5/5/2024 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Off dry, if not a touch sweet, really nice lime pith nose, strong minerality, great acidity, crisp and precise palate. A touch of tropical fruit. Really impressed at this kabinet and first time for me with this producer but a definite rebuy.

4/9/2024 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Wow, continues to get better, racy acidity, fresh, loads of minerality with a kiss of sweetness. Mostly tropical fruit with some lime. Same as prior bottles with lots of tartric acid crystals but the wine itself is quite nice.

3/26/2024 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

92-93 fully mature Bordeaux, nose had some dusty library/cellar funk that took a minute to blow off but when it did showed leather, savory notes, tobacco, fairly classic nose. Palate had fully resolved tannin, nice acidity and medium persistence/length. Solid showing tonight. 90s are consistently one of my favorite vintages for Bordeaux.

7/7/2023 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Nose is a bit reticent, subtle lime and white florals. Palate is full of white peach, lime rhind, minerality and high acid. It does have some weight mid palate and feels a bit clunky at times but overall drinking great. Finish is dominated by citrus and a little warmth. Great now and ready to go but still has plenty of life ahead.

11/10/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

It's been almost 4 years since my last bottle, pnp, consumed over the course of a few hours. This wine has really mellowed out since I last had it. Still fairly big tannin but not at all angular or harsh as I remembered it being. Fruit was dark, some decent Syrah character with a hint of olive and subtle smokiness. Not at the top of my syrah list but was a very enjoyable wine.

9/23/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Very excited for this one. Double decant 2hrs ahead and straight into the decanter for another hr or so during dinner. Showed very well. Nose was amazing. Took a while to really open. Palate remained tight but had perfect balance and has many years ahead. 16 is one of my favorite vintages thus far, such great balance. Really looking forward to trying this with some more age.

8/5/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Really matured since bottle opened in '18, nose was soft, dried red fruits, mostly cherry and over ripe strawberry with subtle background nuances of spice and dried autmn leaves. Not typical Clos Vougeot as this leans more elegant. Palate was lithy, great acidity which leant a juicy edge to the otherwise dry mid palate. Finish was a touch short but this was showing great and really paired well with our dinner. Excellent showing.

6/9/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Still going strong, surprisingly little development at 19 years old and had a fresher zesty nose (slightly atypical for dom with some age in my experience), more subtle smoky notes that I typically associate with dom, a bit reticent, but very enjoyable. Slightly leaner than some other vintages but good acid and nice effervescence, shorter finish. Definitely not a top vintage dom and I would venture to say slightly atypical for the house style but still retains the hallmarks just less pronounced. Enjoyed with good friends, 91-92

6/9/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Nose was rather reticent at first, after an hr in the decanter really started to open. Dried florals, cherry, spice, a touch of charred wood, really nice nose, palate was elegant with good acidity, astringent tannin and great structure, classic/old school Brunello character, a real joy to drink and great with dinner. Just starting to show some maturity with the structure to age nicely. 92-93+

6/6/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

92-93 still showing great, mature riesling nose of petrol, some pine/juniper, ripe tropical fruit with a touch of honey, palate has a nice balancing acidity, short finish, and moderate complexity if not a bit simple but a joy to drink nonetheless. A treat at a great $$

5/12/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

About a year and a half since last bottle, seemed a bit more composed than I recall. Still light and lithy, dark cherry notes, good acid and a bit of charred wood on the back end. Holding up nicely. Really good QpR here.

3/18/2022 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Nice aged Italian nose, dried leaves and leather, palate has great acid, fully resolved tannin, dried black cherry, plum, earthy spice, this bottle drinking great.

11/22/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Much better than previous bottle. More dark cherry, vanilla overtones, some wood spice. Palate is medium weight with strong acidity and firm astringent tannin. Finish is somewhat short. Overall solid bottle of wine for the price.

10/1/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Last of 3 bottles, still showing well, right out the gate I get a strong tobacco leaf note, leather, dusty old book case, plum, mature nose. Palate I get strong cedar, tannic (quite astringent), charred wood, shaved pencil, acidic, needs a little air, shows some sour plum, black tea leaf. Solid finish that craves food. I really enjoyed this wine especially at its price point. Fully mature and ready to go but doesnt seem to be dropping off. 90-91

8/21/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Simply amazing that this is a kabinet. Off dry, razor sharp acidity and crushed stone minerality with citrus, white florals and a touch of petrol. Showing incredibly well for its age. 93-94

8/21/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Upon initial pour had a good amount of VA, more of a stewed fruit nose. Tossed in the decanter and gave it some time. It took a while before the VA started to blow off, drank over 3hrs or so. A more savory nose started to develop a few hours in with some additional florals starting to come through. A definite improvement but was never really wowed by this wine. Perhaps an off bottle? Maybe needed more air? For me an ok experience but not worth the $$$ on this showing.

