color remains consistent, and the bubbles got somewhat longer. Longer finish then in 2018 and 2019. I recommend natural decanting (over the course of a meal) or opening 45-60 minutes before serving. Very pleased we secured a case on pre-release

~95, but not adding score to avoid a bias

1/24/2020 - odds Likes this wine:

You know that moment when you open a bottle and from the other side of the living room you are being asked "What's that wonderful smell?"

So, EMH '12. Opened on Friday to be served along a small plate of appetizers, salad and some lightly grill sausage in olive oil. Great nose from PnP. Wonderful taste, medium plus finish on the length. I recalled that the big 'nose' has been an identifying signature also when we opened it few years ago (2015, twice by more than one guest). It indeed live to our expectations that the finish would become longer. The earthy notes (especially some peppers and light wood) came to the front about 60 minutes into the decanter. The finish got longer. Well balanced fruit (dark berries, cherry) on the nose and palate. Wonderful finish for the week. So, can it be your house wine? It can certainly be ours. Very enjoyable. Rewarding, and works very well with the olive-cheese platter. The only downsize? It was not a magnum :)

93+, drinks well above its price range.

12/25/2019 - odds Likes this wine:

It was a good time to revisit the '11 EMH... It was a rewarding experience, especially with a long decant. It has developed those peppery secondary tastes on the palate and nose (a little less on the nose from PnP, more after few hours in the carafe). The blackberry notes are more developed than my previous recollection of drinking the '11. The finish certainly got longer than I recalled, and certainly got longer with the decant. Excellent match to the meat and the stew. It is a true gem and a great one to enjoy over the holiday meal. Still has several years ahead in good storage, so I'm happy there are still few bottles to enjoy at the storage. As many others noted- shows very well now, and shows very well with a good decant. Great work Sparkles! (and Merrill)

(93+ but the note tells more than the number)

9/23/2019 - odds Likes this wine:

Now that was a luxury Monday. Opened it up asking with few neighbors and we enjoyed it from pnp and decanting. Excellent floral on the nose. Lovely peppery notes. Medium plus finish. Exactly the way I expected this one to develop, with mote secondary notes compared to my last tasting. A true dark purple pleasure in a glass. Five years after my last tasting of this one, it's a classic aging emh black cat. A purrrrrrfect bottle.
94+

7/20/2019 - odds wrote:

We win some, we lose some. I'd try the second bottle soon

7/12/2019 - odds wrote:

Sadly it was oxidized... Such is life sometimes. Nose was perfect but it was doa

5/10/2019 - odds Likes this wine:

"Thank you sir, may I please have another?"

Had the opportunity to taste it from a well aged bottle. Age appropriate golden/rose color, dark rose (picture uploaded). Long bubbles, and big floral especially for the age of the wine (I have had a handful of mid 80's to early 90's rose champagne and this one was among the top three). Apricot on the nose and palate. On the palate, you can feel the secondary tastes and floral. It fitted well with the appetizers, and a lightly crusted pizza. It opened up over dinner. nice, long lasting mousse and great minerals on the finish. Nicely stored bottle would be rewarding to open. Hence "thank you sir, may I please have another?"

4/18/2019 - odds wrote:

Exactly as I remembered it, and exactly as fellow CT tasting notes described. One problem- It seems that what I really liked about 3 years ago I don't like now. So... as advertised. But simply does not work for me at this time. Palate changes... c'est la vie

4/13/2019 - odds Likes this wine:

Bottle 1733 iirc. Excellent. Got better with some decanting/air time. Worked well with fruits (berries) and cheese. Made an enjoyable evening (~91 fwiw in a single value)

2/9/2019 - odds Likes this wine:

Second time I'm having this one, and it is better than the first time. Great nose, well balanced yeast. Somewhat darker gold compared with the '99 Deutz William I had just few weeks ago. light lime and citrus on the nose and palate. Just like last time, very stable long bubbles. I can tell the finish was longer than I recalled in 2017. Excellent match for the steak and light Italian dishes served for lunch. The only problem is that it would make it harder to enjoy somewhat younger champagnes :-)

It earned the 95 grade, and it's a problem as this would not be a daily drink (this year started with too many top end well-aged champagnes)