8/21/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Decanted about 30 min and consumed over a few hours during dinner. Beautiful wine, mature Barbaresco with dried rose petal, leather, dusty plum, great acid, tannin still present and not yet fully resolved. Nose is enthralling and changed throughout the night. Quite an experience 95-96

7/11/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Some smokey elements, citrus, apple on the nose (in fairness this was tough and out of a flute that the resturant poured) palate matched, middle of the road weight wise for me, bead was a little coarse, nice acidity, not much in terms of autolytics and more fruit driven with citrus and apple. Clean finish and very enjoyable. Still quite youthful without much development. 91-92

7/11/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Fully mature nose with dried cherry and leather, palate is similar with earthy notes, plum, leather, nice balance, also fully mature with resolved tannin. A very nice Brunello and drinking well, not necessarily top teir but hit the spot for an older Italian. Would drink these soon as I do not see them improving further and potentially declining in the next 5 years or so.

7/10/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

At 10 years the reductive notes have finally dissipated, nose is lemon zest, wet stone/oyster shell minerality, and in contrast to the bottle opened in 2019 this had no oxidative notes and makes me think prior bottle had a touch of premox. Palate was beautifully balanced fruit, acid, and minerality with a melange of citrus and salinity, good weight and medium finish. 93-94

7/10/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Decanted as per prior notes around 1-1.5 hrs, nose was nice if a bit reticent, palate had good balance between fruit, acid, and tannin, definitely a lot of structure here. While this was maturing it was quite youthful and I imagine will improve further with more time. Very good now with a bit of upside to come I believe. 93-94+

7/10/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

At 10 yrs old this is showing great. Nose had dusty dark fruit, palate was balanced, just a slight green edge that says I am an 11 but very subtle and in harmony with the rest of the elements. Still very big and present tannin but soft and rounded mouthfeel. I enjoyed this quite a bit, 92-93.

7/3/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Simple, clean, light, refreshing, soft perfumed nose, nice strawberry, melon flavor. Easy drinking summer wine or palate refresher after a bunch of heavy reds.

7/2/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Showed similar to past bottles, not overly complex but just enough to keep you interested and great for the $$. This bottle was a bit more developed and gaining a little juniper note to the sweetness. Overall still solid, mature and easy drinking Auslese.

6/26/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Nice white floral, lime, wet stone nose, good minerality on the palate, high acid, showed every bit as goos as bottle 2 years back. Drinking great. Riesling dinner and my WOTN amongst the dry rieslings.

6/9/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Last bottle for me. Cork in great shape, nose with lemon curd, poached apple/pear, slightly oxidative, palate is the same with good acidity, a bit one dimensional and lacking the minerality to bring it up a notch but very good none the less. Paired with Dungeness Crab and did very well throughout dinner.

6/7/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Nose is unoaked to very restrained oak, classic cab fruit, dark florals, cocoa powder, medium intensity, more central coast cab but solid none the less. Palate is good, tart and acidic dark fruit, extremely lean (obviously given no alcohol), off dry and is enjoyable but lacks the balance provided by alcohol. The nose for me much >>> palate but for an alcohol sparing option this hits the spot. Plan to try more in the near future.

5/21/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Youthful, white peach, white florals, wet stones, lemon zest, medium intensity nose, palate matches with medium to med minus weight, good acid, very fresh end energetic finish. Very enjoyable and likely improvement with time. 91-92+

5/15/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Wondering if this bottle may be cooked. Nose and palate are a bit pruney, I get some oak spice but overall simple nose. Good acid and grippy astringent tannin, still a bit pruney on the palate. This did improve substantially after a 24 hr decant, maybe just needs time and air? However still not enthusiastic about this wine. Hopefully next bottle shows better.

4/29/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Brown sugar, marmalade, orange rind, faint notes of ginger, toasted hazelnut, has a good acidity that cuts the sweetness nicely, on the leaner side, mature and showing well. 91-92

4/24/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

On first pour this came off a touch medicinal. The group was bouncing around possible flaws but in the end agreed it wasn't flawed. Threw it in a decanter and the medicinal notes faded with mint and eucalyptus coming forward. Nose was sweeter dark fruit than I recall in other Martha's I've had recently, had some sweet tobacco notes, palate was old napa with fully resolved tannin. Most recent notes here were from magnum and my experience from 750 was not as impressive. Possibly this bottle was in decline and may have been better a few years back.

4/24/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Cork was in great shape, nose was pretty with red fruit and a touch of sous bois. Nose was much more interesting than the palate. Palate was a bit linear, high acid dominated the red fruit, mostly cranberry, mid palate was a touch thin, and shorter finish. Enjoyable aged burg but not a show stopper. Probably not punching GC weight.

4/17/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Pnp, nose is reticent with some dark berries and char, palate matches with a nice vein of acidity, juicy fruit albeit very much in the background at this point, and firm astringent tannin. This definitely needs some time or air or both. For me this is more similar to the 16, not as approachable as 17 but will likely age better. Would hold or give this a good decant before drinking.

Opened up a ton after 4 days open in the wine fridge. Very nice structure on this wine.

3/19/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Still showing great, rich nose of honey, petrol, over ripe apple, mango. Palate with a strong sweetness balanced by nice acidity, shorter finish and not a top tier riesling but phenomenal for the price and being 30+ yrs old.

3/19/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Corked

3/18/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Pnp, cork in amazing shape, nose is dried rose petal, dried fall leaves, a dusty pepper note, rustic, pure tertiary delight. Palate matches with the addition of tart black cherry, plum, bracing acidity, and fairly firm tannin for a 20+ yr old wine. Definitely a food wine, paired with red sauce pasta and grilled brussel sprouts, likely will not improve but will hold where it is for a while. A slight edge on the standard barbaresco bottling from same producer/vintage. 91-92

3/2/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Steely nose with white florals, maybe a little white peach and a hint of melon. Nose is perfumed, plush, bright. Palate with high acid, lemon, grapefruit, metallic minerality (not bitter) more melon leaning honey dew on the finish with ongoing citrus notes. Pretty nice for the price. Planning to pair with oysters and I think will pair nicely.

2/27/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Nose is soft without much intensity, strawberry, rose petal. Palate is light with good acid, cherry and strawberry, shorter finish. This is a pleasant pinot and made for food, if you want a heavily extracted Ca pinot this is not for you. That said this came off a touch thin. Drink now through short term, maybe 5-10 years tops. 89-90

2/19/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

First bottle slightly corked. Not enough to completely ruin the bottle but enough to muddle the nose. Palate is tart, cranberry and spice, fairly light but with astringent tannin, fair quality for the price, unfair to score given the tca.

2/19/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

This continues to improve. Probably the best showing yet for me. The fruit has really matured and lightened, more in a strawberry spectrum now but still very fresh, tannin has mostly resolved, acid has come forward and the balance is great. Finishes a little short but overall very good experience if you still have these lying around. I think finally hitting stride and if I listened to myself in 2019 and waited 5 years I think this will be at peak. Unfortunately my last bottle.

2/15/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Nose is showing some development, petrol, white peach, white florals, some waxy lemon. Palate has good acid, not quite as sharp and precise as the 08, decent mid palate weight, a slight pheniloc bitterness near the back, overall a fairly nice dry riesling that has quite a bit of time in the tank but mature enough to enjoy now.

2/13/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Dark fruited nose with crushed gravel, good intensity, got better with air as the night went on. Palate is crushing it with structure. Big astringent tannin balanced by good acidity and juicy dark berries, lengthy and thoroughly enjoyable mid palate. This is still fairly primary and compared to the 16 I had recently this felt much tighter and less approachable. That said still had an amazing showing with lots of up side down the road. Would recommend decanting at this point.

2/13/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

A bit tart, bead is a bit course, mostly green apple profile, lighter body, easy drinking and hits the spot when you are in the mood for bubbles and dont want to pop something $$$. For me this a nice effort at a very good price.

2/13/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Splash decant, started out feeling younger than expected but developed fairly quick after a few hrs open. Nose is rich dark fruit, dusty napa earth, framed by sweet vanilla, not as opulent as the 12 but very nice. On the palate this is a lighter and more restrained take on classic napa cab profile. Round and plush, medium plus body reflective of the 11 vintage, still fairly primary but drinking really well and probably will continue to do so for another 10 years. I do enjoy the cooler so called "off vintage" CA cabs as they tend to age more gracefully with the slightly lower alcohol. That said as is usually the case with wine it's all about producer. Celia really has this dialed in.

2/13/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Developed nose showing baked apple tart, subtle lemon, honey, bead is fine and persistent, palate was creamy with with sweeter ripe red apple, baked pastry, nice acid, decent complexity and drinking great right now. Delamotte really hits the mark for me with a little age.

2/13/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Tasted blind, decanted 5hrs ahead, nose of wild strawberries, high intensity, white pepper, a touch of menthol, a little medicinal. Palate matched with medium body, great acid and balance, very young. I was torn between a brawny pinot and St Joseph. This was an impressive wine. Very versatile, completely approachable yet will age gracefully. I will seek more out. 92-93+

12/30/2020 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Dark fruited, has a good sense of terroir, some dried herbs are subtle behind the darker fruit, starting to develop but only early into the secondary notes. Very good for the price, needs more time to move into the tertiary notes but very nice now, especially with a red sauce. Nice structure with firm but not broad tannin, good acid, and decent balance. Not a show stopper but ticks that box when you are in need of a reasonably priced brunello with character to go with your pasta.

1/1/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

NYE bottle for 2021, paired w/ some caviar, still showing great and in a perfect spot for MV Krug, great bottle.

1/16/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Stylistically a CB classic, high acid, energetic, chalky minerality that you can almost feel on the palate, white orchard fruit. Paired great with some fried chicken. Still very youthful and will likely gain some complexity and soften up with more bottle age.

1/16/2021 - Vinophiliac559 wrote:

Similar to prior vintages, great value, nose is very reductive, mineral driven with some lemon and green apple. Forgot I opened a bottle and left in fridge for a few days. Was quite impressed at how this held up. Reduction had all but blown off with maybe a touch of matchstick remaining. Palate rounded out quite a bit and the green apple really came forward. One of the best chards I have had in this price range. Plenty of time on these but doubtful mine last through the summer.